Aloware’s segment calculator helps you manage your messaging costs by showing exactly how many segments your text message will use.
If you regularly send text campaigns, this tool is essential. It provides visibility into potential costs, allowing you to make adjustments before sending.
By using the segment calculator, you can save money while ensuring your messages reach customers effectively.
Why segment calculation matters
In SMS messaging, each message is broken into segments, typically 160 characters long for standard GSM characters. If your message exceeds this limit or includes emojis or special characters, it uses more segments, which can increase your costs.
Aloware’s segment calculator helps you see how many segments your message will use, so you can adjust it accordingly and stay within your budget. Here’s how it benefits you:
Cost control - you can easily manage your budget by seeing how many segments your message will use and avoiding unnecessary charges.
Efficiency - optimize your message for maximum impact at the lowest cost.
Improved customer engagement - keep your messages concise and relevant to improve engagement, readability, and conversion rates.
How to use Aloware’s segment calculator
Go to Aloware’s segment calculator: https://app.aloware.com/sms-segment-calculator.
Input your message. Add your text in the message box.
See key details displayed:
Message detail
Segment count - the number of segments your message will use.
Message length - the total number of characters in your message.
Max segment length - the maximum number of characters allowed per segment based on the encoding.
Encoding type - whether your message uses GSM-7 (standard) or Unicode (for special characters/emojis).
Price detail
An estimate of how much your message will cost based on your current plan.
Encoded message and segments
Aloware also visually splits the message into different colors, so you can easily see how it’s divided into segments.
Best practices to manage SMS costs
Keep messages short - stay within the 160-character limit for standard SMS without special characters to avoid extra charges.
Use concise language - simplify your message without losing clarity to keep it within one segment.
Avoid emojis and special characters - these trigger Unicode encoding, reducing the character limit to 70 per segment and increasing costs.
Test before sending - use the Segment Calculator to test and refine your message to minimize costs.
Monitor performance - track the performance of your shorter, more efficient messages, and fine-tune your approach accordingly.
Understanding the impact of emojis and special characters
Using emojis or special characters (such as accented letters) changes your message’s encoding to Unicode, which limits you to 70 characters per segment instead of 160.
While emojis can boost engagement, they also increase costs, especially in large campaigns. Be mindful of how you use them to keep your costs under control.