sms.1mail.lt vs 5sim — A Real Comparison
5sim is one of the two Russian-based incumbents. Here's where they win, where we win, and who should pick which.
Head-to-head table
| What | sms.1mail.lt | 5sim.net |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Telegram number | €0.20 (wallet) | ~€0.30-0.40 (RUB-priced) |
| Payment methods | Cards, Apple/Google/Revolut Pay, iDEAL, Bancontact | Mostly crypto, card gateway often fails |
| Country coverage | 25 countries (EU-first) | 190+ countries |
| API automation | Planned Q4 2026 | Full REST API, generous rate limits |
| First-purchase friction | 30 seconds guest checkout | Registration + crypto deposit required |
| Refunds | Instant to wallet, or Stripe refund to bank | To 5sim balance only |
| Support timezone | EU (Lithuania), same-day response | Russia (Moscow time), 24-72h response |
| UI polish | Modern mobile-first | Cleaner than SMS-Activate |
| Data / privacy jurisdiction | EU / GDPR (Lithuania) | Russia (some EU users block for compliance) |
Where 5sim wins
Country coverage
190+ countries — including Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Peru, and dozens more we don't stock. If you specifically need a number from outside our 25-country list, 5sim is one of very few providers that will have it.
Mature API
Well-documented REST API, generous rate limits, decent Python/JS SDKs in the community. If you're building a QA rig, growth tool, or research pipeline that needs to buy dozens of numbers per hour programmatically, 5sim's API is battle-tested. Ours is not shipped yet (Q4 2026 planned).
Cheaper on RUB-conversion months
5sim prices in RUB and converts to your currency at spot rate. When the ruble weakens, their EUR-equivalent prices dip below ours. This is unpredictable — some weeks they're 20% cheaper, some weeks 30% more expensive.
Where we win
Normal EU payment methods
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Revolut Pay, iDEAL, Bancontact, and any Mastercard/Visa. 5sim's card gateway routes through third parties that regularly reject European bank cards — Andrej (our founder) tried to top up 5sim with three different cards and had all three fail, which is literally why sms.1mail.lt exists. If you don't own crypto and don't want to buy it, we save you a 15-minute detour.
Guest checkout for one-offs
Need one number, right now, no account? Pay €0.40 with your card and go. 5sim requires signup + email confirmation + crypto deposit + wait for confirmations before you can buy. This is our biggest UX advantage for small buyers.
Real refunds to real bank accounts
Failed 5sim purchase = credit to your 5sim balance (spendable only there). Failed guest purchase on us = Stripe refund back to your card in 2-5 days. Wallet mode = instant refund but still to the wallet.
EU jurisdiction for compliance
If your employer's finance team requires EU-based suppliers (common for VAT reclaim, GDPR alignment, or Russian-sanctions compliance), 5sim is off the table. We're an EU company with proper VAT invoicing.
Who should use which
Use 5sim if…
- You need automated bulk purchases via API
- You need countries outside our 25-country list
- You already have USDT and don't mind crypto flows
- You're a power user comfortable with a slightly clunkier UX in exchange for depth
Use sms.1mail.lt if…
- You need 1-20 numbers a week for personal or SMB use
- You want to pay with a normal card / Apple Pay in under 60 seconds
- You want an EU-jurisdiction provider (GDPR, VAT invoices)
- You want instant refunds to your bank, not vendor credit
- You're buying for the common cases: Telegram, WhatsApp, Google, Instagram, TikTok, Discord
FAQ
Can I use both services?
Yes and we recommend it if you're doing anything at scale. Multi-sourcing means when one provider's UK pool gets burned by WhatsApp, you switch to the other in 30 seconds instead of waiting hours for stock to refresh.
Is 5sim safe to use?
Yes, they're a legitimate business operating since 2018 with ~2M active users. Delivery is reliable when their stock has fresh numbers. The main friction points are payment and jurisdiction, not safety.
Which is cheaper overall?
Depends on the week. Their RUB-conversion pricing dips below ours occasionally; our wallet-mode pricing beats their base card-payment pricing consistently. If you convert at spot rate on the day, we're usually cheaper for common EU-country services.
Do you have a referral program like 5sim?
Yes — €0.10 per friend who deposits, credited to your wallet automatically. 5sim's affiliate program pays ~5% of referred user spend in USDT.
What if I try you and it doesn't work?
Full refund. Guest checkout = card refund via Stripe (2-5 days). Wallet mode = instant credit. Either way, no lock-in.