What is the difference between SMS and MMS?

SMS is plain text, up to 160 characters per segment. MMS adds images, GIFs, audio or video, allows longer text and a subject line, and needs mobile data to receive. MMS usually costs more per message than SMS.

Why do my MMS messages arrive as links?

Some carriers and devices cannot receive MMS, or the file is above the carrier's size limit, so the carrier converts the message into text with a link to the media. Keeping files small and sending to supported countries reduces this.

Is MMS better than SMS for marketing?

For visual offers, often yes, because the image shows inline. For reminders, codes and confirmations, SMS is cheaper and just as effective. Our list of SMS marketing tools covers which platforms support MMS.

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Mobile & Push

MMS(Multimedia Messaging Service)

A text message that carries images, GIFs, audio or short video, plus longer text and an optional subject line, sent to a phone number through the carrier network.

Definition

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is the media-capable sibling of SMS. Where an SMS segment holds 160 characters of plain text, an MMS can attach pictures, animated GIFs, audio clips or short videos and carry a much longer message with a subject line. MMS travels through the mobile carrier and needs mobile data on the receiving phone. File size limits are set by carriers and are usually around 1 MB or less, so images are compressed in transit.

Why It Matters

In marketing, MMS is used when a picture does the selling: a product photo in a back-in-stock alert, a coupon graphic, a menu, an event ticket. Because one MMS can replace several SMS segments and shows media inline, it often earns more clicks than plain text. It also costs more per message, so brands save it for messages where the image changes the outcome and keep routine updates on SMS.

How It Works

You send the message through an SMS provider with a media URL or attachment. The provider hands it to the carrier, which adapts the file to the recipient's device and network limits and delivers it to the default messaging app. If the recipient's phone cannot receive MMS, carriers may convert it to an SMS with a link to the media. MMS is widely supported in the US and Canada but patchy internationally, and the same consent rules as SMS apply to marketing messages.

Example

A coffee chain's MMS for its loyalty members:

Media: A photo of the new seasonal drink.
Text: "Pumpkin Cold Brew is back. Show this text for $1 off today. Reply STOP to opt out."

The same offer as SMS would need a link to show the photo, and fewer people would tap it.

Best Practices

1Use MMS when the image carries the message and SMS when the text does
2Keep images small and legible on a phone screen, and avoid text-heavy graphics
3Put the key words in the text too, in case the image is slow to load or converted to a link
4Include opt-out instructions in marketing MMS, just like SMS
5Check which countries your provider supports for MMS before planning international sends

MMS in your sequences

Sequenzy's SMS add-on sends MMS with up to two images of 1 MB each to US and Canadian numbers, from the same sequences as your email.

Learn More

When to Use SMS vs MMS

Message	Better channel	Why
Order confirmation	SMS	Text is enough and cheaper
Back-in-stock alert	MMS	The product photo drives the click
One-time passcode	SMS	Speed and reliability matter most
Event ticket or coupon	MMS	The image is the thing being delivered