A customer places an order and then, silence. They don't know if the order was accepted or when to expect delivery. They start messaging support: "Where's my order?" A familiar situation for any WooCommerce store owner. According to Baymard Institute, 22% of abandoned carts result from buyer uncertainty during checkout, and every unanswered question after purchase increases the likelihood of a return.

SMS notifications close this gap. SMS open rate is 95% according to Gartner, and 90% of messages are read within the first 3 minutes. For comparison: emails are opened by an average of 20% of recipients. There's a difference between an email buried in the Promotions tab and a push to the phone that the customer sees immediately.

Below are nine WooCommerce plugins for SMS that we've selected and tested on real campaigns. Free, paid, with WhatsApp and Viber, for any store and budget.

💡 Quick overview:

• Choose an SMS gateway: Twilio for international stores, BulkGate for Europe, SMS Alert for India
• Install the plugin from the WordPress catalog and connect the gateway API
• Configure notification templates for your store's order statuses
• Enable OTP verification to reduce fake cash-on-delivery orders
• Activate abandoned cart recovery to bring back lost carts

Comparison table: top 5 SMS plugins for WooCommerce

In practice, choosing a plugin comes down to three factors: store geography, SMS gateway budget, and whether you need OTP verification. Below is a detailed breakdown of each of the nine tools, from universal to niche.

1. WSMS (ex WP SMS)

WSMS (formerly WP SMS) by VeronaLabs is the most universal SMS plugin for WooCommerce with an audience of 7,000+ active installations. It supports over 200 SMS gateways out of the box: from Twilio and Clickatell to local operators in Asia and Africa. No need to lock into one provider, if your current gateway gets expensive, switch to another in a couple of clicks.

The plugin can send MMS, for example, a product photo along with order confirmation. Built-in OTP verification protects admin login and confirms user registration. For stores with cash on delivery, this is critical: a one-time password to the phone filters out fake orders.

One standout feature is two-way SMS: the customer replies to a notification and the message comes directly to the WordPress admin. No need to expose your personal number.

• Pros: 200+ gateways without locking to one provider, two-way SMS, OTP and 2FA, MMS messages, bulk scheduled campaigns, compatibility with Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms and Elementor
• Cons: WhatsApp Business API through All-in-One is unstable (according to reviews), OTP for popular gateways like Twilio only in paid version
• Price: Free version on WordPress.org with basic SMS; All-in-One from $39/year (all addons: OTP, two-way SMS, scheduler, Bitly integration)
• Download: 🔗 WSMS on WordPress.org | 🔗 All-in-One pricing comparison

2. BulkGate SMS Plugin for WooCommerce

BulkGate stands out for its multi-channel approach: one plugin sends SMS, Viber Business, RCS and WhatsApp Business messages. For stores in Europe, this is especially beneficial, Viber messages are roughly half the price of SMS and hold up to 1000 characters with buttons and images. Two-way communication works across all channels.

The built-in AI assistant BulkWords (powered by ChatGPT) helps create, improve and translate campaign text. A practical detail: the plugin can send messages through the store owner's Android phone (Mobile Connect), using mobile carrier rates instead of an SMS gateway.

The plugin is free, you only pay for sent messages. Upon registration, you get 10 test SMS.

• Pros: Viber + RCS + WhatsApp + SMS in one interface, AI campaign text generator, Mobile Connect (sending via smartphone), coverage in 200+ countries, multilingual templates, URL shortener
• Cons: Minimum threshold for Viber Business EUR100/month in some countries, contradictory support service reviews
• Price: Plugin is free; payment per sent message (prices depend on country and channel)
• Download: 🔗 BulkGate on WordPress.org | 🔗 Messaging price list

3. SMS Alert, SMS and OTP for WooCommerce

SMS Alert by Cozy Vision Technologies is a specialized plugin for stores that need OTP verification and abandoned cart recovery. 4,000+ active installations, tested with WordPress 6.9.4.

The main advantage is deep OTP validation: number verification during checkout, optionally only for COD (cash on delivery), with repeat sending limits and country filtering. For Indian stores it's critical: the plugin is DLT-compliant (Distributed Ledger Technology, TRAI requirement for SMS campaigns).

Abandoned cart recovery works with WooCommerce block checkout, automatically captures abandoned carts and sends SMS reminders. Integrates with 50+ plugins: from Contact Form 7 and WPForms to Dokan and WCFM Marketplace.

