Do text messages get more clicks than email?
Yes. People read texts fast, and a text usually has one clear link. The size of the gap depends on who measured it. Klaviyo's 2025 comparison counted clicks inside its own platform. The average SMS click rate was 5.76%. The average email click rate in that same write-up was 1.29%. The top 10% of businesses saw SMS click rates as high as 14.89%. SimpleTexting's 2025 survey asked businesses what they see. The most common answer, from 36% of businesses, was a click rate from 21% to 35%. The survey covered 400 U.S. business owners and marketing managers, plus 1,000 U.S. consumers, from December 23 to 26, 2024. Both can be true. A survey remembers the campaigns people are proud of. A platform average includes every quiet Tuesday. Use the platform number as a cautious average. Use your own tracked links as the number that matters for your business. For the email side of this comparison, see the average email click-through rate. For ads and search next to both, see click-through rate benchmarks by channel.Why texts get read
SimpleTexting's consumer survey found:- 93% of consumers text every day.
- 45% check texts more than 10 times a day.
- 83% say texting is their top phone activity.
- 82% check a text notification within five minutes. Nearly a third check within 60 seconds.
- 84% are opted in to at least one business text.
- 52% get texts from four or more businesses.
Why a short link belongs in a text
A standard text holds 160 characters. Twilio explains that limit. A long web address with tracking tags can eat half the message, or split it into two paid texts. A short link leaves room for the offer and the reason to tap. It also gives you a click count your phone carrier will not show. A carrier can say the text was delivered. It cannot say the person visited your page. Use one short link per text. If you send the same sale by text and by email, use two links so you can compare them. WhatsApp is a cousin of SMS, with its own rules. Short links for WhatsApp and Messenger covers that channel.What to send, and what to skip
SimpleTexting says the fastest way to lose subscribers is texting too often. People opt in for reminders, shipping updates, and real promotions. They leave when every text is a sale. Good jobs for a text:- A short sale with an end time. Expiring links can stop the offer when the sale ends.
- An appointment reminder with a tap to confirm.
- A shipping update with a tap to track the box.
