VirtualSMS MCP Server — SMS Verification for AI Agents

Quick links: Examples · Changelog · Security policy · Status page

Ranked #1 in both ChatGPT's and Perplexity's SMS verification MCP categories · verified 2026-04-25

VirtualSMS MCP Server gives AI agents real SIM-card phone numbers (not VoIP) across 145+ countries and 2500+ services for SMS verification and OTP receiving. Built on the Model Context Protocol. One install, 18 tools, works with every major MCP client.

Powered by VirtualSMS.io — a phone verification service running on owned modem infrastructure.

Quick Install — Hosted (recommended, zero install)

Paste this into your AI assistant's MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "type": "streamableHttp",
      "url": "https://mcp.virtualsms.io/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "x-api-key": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

No npm install, no Node.js required on the client. The MCP server runs at mcp.virtualsms.io.

Quick Install — Local (stdio via npm)

npx virtualsms-mcp

Or install globally:

npm install -g virtualsms-mcp

Get your API key at virtualsms.io.

Demo & Walkthrough

Want to see this working end-to-end before you wire it up? Three runnable examples are checked into this repo:

• examples/01-quick-balance-check/ — 5-second hosted MCP smoke test (get_balance).
• examples/02-buy-sms-and-wait-for-code/ — full SMS verification flow: find_cheapest → wait_for_code → cancel-on-timeout. The canonical agentic pattern.
• examples/03-claude-desktop-config/ — drop-in Claude Desktop config plus a transcript of "ask Claude what's my balance" working over StreamableHTTP.

Each example is node run.mjs away once you've set VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY. Walkthroughs and expected output are in each example's README.

Production & Status

• Hosted MCP endpoint: https://mcp.virtualsms.io/mcp — TLS-only StreamableHTTP, fronted by Cloudflare.
• Status & uptime: live at status.virtualsms.io. Target SLA 99.9% on the hosted MCP path.
• Backend infrastructure: physical SIM modems with 145+ countries online, 2500+ services indexed.
• Data retention: SMS message bodies are retained 7 days, then permanently deleted. Order metadata (phone number, service, country, timestamps) is retained for the lifetime of your account. See SECURITY.md for full details.
• Vulnerability disclosure: email security@virtualsms.io or open a private security advisory.

What is VirtualSMS?

VirtualSMS.io is a temporary phone number API for SMS verification built on real SIM cards, not VoIP. Unlike resellers that aggregate other providers, VirtualSMS operates its own modem infrastructure — giving agents direct access to authentic mobile numbers across 145+ countries.

Use it to verify accounts on WhatsApp, Telegram, Google, Instagram, Uber, and 2500 other services — programmatically, via REST API, WebSocket, or MCP.

Why VirtualSMS?

• Real SIM cards, not VoIP — Accepted where VoIP numbers get blocked (WhatsApp, Google, banking).
• Own infrastructure — Not a reseller. Physical modems, 2500+ services, 145+ countries (growing weekly).
• Real-time delivery — WebSocket push means your agent gets the code in seconds, not minutes.
• Competitive pricing — Starting from $0.02 per number.
• Simple REST + WebSocket API — Clean, documented, agent-friendly.
• 18 MCP tools — Discovery, account, and full order management — including unique tools like find_cheapest, search_service, swap_number, and wait_for_code.
• 10 MCP clients supported — Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, OpenClaw, Codex, Hermes, Cline, Zed, Continue.

Migrating from SMS-Activate?

If you're moving away from SMS-Activate, VirtualSMS is a straightforward alternative with broader service coverage (2500 vs ~500), competitive pricing, and a modern API built for programmatic use.

Just swap your API key and update the base URL — the concepts (buy number → wait for SMS → get code) are identical.

👉 Sign up at VirtualSMS.io and get started in minutes.

Configuration

All 10 clients use the same npx virtualsms-mcp stdio command. Only the config file location and format differ.

Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code (CLI)

claude mcp add --scope user virtualsms npx virtualsms-mcp -e VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY=vsms_your_api_key_here

Cursor

Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Edit ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

OpenClaw

Edit ~/.openclaw/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Codex (OpenAI Codex CLI)

Edit ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.virtualsms]
command = "npx"
args = ["virtualsms-mcp"]
env = { VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY = "vsms_your_api_key_here" }

Hermes

Edit your Hermes MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cline (VS Code)

Open the Cline MCP settings panel and add:

{
  "virtualsms": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
    "env": {
      "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
    }
  }
}

Zed

Edit ~/.config/zed/settings.json:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
        "env": {
          "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Continue.dev

Edit ~/.continue/config.yaml:

mcpServers:
  - name: virtualsms
    command: npx
    args:
      - virtualsms-mcp
    env:
      VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY: vsms_your_api_key_here

Environment Variables

Does this work with ChatGPT?

