Free SMS or RCS?
The designated successor, and what keeps the SMS indispensable.
RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is the format meant to take over from the SMS: long messages, images, typing and read indicators. But its presence depends on the mobile, the operator and the country, whereas the SMS, for its part, has worked everywhere and on every device since the 1990s — and with Envoyer SMS Gratuit, it is sent freely from a browser, with nothing to install.
The head-to-head, criterion by criterion
| Criterion | SMS | RCS |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Everywhere, on any mobile | Variable depending on device, operator and country |
| Content | Text, within the limit of 160 characters | Long messages, images, buttons and carousels |
| Read confirmations | Absent from the format | Handled natively |
| Connection | The mobile network alone, without data | Data access mandatory |
| Fallback switch | Not applicable: it is already the universal base | Falls back to SMS when RCS is missing |
To conclude: which one to pick?
RCS takes the advantage as soon as the message must be rich and you know the recipient is equipped. Yet the SMS remains the only format whose arrival can be guaranteed without knowing anything about the mobile on the other side, and the only one, via Envoyer SMS Gratuit, sent for free in two clicks — and it's onto the SMS, moreover, that RCS falls back on failure.
Your most frequently asked questions
Will RCS make the SMS disappear?
Not any time soon: RCS remains dependent on the handset and the operator, and falls back to the SMS as soon as it isn't available.
Does this site allow sending an RCS?
No. The service is limited to the classic SMS, free and received on every French mobile.
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