• Pros: DLT compliance for India, flexible OTP verification (COD-only, by roles, repeat limit), abandoned cart recovery, SMS campaigns from dashboard, integration with 50+ plugins
• Cons: Requires SMS Alert account (separate service), interface overloaded with settings
• Price: Free plugin on WordPress.org; demo account with test credits, then pay-as-you-go
• Download: 🔗 SMS Alert on WordPress.org | 🔗 Live demo

4. Twilio SMS Notifications for WooCommerce

Twilio SMS Notifications by SkyVerge is the enterprise standard. The plugin is sold on WooCommerce.com and works on top of the Twilio cloud platform, the same one used by Uber, Airbnb and Netflix for SMS communications.

The customer sees a checkbox "Receive SMS notifications" on the checkout page. From there, it's fully automatic: order status changes, SMS with customized text. The plugin supports custom statuses from Order Status Manager: you can send a notification for status "Handed to courier" or "Ready for pickup."

Built-in URL shortener (via Google) saves characters within the 160-character limit. Sending one SMS in the US starts at $0.01, with support for 40+ countries.

• Pros: Enterprise-level Twilio infrastructure, custom order statuses, opt-in checkbox at checkout, test SMS from admin, 40+ countries, 30-day refund
• Cons: No OTP/2FA, only order notifications, support through AI bot (complaints in April 2026 reviews), Twilio account required
• Price: $49/year (1 year of updates and support)
• Download: 🔗 Twilio SMS on WooCommerce.com | 🔗 Twilio SMS pricing

5. YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications

YITH SMS Notifications is a product of the YITH ecosystem (6,197+ clients, 4.53/5 rating based on 74 reviews). It supports over 40 SMS services: Twilio, ClickSend, MessageBird, Nexmo, Clockwork and dozens of local providers from Morocco to Thailand.

Integration with YITH Custom Order Status allows sending SMS for any custom order status. A separate plus is compatibility with YITH Request a Quote and YITH Booking: SMS goes out when quote request or booking status changes.

The checkout checkbox is optional: you can send SMS to all customers or only those who explicitly agreed. Bitly and TinyURL are built in for link shortening.

• Pros: 40+ SMS services, integration with Request a Quote and Booking, custom order statuses through YITH Custom Order Status, Bitly/TinyURL, 97% support satisfaction rate
• Cons: Paid version only (no free tier), no OTP/2FA, tied to YITH ecosystem for maximum functionality
• Price: EUR63.99/year (1 year of updates and support, 30 days money-back)
• Download: 🔗 YITH SMS on YITH site | 🔗 Live demo

6. WC, APG SMS Notifications

WC, APG SMS Notifications by Art Project Group is a lightweight plugin for the basic task: notify the customer by SMS when order status changes. 300+ active installations, tested with WordPress 6.9.4, version 3.0.0 from February 2026.

Nothing extra: select a status, write a template, the client receives an SMS. Supports standard and custom WooCommerce statuses. Sending goes through the selected SMS gateway, the plugin acts as a layer between WooCommerce and the provider API.

Suitable for those who don't need OTP, marketing campaigns and cart recovery, only transactional order notifications.

• Pros: Minimalist and fast, custom order statuses, free
• Cons: Only basic notifications, no OTP, bulk campaigns, abandoned cart recovery, only 300+ installations, modest ecosystem
• Price: Free
• Download: 🔗 WC, APG SMS on WordPress.org

7. Texty, SMS Notification for WordPress, WooCommerce, Dokan

Texty by weDevs (the team that created Dokan) is a lightweight SMS plugin with 8,000+ active installations. Version 2.0.1 updated June 16, 2026, today.

The plugin supports 200+ SMS gateways and can collect phone numbers through a subscription form on the site, you can run SMS campaigns in parallel with email marketing. Integration with Dokan provides SMS notifications for multi-vendor marketplaces.

When a new user registers, the administrator receives an SMS instantly. Convenient for stores where it's important to respond quickly to each request.

• Pros: SMS subscription with widget, 200+ gateways, integration with Dokan for multi-vendors, lightweight and doesn't overload the site
• Cons: No OTP/2FA, no abandoned cart recovery, basic functionality compared to leaders
• Price: Free
• Download: 🔗 Texty on WordPress.org

8. E-goi, Omnichannel Marketing Automation

E-goi is not just an SMS plugin, but a full omnichannel marketing automation platform: email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, voice campaigns, all from one dashboard. 700,000+ marketers in 40 countries, 20 years on the market.

For WooCommerce, E-goi provides deep integration: 360-degree purchase tracking, AI content generator for campaigns, abandoned cart recovery with personalized SMS sequences. The difference from regular SMS plugins: here you build scenarios, for example, "customer didn't open email for 3 days, send SMS, no response, WhatsApp."

The platform requires onboarding (about a month until full launch), but in return provides strategic consulting, with a live specialist assigned to you.

