SMS-Activate alternatives (2026): what to use after the shutdown
SMS-Activate shut down in December 2025. Compare the best alternatives — HeroSMS, 5SIM, SMS-Man, SMSPVA and the developer-first Eveses — and migrate your old scripts without a rewrite.
SMS-Activate — the largest activation-number service since 2015 — permanently shut down on 22 December 2025, pointing its users at hero-sms.com on the way out. If your accounts, scripts or top-ups suddenly stopped working, that is why. This guide covers where to go next, compared honestly, and how to migrate your existing SMS-Activate code without a rewrite.
What happened
The SMS-Activate service closed on 22 December 2025 and stopped accepting logins, orders and deposits. Wallet refunds were limited, so many users were left looking for a replacement mid-integration. Its farewell page links hero-sms.com and calls it "a promising newcomer to the market" that it recommends trying — a pointer, not a handover. We have seen no evidence that infrastructure or ownership changed hands, so treat the two as separate companies.
The alternatives at a glance
| Service | Best for | API / DX | Refunds |
|---|---|---|---|
| HeroSMS | Closest continuation of SMS-Activate | Low-level HTTP + dashboard | Manual |
| Eveses | Developers who automate | REST + webhooks + typed SDKs | Automatic |
| 5SIM | Simple click-to-buy | Basic HTTP API | Partial |
| SMS-Man | Cheapest one-off activations | Basic HTTP API | Manual |
| SMSPVA | Very broad service coverage | Low-level HTTP | Manual |
All five offer disposable numbers across many countries at similar per-OTP pricing (around $0.05 and up). They differ mostly in integration quality and refund handling — which is what actually matters once you automate.
HeroSMS — the one SMS-Activate pointed at
If you just want the closest thing to old SMS-Activate, with a familiar dashboard and the same suppliers, HeroSMS is the direct continuation. It keeps the low-level polling API model, so the developer experience is essentially unchanged from before.
Eveses — the developer-first option
If the reason you are migrating is to stop babysitting a polling loop, Eveses keeps SMS-Activate's breadth and pricing but adds:
- Webhooks — we POST the code the moment it lands, no polling
- Typed SDKs (JS / Python / Go / PHP) and idempotency keys
- Automatic refunds when a code never arrives — you pay only for delivered OTPs
- A live pricing explorer with the real per-(service, country) price, stock and delivery rate
See the full Eveses vs SMS-Activate and Eveses vs HeroSMS breakdowns.
Migrate your old scripts without a rewrite
Eveses speaks the same handler_api.php protocol SMS-Activate (and HeroSMS) use. Point your existing client at our host and swap the key:
# Before — SMS-Activate / HeroSMS
GET https://<old-host>/stubs/handler_api.php?api_key=OLD_KEY&action=getNumber&service=tg&country=0
# After — Eveses (drop-in)
GET https://api.eveses.com/stubs/handler_api.php?api_key=EVESES_KEY&action=getNumber&service=tg&country=0
Same api_key / action / service / country protocol — no code changes. When you are ready for the cleaner path, the native REST API is two calls (buy a number, read the code):
curl -X POST https://api.eveses.com/api/v1/numbers/orders \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $KEY" \
-d '{"country":"in","mode":"activation","service":"whatsapp"}'
Pricing starts around the same $0.05 per OTP, and automatic refunds make your effective cost per delivered code lower.
Ready to build? Create a free Eveses account, top up a wallet, and grab your API key — no KYC. See the API docs or live pricing.