Not natively — ChatGPT uses GPT Actions, a different protocol than MCP. For ChatGPT, build a custom GPT that calls the VirtualSMS REST API directly. For MCP, use any of the 10 clients above (Claude, Cursor, Codex, Hermes, etc.).

Tools (18 total)

⭐ = unique to VirtualSMS — no other SMS MCP server ships these.

check_sms vs wait_for_code: wait_for_code is the recommended default for interactive agent workflows — it blocks and returns on SMS arrival via WebSocket. Use check_sms for batch jobs, cron-driven polling, or when you already manage your own polling loop.

Tool names above are shown without the virtualsms_ prefix for readability. Actual MCP tool names are virtualsms_list_services, virtualsms_get_order, etc. list_active_orders is registered as virtualsms_list_orders.

Discovery Tools (no auth required)

list_services

Get all available SMS verification services.

list_services()
→ [{code: "telegram", name: "Telegram"}, ...]

list_countries

Get all available countries for phone verification.

list_countries()
→ [{iso: "US", name: "United States"}, ...]

check_price

Check price and availability for a service + country combination.

check_price(service: "telegram", country: "US")
→ {price_usd: 0.15, available: true}

find_cheapest ⭐

Find cheapest countries for a service, sorted by price.

find_cheapest(service: "telegram", limit: 5)
→ {cheapest_options: [{country: "PK", price_usd: 0.05, ...}], total_available_countries: 23}

search_service ⭐

Find the right service code using natural language.

search_service(query: "uber")
→ {matches: [{code: "uber", name: "Uber", match_score: 1.0}]}

Account Tools (API key required)

get_balance

Check your account balance.

get_balance()
→ {balance_usd: 5.00}

get_profile

Full account profile: email, Telegram link status, current balance, lifetime spend, total orders, active API key count, and account creation date.

get_profile()
→ {
    id: "…uuid…",
    email: "you@example.com",
    telegram_linked: true,
    telegram_username: "you_tg",
    balance_usd: 5.00,
    total_spent_usd: 27.45,
    total_credits_usd: 10.00,
    total_orders: 42,
    active_api_keys: 2,
    created_at: "2025-11-03T14:22:07Z"
  }

get_stats

Aggregated usage stats computed from your order history: total orders, success rate, total spend, status breakdown, top services and top countries over a configurable lookback window.

get_stats()
get_stats(since_days: 7)
→ {
    window_days: 30,
    balance_usd: 5.00,
    total_orders: 42,
    successful_orders: 37,
    success_rate: 88.1,
    total_spend_usd: 6.24,
    status_breakdown: { sms_received: 37, cancelled: 3, waiting: 2 },
    top_services: [{ key: "telegram", count: 18 }, ...],
    top_countries: [{ key: "US", count: 14 }, ...]
  }

get_transactions

Transaction history with filters for type, date range, and pagination. Types: deposit, purchase, refund, admin_credit.

get_transactions()
get_transactions(type: "deposit", from: "2026-04-01", limit: 20)
→ {
    count: 3,
    limit: 50,
    offset: 0,
    filters: { type: "deposit", from: "2026-04-01" },
    transactions: [
      { id: "…", amount: 10.00, type: "deposit", balance_before: 0.00, balance_after: 10.00, created_at: "…" },
      ...
    ]
  }

Order Management Tools (API key required)

buy_number

Purchase a virtual phone number for a specific service and country.

buy_number(service: "telegram", country: "US")
→ {order_id: "abc123", phone_number: "+14155552671", expires_at: "...", status: "pending"}

check_sms

Poll an active order for received SMS. Use for batch jobs, cron-driven polling, or when you already manage your own polling loop. For interactive agent flows, prefer wait_for_code (WebSocket-backed, returns on arrival).

check_sms(order_id: "abc123")
→ {status: "sms_received", phone_number: "+14155552671", sms_code: "12345", sms_text: "Your code is 12345"}

get_order

Full order detail — service, country, price, timestamps, status, and any received SMS code/text. Use when you need more than check_sms returns, or when restoring state for a known order_id.

get_order(order_id: "abc123")
→ {
    order_id: "abc123",
    phone_number: "+14155552671",
    service: "telegram",
    country: "US",
    price: 0.15,
    status: "sms_received",
    sms_code: "12345",
    sms_text: "Your Telegram code: 12345",
    created_at: "2026-04-24T10:15:33Z",
    expires_at: "2026-04-24T10:35:33Z"
  }

cancel_order

Cancel an order and request a refund (only if no SMS received yet). 2-minute minimum wait after purchase.

