Count your SMS segments
Paste the final message, including the brand name, links and substituted variables. The counter updates locally in your browser. It does not submit your text to a messaging service.
Spaces and line breaks count. Maximum input: 10,000 UTF-16 units. Text is counted as entered; no smart punctuation replacement is applied.
Advanced: concatenation header
Ask your provider which header is used. These settings assume no extra header fields or national language shift tables.
See the estimated segment boundaries
Estimate segment credits for your audience
Assumes identical final text for every recipient. Estimate excludes taxes, fees and provider-specific billing rules. Personalised messages can have different segment counts.
Why one message can use several SMS credits
Encoding determines how much text fits in one SMS. GSM-7 has a basic alphabet and an extension table. Characters outside those alphabets switch this estimator to Unicode. A longer message needs a concatenation header in every segment.
| Encoding | Single SMS | Each multipart segment |
|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 | 160 septets | 153 septets |
| Unicode estimate | 70 UTF-16 units | 67 UTF-16 units |
The GSM-7 symbols ^ { } \ [ ] ~ | € and form feed need two septets each. Hindi text and curly quotation marks trigger Unicode in this tool. Emoji outside the basic multilingual plane use two UTF-16 units, and some SMS routes do not support them.
These estimates use standard segmentation rules described in Twilio's SMS length guide and the GSM-7 alphabet reference. Your provider's encoding and billing configuration remains authoritative.
Examples you can check before a campaign
| Input | Result | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 160 basic Latin letters | 1 GSM-7 segment | Fits the single-message limit |
| 161 basic Latin letters | 2 GSM-7 segments | Multipart capacity applies to both parts |
| 80 caret symbols (^) | 1 GSM-7 segment | 80 × 2 = 160 septets |
| 71 repetitions of the Hindi letter अ | 2 Unicode segments | 71 units exceed the 70-unit limit |
A displayed character can contain several code points. The segment preview preserves escape sequences and surrogate pairs, but a visible grapheme may span a boundary. Segments are intended to be reassembled on receipt.
For example, a campaign of 5,000 identical two-segment messages needs an estimated 10,000 segment credits. Replacing a short customer name with a longer name can change that estimate. Test your longest realistic substituted message.
Use the result in your sending workflow
- Prepare the message approved for the intended use case.
- Replace variables with realistic final values, including links.
- Check encoding and segments, then review any unexpected characters.
- Compare the estimate with a small test through your actual route.
- Confirm whether billing uses submissions, segments, delivery or another agreed basis.
Do not remove essential instructions or change approved fixed text just to save a segment. If wording changes, review the template and resubmit where required.
Use Bulk SMS pricing for the commercial quote and DLT SMS template examples to draft message content. If a test fails, the delivery report guide explains what to collect before retrying. Sending through a custom backend? Compare SMPP vs HTTP SMS API first, then check the real request/response shapes in the SMS API documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the counter send or store my message?
The supplied counter runs in your browser and makes no message-processing requests. It has no message storage or tracking code. Your browser may independently retain form input.
Why can 80 special characters fill an SMS?
GSM-7 extension characters such as the caret use two septets each. Eighty such characters use the 160-septet single-message capacity.
Can Hindi and emoji be counted the same way as English?
No. Hindi uses Unicode in this estimator. Some emoji need two UTF-16 units or multiple code points. The route must support the characters being sent.
Will this exactly match my SMS bill?
It is a preflight estimate. Encoding conversion, header configuration, personalised text, route limitations and agreed billing rules can change the actual result.
Discuss your SMS setup with MetaReach
Share your use case, current platform and expected message volume. Our team can help you define the configuration and next steps.
Discuss SMS pricingSales: +91 7669990407 · Send an enquiry
Technical references
- SMS length and concatenation — Twilio
- GSM-7 character alphabet — Twilio
- 3GPP TS 23.040 via ETSI — concatenation and segment boundaries
Examples on this page are illustrative. Confirm provider-specific settings against your current account documentation.
