Campfire SMS
Sendblue is an iMessage API for businesses and AI agents that talk to customers, with fallback to RCS and SMS. Campfire SMS is a hosted SMS bridge between you and the agent you already run: it texts you when it needs an answer or has a result, and you reply from your normal inbox.
| Decision | Sendblue | Campfire SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Who texts whom | Your business or AI agent messages customers and leads over iMessage from a Sendblue line, falling back to RCS, then SMS. The AI Agent plan is inbound-first: contacts text you first. | Your existing agent texts you. You reply from your normal SMS inbox. |
| What you set up | An API key and a line, through the SDKs, CLI, or REST API. Webhooks and a dedicated number come with the paid plan. | Sign up, verify your phone, and run the one-time install command from your account. |
| Phone app needed | None. It is an API; customers use their own messaging app. | None. Texts arrive in your normal SMS inbox. |
| Pricing model (as observed) | Free sandbox with no card: shared number, up to 10 verified contacts, no outbound messaging or webhooks. AI Agent plan: $100 a month per dedicated line, no per-message fees. Enterprise: custom, with full outbound messaging. | 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 | iMessage conversations with customers and leads, sales teams, and customer-facing AI agents. | Getting questions and results from the agent you already run, and answering from your phone. |
A different audience
Sendblue's homepage pitches "Real blue bubbles from real phone numbers," with automatic fallback to RCS and then SMS, and no A2P registration. Its pricing is flat per line with no per-message fees. See Sendblue's homepage and pricing page.
That makes Sendblue a channel for talking to other people, usually customers. Campfire SMS is for one person: you, getting a text from the agent doing your work and steering it with a reply.
Choose Sendblue if…
- You want iMessage with customers. Blue bubbles, plus media, typing indicators, and reactions on the AI Agent plan.
- Your AI agent answers inbound conversations. The AI Agent plan is built for production inbound messaging, with webhooks and up to 1,000 inbound contacts a day.
- You run outbound sales or high volume. The Enterprise plan adds full outbound messaging and multiple dedicated lines.
- You prefer flat pricing per line with no per-message fees.
- You need SOC 2 and HIPAA, which Sendblue lists on its Enterprise plan.
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.
- You don't need iMessage features. Plain SMS is enough for a question, a yes, or a short result. See iMessage vs SMS for coding agents.
- You want the agent to start the conversation. On Sendblue's sandbox and AI Agent plans, contacts text first; full outbound messaging is on Enterprise.
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 send iMessage, and it isn't built for messaging customers or leads.
- 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.
Sendblue details checked October 9, 2026 against sendblue.com and sendblue.com/pricing. 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 Campfire SMS a Sendblue alternative?
Only for texting between you and your own agent. For iMessage conversations with customers or leads, Sendblue serves that need and Campfire SMS does not.
Does Campfire SMS use iMessage?
No. Campfire SMS uses SMS, so it works with an iPhone or an Android phone through your normal text inbox. SMS is not end-to-end encrypted.
Can my agent text me first on Sendblue?
As of October 2026, Sendblue describes its free sandbox and AI Agent plan as inbound-first, where contacts text you first, and lists full outbound messaging on its Enterprise plan.
What does Sendblue cost?
As of October 2026, Sendblue lists a free sandbox with no credit card, an AI Agent plan at $100 a month per dedicated line with no per-message fees, and custom Enterprise pricing.