SMS Server

Self-hosted SMS gateway for messaging, GNSS data, and modem control (signal strength, URCs, etc.). Offers database persistence, delivery tracking, and real-time events—no SIM polling needed. Secure, flexible, and efficient.

Multiple Integration Options

• Rust Client Library (crates.io) for easily using the HTTP & WebSocket interfaces
• HTTP API for sending and reading SMS messages, modem requests and device info
• WebSocket Subscriber for receiving events live, with optional event filtering
• HTTP Webhooks to receive events with a HTTP server, sending POST requests to provided URLs

Built-in Security

• Encryption by default for all message storage within database
• Optional Authorization token for HTTP API and WebSocket connections
• HTTPS/WSS support for servers, custom TLS certificate support for webhooks

Advanced SMS Features

• Automatic handling of multipart SMS messages
• SMS delivery report tracking with status updates
• International phone number format handling

Location Services

• Built-in GNSS/GPS location tracking (configurable)
• Real-time position reporting via events
• Location data integration with SMS workflows

Getting Started

1. Hardware Setup: Connect your GSM modem to your device
2. Configuration: Create a config.toml file (see Configuration Guide)
3. Launch: Start the gateway and begin sending/receiving SMS messages

Documentation

Document	Description
Configuration Guide	Complete configuration reference with examples
Event Types	Available events received via WebSocket or Webhook
HTTP API Reference	REST API endpoints for SMS operations
WebSocket Guide	Real-time event streaming setup

Features

The feature code is used in the build version metadata suffix. Eg: 1.0.0#ghtr (GPIO, http-server, tls-rustls).

Name	Code	Default	Description
gpio	g	✔️	GPIO power pin support for automatic HAT power management
http-server	h	✔️	HTTP server to control the modem and access database
db-sqlite		✔️	SQLite database connection driver (currently only database supported)
tls-rustls	tr	✔️	Uses rustls and aws-lc-rs for TLS all connections
tls-native	tn		Uses openssl for http-server (if enabled) and native-tls for all other TLS connections
sentry	s		Adds Sentry error reporting / logging integration

Examples

💬 ChatGPT SMS Bot

An intelligent SMS responder that integrates with OpenAI's ChatGPT API. Receives incoming messages via webhooks, generates contextual replies using conversation history, and responds automatically. Features conversation memory and customizable response templates.

Note

Possibly the first ChatGPT SMS implementation running directly through cellular modem hardware!

🗺️ Real-time GNSS Viewer

A web-based GPS tracking dashboard that connects via WebSocket to display live position updates. Monitor location accuracy, track movement patterns, and analyze GPS performance in real-time. Accessible from any networked device with a modern web browser.

📟 SMS Terminal (crates.io)

A Rust TUI that makes it easy to view a phonebook of recent contacts, compose SMS messages, view messages (live updating) and see device info. Uses the sms-client (crates.io) library to interface with this project!

Installation

git clone https://github.com/morgverd/sms-server

# Build, with all default.
cargo build -r

# Build with Sentry error forwarding.
cargo build -r --features sentry

# Build without HTTP server, and with GPIO, SQLite and Rust TLS.
cargo build -r --no-default-features -F gpio,db-sqlite,tls-rustls

# Build with native SSL and default features.
cargo build -r --no-default-features -F gpio,http-server,db-sqlite,tls-native 

# Show command line help.
./sms-server -h

# Start the SMS server with a config path, can be relative or absolute.
./sms-server -c config.toml

# Start the SMS server with debug logging.
RUST_LOG=debug ./sms-server -c config.toml

Hardware Requirements

You'll need some form of GSM modem that allows for serial connection. I use (and this project has only been tested with) a Waveshare GSM Pi Hat on a Raspberry Pi.

Tip

Many SIM cards require carrier-specific APN configuration and network registration before SMS functionality becomes available.

Known Limitations

• Delivery Confirmation Scope: Only the final segment of multipart SMS messages receives delivery confirmation tracking, which may mask delivery failures in earlier message parts
• Sequential Processing: Messages are processed sequentially, which ensures reliability but may impact throughput for high-volume scenarios