Campfire SMS
AgentCall gives AI agents phone numbers with SMS, OTP extraction, AI voice, and an AI receptionist. Its relay mode also lets you text your own agent at its number, but your agent has to receive a webhook. Campfire SMS lets the agent you already run text you and read your reply, with no number to rent and no webhook to host.
| Decision | AgentCall | Campfire SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Who texts whom | Your agent gets its own number. People call or text it, and AI voice or AI SMS can answer. In relay mode, you text your own agent at that number. | Your existing agent texts you. You reply from your normal SMS inbox. |
| What you set up | An API key and a number, connected through its hosted MCP server or REST API. Relay mode also needs a webhook URL that your agent hosts. | Sign up, verify your phone, and run the one-time install command from your account. No number to rent, no webhook to host. |
| Phone app needed | None. It is an API and MCP service. | None. Texts arrive in your normal SMS inbox. |
| Pricing model (as observed) | Free: a card-verified 72-hour live trial with one US number, five SMS send attempts, and five inbound AI minutes. Pro: $19.99 a month plus usage, with SMS at $0.015 sent and $0.008 received. | 40 free messages after phone verification, no card required. Then $8 a month for 500 messages, or one-time packs from $5 for 200. Each text sent or received counts as one message. |
| Best for | AI receptionists and voice calls, OTP extraction for testing, and an agent phone identity. | Getting questions and results from the agent you already run, and answering from your phone. |
What AgentCall does
AgentCall describes itself as "Phone numbers, SMS, OTP extraction, AI voice, and cross-call memory. All in one API." You provision a number, connect your agent through its hosted MCP server (62 tools) or REST API, and receive transcripts, SMS, and codes at your webhook. See AgentCall's homepage.
Most of that is about the outside world reaching your agent. Campfire SMS covers a narrower job: your agent reaching you, and your reply getting back to it.
AgentCall relay mode, the closest match
AgentCall's relay mode is the part closest to Campfire SMS. Its guide, Text Your Own AI Agent on a Real Phone Number, explains the setup: set a number's smsMode to relay and point agentWebhook at a URL your agent hosts. Each text you send is HMAC-signed and posted to that webhook. Your agent replies later through a reply endpoint or the MCP tool. The agent can also text first.
The guide is direct about the catch: most agents run on a laptop or a VPS with no public HTTPS endpoint. AgentCall publishes an MIT-licensed bridge that sets up an always-on endpoint and a service next to your agent. It also recommends an allowedSenders list (up to 20 numbers) so only you can reach the agent. Relay texts are billed as normal messages, $0.015 each on Pro, with no separate relay fee.
Campfire SMS takes a different route. You don't host an endpoint that accepts requests from the internet. The connector you install talks to Campfire SMS: your agent sends its text, then retrieves your reply when it checks for messages. Texts come from Campfire SMS rather than from a number you own.
Choose AgentCall if…
- You want an AI receptionist. Inbound calls can be answered by AI voice, with summaries after each call.
- You need voice calls. Outbound AI calls are offered in 31 languages, plus plain voice calls on Pro.
- You test SMS verification. AgentCall's OTP extraction lets an agent receive a code on its own number to test your app's sign-up flow. Live OTP extraction requires Pro.
- Your agent needs its own number that callers and texters can both use.
- You already host your agent behind a public HTTPS endpoint, or you are happy to deploy AgentCall's open-source relay, and you want a number dedicated to that agent.
Choose Campfire SMS if…
- You want the agent you already run (Codex, Claude Code, Grok Bot, OpenCode, or Grok Build) to text you when it needs an answer or has a result.
- You want to reply from your normal SMS inbox, on an iPhone or an Android phone, with no app to install.
- You don't want to rent a number, host a webhook, or keep a gateway device running.
- Your agent runs on a laptop or VM without a public endpoint, and you don't want to deploy one.
Setup is three steps: sign up at campfiresms.com, verify your phone (40 free texts, no card), and run the one-time install command from your account. Then send a test text and reply. See the setup guide for each agent.
What Campfire SMS does not do
Campfire SMS does not answer calls, extract verification codes, or give your agent a number that other people can text.
- Local agents need a live session. Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode, Grok Build, and other local agents need the computer awake and online and the session running. Campfire SMS does not wake a stopped local session. Grok Bot is the exception: an active webhook routine can start it in the cloud when you text.
- Replies don't grant new permissions. A text can steer the task, but the agent keeps the permissions it already had. Native approvals stay in the agent's own interface.
- SMS isn't end-to-end encrypted. Don't text secrets, and keep sensitive detail on the computer.
Try a text and a reply
Campfire SMS starts with 40 free messages after phone verification. No card required. The monthly plan is $8 for 500 messages, and one-time packs are available. See current pricing and message counting. Your agent's own costs are separate.
Start with a harmless exchange: ask your agent to text you a short status, reply with a question, and check that it reads your exact reply and answers.
AgentCall details checked October 9, 2026 against agentcall.co (features and pricing) and its relay mode guide. Prices and plans are as of October 2026 and can change; check the linked pages before you decide. Product names belong to their owners. Campfire SMS is independent of these companies.
Common questions
Is AgentCall relay mode the same as Campfire SMS?
Both let you exchange texts with your own agent. In relay mode you text your agent at a number it owns, and AgentCall posts each text to a webhook your agent hosts. Campfire SMS needs no number of your own and no webhook: the installed connector sends your agent's texts and retrieves your replies.
Do I need to host a webhook for Campfire SMS?
No. Sign up, verify your phone, and run the one-time install command. A local agent does need its computer awake and its session running.
When is AgentCall the better choice?
When your agent needs its own phone number: an AI receptionist, voice calls, OTP extraction for testing, or texting with people other than you.
What does AgentCall cost?
As of October 2026, AgentCall lists a free card-verified 72-hour trial and a Pro plan at $19.99 a month plus usage, with SMS at $0.015 per message sent. Check its site for current pricing.