This guide explains the capabilities and key differences long code, short code, and toll-free phone numbers in the US and Canada:
Notice: There are major upcoming changes to long code SMS in the United States due to carriers' new A2P 10DLC systems. For full details, see What is A2P 10DLC.
| Long code* | Toll-free | Short code | |
| Coverage | Can send SMS to any country. | Can send SMS to any country. | Can send SMS within their own country only.† |
| Voice call capable | Yes | Yes | No |
| SMS filtering profile | Application-to-Person (A2P) traffic is subject to carrier filtering.‡ | Reduced carrier filtering to the United States, as well as the Canadian networks Rogers, Fido, Telus and Videotron.§ | No carrier filtering, as long as you comply with the use case submitted in your short code application. |
| SMS throughput | 1 SMS segment per second, can't be increased. | 3 SMS segments per second by default, but can be increased. Contact Sales for more information. | 100 SMS per second by default, but can be increased. Contact Sales for more information. |
| MMS capable | Yes | Not capable of MMS. | Capable of MMS with a one-time enablement fee (US only) |
* In the United States, starting March 1, 2021, 10-digit long code application-to-person messaging (A2P 10DLC) may require business registration and will be subject to additional carrier fees. For full details, see What is A2P 10DLC.
† To send short code SMS messages in both the US and Canada, you would need two different short codes; one in each country.
‡ Verizon Wireless has reduced filtering on A2P messages to their subscribers - see Commercial Long Code SMS & MMS Product and Fee Structure Changes on Verizon. Other US carriers have registration requirements. For full details, see What is A2P 10DLC.
§ Standard long code filtering profile to messages sent to other Canada mobile networks, and other non-US locations. Some use cases not allowed - see Forbidden message categories for toll-free SMS.
For more details on the different types of numbers and their capabilities, please see the following resources: