
Ask HN: Alternative to Skype SMS Service (Linux CLI – Webservice API)? - throwaway-gone
I really liked some things in the approach Skype had with SMS (started writing them, but got over the character limit). However, I&#x27;ve grown tired of Microsoft&#x27;s constant changes to UI and TOS of Skype (I guess, due to efforts to turn it into a social network); and I&#x27;d like to part ways with Skype. So, is there a service that would function as an alternative - primarily through a Linux desktop CLI client?<p>In fact, if there was a web service, with endpoints like `getAccountBalance`, `getPriceForCurrentText`, `sendTextAsSMS` and `getStatusForSentSMS`, I guess I could build myself a Linux CLI (say, `bash`) client, that would also deal with plain text contact lists with mobile numbers, and save plain text &quot;conversation&quot; (not really conversation, since it&#x27;d only save messages I&#x27;ve sent) archive logs - that is all that I&#x27;d need, really. And if I can build a `bash` CLI client, I could also build a PHP client that could run on a cheap shared LAMP webserver as well. But I wouldn&#x27;t mind a pre-made CLI client - as long as it&#x27;s open source, so I can change it if I don&#x27;t like it.<p>I&#x27;d expect to be paying for a service like this, and I understand I cannot be anonymous in this context - so I&#x27;d be OK with registering an account with my real email, and 2-factor SMS authentication (which is, in most other cases, a no-no for me).<p>So, is there such a service, that will let you sign up, and send SMS internationally&#x2F;globally:<p>* With your own mobile number (possibly 2FA authenticated) as SMS sender?<p>* Supports splitting of long SMS into shorter ones, and accurately bills for that?<p>* With reasonable prepaid payment options (something like min 5-15 Euro per round of credit, instead of &quot;get 10000 SMS for just 100 Euro&quot;) - where the balance is accurately deduced from, each time SMS is sent?<p>* With relatively stable API endpoints?
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mig4ng
I have used plivo before not much so I do not fully recommend yet take a look
and decide for yourself:
[https://developers.plivo.com/](https://developers.plivo.com/)

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throwaway-gone
Interesting - never heard about plivo before; many thanks for the tip! EDIT:
Though it looks like they sell virtual phone numbers (
[https://developers.plivo.com/getting-
started/numbers/](https://developers.plivo.com/getting-started/numbers/) ), I
wonder if it would be possible to set up my private mobile phone# as the
sender...

