--- title: "HeroSMS Alternative: Keep a Real Number for Months" description: "HeroSMS sells one-time activation numbers in 180+ countries. SMS Hallo rents private real mobile numbers in 181 countries from $1.80/month." canonical: https://smshallo.com/alternatives/hero-sms-alternative language: en last_updated: 2026-09-30 --- # HeroSMS alternative: a real mobile number you keep HeroSMS is an activation service that sells numbers for receiving one-time codes in 180+ countries, on a pay-per-SMS basis, and describes itself as the successor to SMS-Activate. If you want a number you keep for months, with incoming calls and outgoing SMS and minutes included, SMS Hallo rents real mobile numbers in 181 countries. ## What HeroSMS is HeroSMS's website says it is built on the technology of SMS-Activate, which has closed, and calls itself that service's successor. Its features page says former SMS-Activate users need to create new accounts because old accounts cannot be transferred. The site names Danver LLC, with an address in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as the company behind it. The core product is the activation: you pick a service and a country, buy a number and read the code in your personal account. The homepage describes these numbers as temporary, with a usage period starting from 20 minutes, and says HeroSMS also supports verification by call and voice bot. Its service menu also lists a "Full rent" option. HeroSMS says it covers 180+ countries and 700+ sites and apps, and it offers an API and an Android app. ## HeroSMS pricing, payment and refunds HeroSMS's features page describes a pay-per-SMS model with no monthly subscriptions and no forced minimums: you top up a balance and pay for the numbers you use. Prices depend on the service and the country, and the site shows them in its service menu. Top-ups are made in cryptocurrency, and the site says payments typically take up to 2 hours to process. Registration uses an email address, and the features page says there is no approval process before you can start. On refunds, the homepage FAQ says that if the SMS has not arrived within 20 minutes, the money automatically returns to your balance. We could not open its refund policy document, so we do not describe it further here. Its pages do not mention sending SMS or making calls from a number. ## How SMS Hallo differs The main difference is the model. A HeroSMS activation is built for one code in a short window, while SMS Hallo is a rental: the same real mobile number stays yours for 1 to 12 months and longer if you renew, so you can receive a new code whenever an app asks again. SMS Hallo numbers also work as a second phone line. Every number includes unlimited incoming SMS and calls, plus 500 outgoing SMS and 1,000 outgoing minutes per month from a browser dialer. The price is one flat rate in every country instead of a price per service. ## When HeroSMS may suit you better If you only need to receive a single code and don't expect to use the number again, a one-time activation is usually the cheaper way to do it, and HeroSMS is built for exactly that. HeroSMS may also suit developers who already worked with the SMS-Activate API, since its site says its API keeps a similar structure, and people who want to pay per code rather than per month. ## Why people choose a rented number A rented number is one you keep. SMS Hallo rents real mobile numbers (non-VoIP, in each country's local mobile format) in 181 countries, and a number stays yours for as long as you renew it, 1, 3, 6 or 12 months at a time, or automatically with auto-renew. That matters because many apps ask for a code again later: when you sign in on a new phone, reset a password or confirm a change to your account. If you still hold the number, the new code lands in the same private inbox. After a rental ends, a number may be given to someone else, so keep renewing any number linked to an account you care about. Every number includes unlimited incoming SMS, unlimited incoming calls, 500 outgoing SMS and 1,000 outgoing calling minutes per month, used from the browser dashboard with its SMS inbox, send-SMS screen, dialer and call log. Allowances reset every 30 days, and unused allowance does not roll over. The price is the same in every country: from $1.80 per month on the 12-month plan ($21.60 billed yearly), with no setup fees. Prices for 1-, 3- and 6-month plans are shown when you choose a number. You pay in USDT or USDC on Tron, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base or Solana, either from a prepaid wallet (minimum top-up $5) or directly for a number. Sign-up needs only an email and a password: no SIM card, no ID documents and no local address. While you rent a number, only you can see its messages, and SMS Hallo never publishes inboxes. ## The three SMS Hallo guarantees Every SMS Hallo rental comes with three guarantees, which you can use from buttons in the dashboard. 