# SMS Overview

Clickatell's SMS offering allows businesses to enable SMS for any application, website, or system through the SMS Gateway or over the Clickatell Portal.

Depending on the type of SMS being sent (i.e., [1-way](https://guides.clickatell.com/sms-channel/1-way-sms-communication) or [2-way](https://guides.clickatell.com/sms-channel/2-way-sms-communication) messaging) and the SMS platform used (i.e., the [SMS Gateway](#sending-messages-over-the-sms-gateway) or [Clickatell Portal](#sending-smses-via-the-clickatell-portal)), you will require either a sender ID, [phone numbers](https://guides.clickatell.com/sms-channel/long-numbers), or [short codes](https://guides.clickatell.com/sms-channel/short-codes) to send SMS messages. This can be sourced through Clickatell.

{% hint style="info" %}
When sending SMS messages to customers internationally, take into account [country-specific SMS regulations](https://www.clickatell.com/sms-country-regulations/).
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### Sending SMS messages via the Clickatell Portal

The Clickatell Portal is a cloud-hosted, user-friendly portal with wizard-driven code generation for easy integration with your existing systems. From here, you have access to unlimited free [testing](https://guides.clickatell.com/sms-channel/getting-started/add-and-edit-test-phones), multiple traffic routing and [two-way setup](https://guides.clickatell.com/sms-channel/2-way-sms-communication) options, and intelligent [reporting dashboards](https://guides.clickatell.com/sms-channel/reporting-and-analytics).​

{% hint style="success" %}
Using the Clickatell Portal is ideal if:

* You're sending **any number of messages per month.**
* You're planning on **using other messaging channels** in addition to SMS.
* You require an **HTTP API or REST-based API**.
* You require **standard and priority routing**, as well as **standard feature controls**.
* You want **access to Clickatell's products**, such as [Chat Flow](https://clickatell.gitbook.io/flow/overview/overview), [Chat Desk](https://clickatell.gitbook.io/chat-desk/overview/overview), and [Campaign Manager](https://guides.clickatell.com/sms-channel/getting-started/add-new-sms-setups-self-serve/add-campaign-manager).
  {% endhint %}

### Sending SMS messages over the SMS Gateway

The SMS Gateway is equipped with specialized APIs that can be integrated with your systems. These APIs can handle bulk SMS messaging and other specialized actions.

With the SMS Gateway, you can send SMS messages securely, reliably, and instantly via multiple API options such as HTTP, REST, SOAP, and SMPP.

{% hint style="success" %}
The SMS Gateway is ideal if:

* You're a large business sending a **minimum of 250 000 messages per month**.
* **SMS is the only channel** you require**.**
* You require **access to specialized APIs** like SMPP.
* You require **custom routing profiles** and **full feature-level controls**.
* You require any type of **special services** such as conversion APIs, custom monitoring, content registration, etc.
  {% endhint %}