# SMS-Activate alternative

SMS-Activate was for years the largest temporary number marketplace and the de facto API standard. Since its closure at the end of 2025, users and software developers need a replacement that speaks the same protocol.

## Is SMS-Activate still working?

No. SMS-Activate closed on 29 December 2025 and directed users to Hero SMS; balance withdrawals ended in February 2026 and the old domains now show only a placeholder, so any site operating under that name today is not the original. Scripts written for its API still work with providers that implement the same protocol; SMS Nitro exposes an SMS-Activate-compatible endpoint for that reason.

## What SMS-Activate was

A marketplace of virtual numbers from hundreds of countries with activations and rentals, a large affiliate network and an API that dozens of registration tools adopted as their default. Its closure left those tools pointing at a dead endpoint.

## What SMS Nitro does differently

- Private numbers only, never shared inboxes.
- Price frozen at purchase, charged only when the SMS arrives; the number is reserved for 20 minutes.
- Live price and recent success rate per app and country before you confirm.
- Card and crypto top-ups from $5, balance that never expires, no subscription.
- REST API plus an SMS-Activate-compatible endpoint, so existing tools migrate by changing the key.
- Catalog written in each language from scratch, with a legal entity, refund policy and support behind it.

## Moving from SMS-Activate to SMS Nitro

Create an account, top up from $5 and compare the prices of the apps you use most. If you used SMS-Activate through its API, the SMS-Activate-compatible endpoint lets most scripts run unchanged after you swap the base URL and the key. Numbers that receive no SMS are never charged, so testing a new provider costs nothing when it fails.

## Who should pick SMS Nitro

Developers who want to keep their SMS-Activate-based code, and users who want the same catalog model with clearer billing: frozen at purchase, charged only on delivery.

## FAQ

**Will my SMS-Activate scripts work?** Most of them, after changing the API base URL and the key. The methods getNumber, getStatus, setStatus, getBalance and getPrices are supported.

**Can I transfer my SMS-Activate balance?** No. Balances were held by SMS-Activate; contact their successor for that. SMS Nitro cannot access them.

Source: https://smsnitro.com/compare/sms-activate