This fall, Spirius is launching RCS, described as the next generation of SMS. Text messages sent via SMS remain one of the most reliable ways to communicate—and one of the most effective at getting recipients to open and read. But despite all its benefits, SMS has limitations. It’s a protocol over 30 years old, and the expectations for messaging apps have evolved significantly since then. Now, a new protocol is being introduced that promises to do everything SMS and MMS cannot: RCS (Rich Communication Services).

The Difference Between SMS and RCS
RCS is a protocol that enables more advanced and interactive messaging experiences compared to traditional SMS and MMS. It supports a richer and more versatile user experience, allowing businesses to send longer texts, high-resolution images, videos, and interactive elements—resulting in better communication between companies and consumers.
SMS is ideal for short, important messages like alerts, reminders, codes, and warnings.
RCS, on the other hand, is better suited for campaigns with interactive offers, multimedia content, and scenarios where a quick response is valuable.

There are three types of RCS messages, each with different pricing:

  • RCS Basic (Like SMS but with a verified sender, 160 char text)
  • RCS Single (Includes images, carousels, videos and 3072 char text)
  • RCS Conversations (As RCS Single, but includes up to four pre-programmed reply buttons)

A simplified comparison looks like this:

FunctionSMSRCS
SenderFree senderVerified and approved sender (protection against spoofing)
AddressingVia phone numberVia phone number
Number of characters160 (7 bits)up to 3072 (Unicode). Does not apply to RCS Basic
ImagesNoYes (and carousel with up to 10 images)
VideoNoJa
ReceiptDelivery receiptDelivery and read receipt
Reply optionFree textPredefined buttons
CommunicationVia signaling channelVia data channel


Spirius will launch RCS this fall. If you want more information about how it will work in practice, including integrations and pricing, please contact us!

For more information, contact Jonas Rexeke.