7-day free replacement: within 7 days you can swap the number for another available number in the same country, free, up to 3 times. The new number keeps your plan and expiry date. Works, or 100% refund: if the number doesn't work with the app you rented it for, for example the code never arrives, request a refund within 7 days and get back 100% of what you paid. 7-day money-back: if no call or SMS has been made or received on the number, you can get a full refund within 7 days, no questions asked. ## Using a second number responsibly SMS Hallo is meant for privacy and for keeping a second number for legitimate sign-ups, such as separating work and personal accounts or not handing your main number to every website. Its Acceptable Use Policy forbids fraud, creating fake or bulk accounts, breaking an app's terms, coming back to an app after being banned, and using a number to get through bank or identity (KYC) checks that are meant for you personally. Each app decides which numbers it accepts, so no provider can promise that a particular app will take a number. If an SMS Hallo number doesn't work with the app you rented it for, the guarantees above cover you. ## How to get started with SMS Hallo 1. Create an SMS Hallo account with your email and a password. 2. Choose the country you need, pick a number and choose a 1-, 3-, 6- or 12-month plan. Prices for shorter plans are shown when you choose a number. 3. Pay in USDT or USDC, either from a prepaid wallet (minimum top-up $5) or directly for the number. The payment window shows the exact amount, the address or QR code and a 10-minute countdown; send the exact amount on the same network. 4. Enter the number in the app you want to verify and read the code in your SMS Hallo inbox, where codes are detected and can be copied with one tap. 5. For accounts you plan to keep, turn on auto-renew so the number stays yours. | | SMS Hallo | HeroSMS | |---|---|---| | Type | Rented real mobile number (non-VoIP), 1 to 12 months, renewable | One-time activation numbers (from 20 minutes); a "Full rent" option is also listed | | Price model | From $1.80/month on the 12-month plan ($21.60 billed yearly), same in every country | Pay per SMS; price depends on service and country; no monthly subscription | | Payment | USDT or USDC on Tron, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base or Solana | Cryptocurrency top-ups | | Identity checks | Email and password only; no SIM card, ID documents or local address | Email registration; no approval process, per its site | | Countries | 181 countries | 180+ countries | | Refunds | 7-day free replacement, 100% refund if it doesn't work with the app, 7-day money-back | Money returns to balance if no SMS arrives within 20 minutes | | Outbound SMS & calls | 500 SMS and 1,000 minutes per month included | Not stated | ## Frequently asked questions ** ### Is HeroSMS the same as SMS-Activate? ** HeroSMS's site says it is built on SMS-Activate's technology and calls itself its successor, but also says it is a new project and old SMS-Activate accounts cannot be moved over. ** ### Can I keep a HeroSMS activation number? ** Its site describes activation numbers as temporary, from 20 minutes, and also lists a separate rent option. An SMS Hallo number stays yours for as long as you renew it. ** ### Are SMS Hallo numbers VoIP? ** No. SMS Hallo rents real mobile numbers in each country's local mobile format, not VoIP lines. ** ### Can I pay SMS Hallo by card? ** No. SMS Hallo takes USDT or USDC on Tron, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base or Solana, from a prepaid wallet or directly for a number. ** ### What if an SMS Hallo number doesn't work for my app? ** Request a 100% refund within 7 days, or swap it free for another number in the same country up to 3 times. Apps decide which numbers they accept, which is why these guarantees exist. ## Sources - [HeroSMS homepage](https://hero-sms.com/) - [HeroSMS features](https://hero-sms.com/features) - [HeroSMS about us](https://hero-sms.com/about) Competitor facts verified on 2026-10-01. ## Related - [SMS-Activate alternative: a private number you can keep](https://smshallo.com/alternatives/sms-activate-alternative) - [5SIM alternative: a private number you keep, with calls and SMS](https://smshallo.com/alternatives/5sim-alternative) - [Three guarantees on every number](https://smshallo.com/features/guarantees) - [Auto-renew and keeping your number](https://smshallo.com/features/auto-renew-and-keeping-your-number) [Choose your country →](https://smshallo.com/numbers) --- ## Key facts (SMS Hallo) - Real mobile numbers in 181 countries, rented online — no SIM card, no ID documents - Price: from $1.80 per month on the 12-month plan ($21.60 billed yearly), same in every country - Every number: unlimited incoming SMS and calls, 500 outgoing SMS and 1,000 calling minutes per month - Guarantees: Every number is covered three ways: a 7-day free replacement guarantee, a 100% refund if it doesn't work with your app, and a 7-day no-questions money-back guarantee if you haven't used it. - Payment: USDT or USDC on Tron, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base or Solana - Support: support@smshallo.com (replies usually within a few hours) · SMSHallo Inc., 650 N Highway 414, Mountain View, WY 82939, United States