• Pros: Omnichannel (email+SMS+WhatsApp+push+voice), AI campaign optimization, phygital unification of online and offline sales, strategic consulting
• Cons: Not a standalone plugin but a full SaaS platform, long onboarding, excessive for a small store
• Price: Free 14-day trial; then custom pricing (depends on channels and volumes)
• Download: 🔗 E-goi for WooCommerce | 🔗 Book a demo

9. WooCommerce WhatsApp Notifications (via business API)

The ninth slot is not a specific plugin but an approach. WhatsApp as a notification channel has become a must-have: 2 billion users in 180 countries, and messages are perceived as personal. The original mtalkz WhatsApp WooCommerce plugin from the 2022 review is no longer supported, but dozens of alternatives have taken its place.

Verified options: WooWhatsapp (CodeCanyon) sends orders, invoices and PDF attachments via WhatsApp, Notiqoo (wordpress.org) is a free plugin with WhatsApp Cloud API, miniOrange OTP uses WhatsApp as a channel for OTP verification. For those who want everything in one plugin, WSMS (position number 1) includes WhatsApp Business API in the All-in-One package.

WhatsApp notifications are especially effective for stores in South Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, where WhatsApp is the de facto main messenger.

• Pros: 2 billion users, end-to-end encryption, multimedia messages, high customer trust factor
• Cons: Requires WhatsApp business account and Meta template approval, mtalkz plugin from original review discontinued WooCommerce support
• Price: Free plugins available; WhatsApp Business API pay-per-conversation from Meta
• Download: 🔗 miniOrange OTP on WordPress.org | 🔗 WooWhatsapp on CodeCanyon

The short video tutorial above shows the full cycle: from plugin installation to the first test SMS to a customer. If you prefer text format, read on, we cover common questions.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Do I need a separate SMS gateway or does the plugin work on its own?

The plugin is a layer between WooCommerce and the SMS provider. Without a gateway (Twilio, BulkGate, SMS Alert, etc.), messages won't send. Each plugin on the list requires an account with the corresponding service. WSMS and Texty support 200+ gateways, you can choose any.

Which plugin is best for a cash-on-delivery store?

SMS Alert (position number 3) and WSMS with All-in-One. Both provide OTP verification of the phone number when placing a COD order: the customer enters a code from SMS, confirming the number is real. This reduces the percentage of fake orders by 40-60% according to SMS Alert data. SMS Alert additionally allows enabling OTP only for COD, leaving prepaid orders untouched.

Can I send SMS for free?

Completely free, no. But BulkGate gives 10 test SMS upon registration, SMS Alert provides test credits on a demo account. WSMS, Texty and WC-APG SMS are completely free plugins, you only pay the gateway for sending. The cost of one SMS ranges from fractions of a cent in developing countries to several cents in Europe and the US, exact rates depend on the gateway and destination.

What to do if the plugin conflicts with the theme or another plugin?

Disable all plugins except WooCommerce and the SMS plugin, check if test SMS sends. If yes, enable plugins one by one to find the conflicting one. In practice, checkout customization plugins most often conflict (they change standard WooCommerce fields that the SMS plugin hooks into). Solution: switch to WSMS, it supports custom fields through hooks.

Do SMS notifications work for multi-vendor marketplaces on Dokan/WCFM?

WSMS and Texty, yes. Texty is created by the weDevs team (Dokan authors) and natively sends SMS notifications to vendors about new orders. SMS Alert also integrates with Dokan, WCFM and Product Vendors.

Which SMS plugin to choose for your task

Nine plugins is a lot. The matrix below narrows the choice to a scenario:

• Budget start, need flexibility, take WSMS (free, 200+ gateways). If your gateway gets expensive, just switch to another.
• European store with Viber audience, BulkGate. Viber messages are half the price of SMS plus richer format (buttons, images).
• Indian store with COD, SMS Alert. DLT compliance and deep OTP verification solve compliance issues that other plugins don't cover.
• International store, enterprise level, Twilio SMS Notifications. Paid plugin on top of infrastructure used by Uber, Airbnb and Netflix.
• YITH ecosystem, YITH SMS Notifications. If you already use YITH Request a Quote or YITH Booking, take their SMS plugin, the integration is seamless.
• Multi-vendor marketplace on Dokan, Texty. Native integration from the Dokan creators.
• Need an omnichannel platform with consulting, E-goi. Not just SMS but full marketing automation with a live specialist.

Before installation, check three things: gateway coverage in your country, cost per SMS, and availability of OTP verification if you have cash on delivery. Half an hour on a test send will save weeks of support later.