cancel_order(order_id: "abc123")
→ {success: true, refunded: true}

cancel_all_orders

Bulk-cancel every currently active order in your account. Returns counts plus per-order success/failure detail. Useful for cleaning up after a batch or test session.

cancel_all_orders()
→ {
    cancelled: 3,
    failed: 0,
    total_active: 3,
    cancelled_orders: [{ order_id: "abc123", refunded: true }, ...]
  }

list_active_orders

List your active orders. Essential for crash recovery. Registered as virtualsms_list_orders.

list_active_orders()
list_active_orders(status: "pending")
→ {count: 2, orders: [{order_id: "abc123", phone_number: "+14155552671", status: "pending", ...}]}

Optional status filter: "pending", "sms_received", "cancelled", "completed".

order_history

Past orders with optional filters for status, service, country, and a lookback window in days. Most recent first, up to 50 rows (server cap).

order_history(since_days: 7)
order_history(status: "completed", service: "telegram", limit: 10)
→ {
    count: 10,
    total_matched: 18,
    filters: { status: "completed", service: "telegram", since_days: null },
    orders: [{ order_id: "...", service: "telegram", country: "US", status: "completed", price: 0.15, created_at: "..." }, ...]
  }

swap_number ⭐

Swap a phone number on an existing order. Gets a new number for the same service and country without additional charge. Use when the current number isn't receiving SMS. 2-minute minimum wait after purchase.

swap_number(order_id: "abc123")
→ {order_id: "def456", phone_number: "+628...", service: "telegram", country: "ID", status: "waiting"}

wait_for_code ⭐ Recommended

One-step tool: buys a number AND waits for the SMS code. Uses WebSocket for instant delivery with automatic polling fallback. Recommended default for interactive agent workflows.

wait_for_code(service: "telegram", country: "US")
wait_for_code(service: "whatsapp", country: "PK", timeout_seconds: 180)
→ {
    success: true,
    phone_number: "+14155552671",
    sms_code: "12345",
    sms_text: "Your Telegram code: 12345",
    order_id: "abc123",
    delivery_method: "websocket",
    elapsed_seconds: 8
  }

On timeout, returns order_id for recovery:

→ {success: false, error: "timeout", order_id: "abc123", phone_number: "...", tip: "Use check_sms..."}

How It Works

WebSocket vs Polling

wait_for_code uses a two-tier delivery system:

1. WebSocket (instant) — connects to wss://virtualsms.io/ws/orders?order_id=xxx&api_key=your_key immediately after purchase. When the SMS arrives, the server pushes it in real-time. Typical delivery: 2–15 seconds.

2. Polling fallback — if WebSocket fails to connect or disconnects, automatically falls back to polling GET /api/v1/order/{id} every 5 seconds.

The delivery_method field in the response tells you which was used.

Architecture

AI Agent (Claude / Cursor / Codex / Windsurf / any MCP client)
    │
    ▼ MCP stdio protocol
VirtualSMS MCP Server (this package)
    │
    ├──► REST API: https://virtualsms.io/api/v1/
    │        buy_number, check_sms, cancel_order, get_balance ...
    │
    └──► WebSocket: wss://virtualsms.io/ws/orders
             real-time SMS push delivery

Typical Workflows

Simple: Get a Telegram verification code

wait_for_code(service: "telegram", country: "US")

Budget: Find cheapest option first

find_cheapest(service: "telegram", limit: 3)
# → picks cheapest country
wait_for_code(service: "telegram", country: "PK")

Manual: Step by step

buy_number(service: "google", country: "GB")
# → order_id: "abc123", phone: "+447911123456"
# Use the number to trigger the SMS, then:
check_sms(order_id: "abc123")
# Number not working? Swap for a new one (no extra charge):
swap_number(order_id: "abc123")
# or cancel if no longer needed:
cancel_order(order_id: "abc123")

Crash Recovery

If your session is interrupted mid-verification:

1. Restart the MCP server
2. List active orders: list_active_orders(status: "pending")
3. Check for codes: check_sms(order_id: "abc123")
4. Cancel if not needed: cancel_order(order_id: "abc123")

wait_for_code always returns order_id even on timeout — use it to recover.

More

• SECURITY.md — vulnerability disclosure, supported versions, retention policy
• CHANGELOG.md — versioned release notes (v1.0.0 → v1.2.0)
• examples/ — three runnable, copy-pasteable examples
• Status page — live health of the hosted MCP endpoint

License

MIT — See LICENSE

Built with love by VirtualSMS.io — virtual phone numbers for SMS verification, built on owned SIM-card infrastructure. 2500+ services · 145+ countries · 18 MCP tools · 10 clients · Ranked #1 on both ChatGPT and Perplexity.