50 SMS Marketing
Statistics for 2026
The definitive data resource for SMS marketers. Open rates, ROI, consumer preferences, and industry benchmarks — all in one place.
98%
Max Open Rate
21-35%
Click-Through Rate
90s
Avg Read Time
$71
ROI per $1 Spent
Open & Read Rates
90–98%
SMS messages are opened
compared to just 28.6% for email. Even at the lower end, SMS open rates are industry-leading. Source: EZTexting 2025 Consumer Texting Report.
90s
Average time to read an SMS
Most texts are read within 90 seconds of delivery, making SMS ideal for time-sensitive promotions.
90%
Read within 3 minutes
90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes of delivery, vs. 90 minutes average for email. Source: Validity State of SMS 2023.
3–4x
Higher open rate than email
At 90–98% vs. 28.6%, SMS open rates are 3–4x higher than email. The gap widens for promotional messages where email averages just 20%. Source: MoEngage 2025.
82%
Of people read every text they receive
Unlike email, people rarely skip or ignore text messages from businesses they've opted into.
3 min
Median response time
When recipients do respond to a business text, the median response time is just 3 minutes.
Response & Engagement Rates
45%
Average SMS response rate
Nearly half of all recipients respond to business texts, versus just 6% for email campaigns.
21–35%
Average SMS click-through rate
Links in SMS messages see click-through rates of 21–35% (some industries hit 40%), compared to 3.25% for email. Source: SimpleTexting 2025 / GetResponse.
7.5x
Higher response rate than email
Consumers are 7.5 times more likely to respond to a text message than a marketing email.
36%
Coupon redemption rate via SMS
SMS coupons are redeemed at 10 times the rate of traditional coupons and email offers.
75%
Of consumers purchase after a brand text
75% of consumers report making a purchase after receiving a text from a brand. 65% bought items sooner than planned due to a timely SMS. Source: Vibes Consumer Insights Report.
<3.5%
Average opt-out rate
SMS unsubscribe rates remain consistently below 3.5%, and often fall under 1.5%, because subscribers opted in intentionally. Source: Postscript 2025 SMS Benchmarks.
Consumer Preferences
75%
Want to receive offers via SMS
Three out of four consumers say they are comfortable receiving SMS messages from brands after opting in.
84%
Of consumers have opted in to business SMS
84% of consumers have subscribed to receive texts from at least one business, and over 52% receive SMS from four or more brands. Source: SimpleTexting 2025.
77%
Have a positive view of SMS-texting businesses
Consumers view brands that communicate via text as more modern, convenient, and customer-friendly.
76%
Opt in primarily for appointment reminders
The #1 reason consumers subscribe to business SMS is appointment/reservation reminders (76%), followed by order updates (68%) and exclusive discounts (58%). Source: Omnisend 2025.
60%
Prefer SMS loyalty programs
Consumers prefer managing loyalty programs via text over app downloads or physical punch cards.
85%
Prefer texts over phone calls
The vast majority of consumers would rather receive a text message than a phone call from a business.
ROI & Revenue Impact
$71
ROI per $1 spent on SMS
SMS marketing delivers an average return of $71 for every dollar spent, outperforming most digital channels.
25%
Increase in revenue with SMS campaigns
Businesses that add SMS to their marketing mix report an average revenue increase of 25% within the first year.
$16.80
Revenue per SMS subscriber per year
The average annual revenue attributed to each SMS subscriber is significantly higher than email subscribers.
60%
Reduction in no-shows with reminders
Service businesses using SMS appointment reminders see no-show rates drop by more than half on average.
20%
Higher conversion than email alone
Campaigns combining SMS and email see 20% higher conversion rates than email-only campaigns.
21–30%
Average SMS conversion rate
On average, 21–30% of SMS recipients complete a purchase or desired action, compared to 12.04% for email. Source: SimpleTexting 2025 SMS Benchmarks.
Industry Benchmarks
| Industry | Open Rate | CTR | Response Rate | Opt-Out Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants & Food | 98% | 21% | 42% | 3.2% |
| Retail & E-Commerce | 97% | 18% | 38% | 4.1% |
| Salons & Spas | 98% | 22% | 48% | 2.8% |
| Healthcare | 99% | 15% | 52% | 1.9% |
| Real Estate | 97% | 16% | 40% | 3.5% |
| Fitness & Gyms | 97% | 20% | 44% | 3.0% |
| Automotive | 96% | 14% | 35% | 4.5% |
| Nonprofits | 98% | 12% | 30% | 2.5% |
48%
Response rate for appointment-based businesses
Salons, dentists, and service businesses see the highest SMS response rates due to the personal nature of their services.
73%
Of restaurants see repeat visits from SMS
Restaurants using SMS marketing report that nearly three-quarters of text-engaged customers become repeat visitors.
Adoption & Market Growth
64%
Of businesses plan to increase SMS budgets
64% of businesses plan to increase their SMS marketing spend, with companies now allocating an average of 18.76% of their total marketing budget to SMS. Source: Omnisend / DecisionTelecom 2025.
$9.96B
US SMS marketing market by 2030
The US SMS marketing market is projected to grow from $2.9B (2023) to $9.96B by 2030, at a 20.3% CAGR. Source: Grand View Research.
55%
Of SMBs now use text marketing
More than half of small and medium businesses have adopted SMS as a marketing channel, up from 40% in 2023.
6.6B
SMS messages sent daily in the US
Americans send and receive billions of texts daily, keeping SMS the most familiar and comfortable digital channel.
70%
Of marketers increasing SMS budgets
Seven in ten marketers plan to increase their SMS spend in 2026, shifting budget from social media and display ads.
5.3B
Global mobile phone users
With over 5 billion mobile users worldwide, SMS reaches virtually every consumer — no app download required.
Key Takeaways
SMS dominates email in every engagement metric.
With 90–98% open rates, 21–35% CTR, and 21–30% conversion rates, SMS outperforms email by 3–4x across the board. Sources: EZTexting, SimpleTexting, Omnisend 2025.
The ROI is unmatched at $71 return per dollar.
No other marketing channel delivers this level of return. At pennies per message, SMS is the most cost-effective channel available.
Consumers want texts from businesses.
75% want SMS offers, 64% think businesses should text more, and 85% prefer texts over calls. The demand is clear.
The market is booming — don't get left behind.
64% of businesses plan to increase SMS budgets in 2025. The US market alone will reach $9.96B by 2030 at a 20.3% CAGR. Source: Grand View Research / Omnisend 2025.
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