Pricing guide
Per-message rates across the main Ugandan and international providers, plus sender ID, Mobile Money and volume-tier breakdowns. Updated for 2026.
FAQ
Most Ugandan providers price between UGX 25 and UGX 35 per SMS. International providers like Twilio price in USD and end up around UGX 900-1,100 per Ugandan SMS. Volume discounts (typically 5,000+ SMS/month) drop local providers into the UGX 28-32 range.
Most Ugandan providers including Wesendall don't charge monthly fees — you pay only for SMS you send. Enterprise tiers from MTN and Yo! Uganda are typically negotiated with monthly commits.
A registered sender ID lets your messages display your brand name (e.g. WESENDALL) instead of a short code. MTN Uganda charges around UGX 300,000 per month for a sender ID; Airtel Uganda is typically a one-off fee around UGX 300,000. Providers including Wesendall help with the registration paperwork.
One SMS unit is 160 characters of plain Latin text (or 70 of UCS-2 / Unicode). Longer messages are split into multiple units and billed per unit. Most school fees reminders fit in 1-2 SMS; longer ministry or campaign messages can be 3-5 units.
Yes — Wesendall, EgoSMS, MegaSMS and most Ugandan providers accept MTN MoMo and Airtel Money. International providers (Twilio, Africa's Talking on USD plans) typically require a card or bank transfer.
A school of 1,000 parents sending one fee reminder + one results notification per term spends roughly UGX 70,000 in messaging per term, or about UGX 23,000/month averaged across the year.
Per-SMS rates and Mobile Money support across major providers serving Uganda.
| Provider | Per-SMS rate (UGX) | Mobile Money | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wesendall | UGX 32-35 | Yes (MoMo) | Mobile Money native, no monthly fees |
| EgoSMS | UGX 25-35 | Yes | Long-standing market leader |
| MegaSMS | UGX 30-35 | Yes | Strong vertical content (schools, churches) |
| Advanta SMS | UGX 25-30 | Yes | Pan-African operator |
| CraneSMS | UGX 25-32 | Yes | Long-established Uganda provider |
| Africa's Talking | USD-tied (~UGX 25-32) | No (USD/card) | Developer-first, pan-African |
| Yo! Uganda | Negotiated | Yes (MoMo) | Enterprise / fintech aggregator |
| MTN Bulk SMS | Premium | Direct billing | Enterprise / government tier |
| Twilio (Uganda outbound) | ~UGX 900-1,100 | No (USD/card) | International wholesale routing |
Last reviewed May 2026. Send corrections.