What is Prelude? 🤔

Prelude is an SMS verification API built specifically for developers, designed to send one-time passwords (OTPs) to verify user identities. We help businesses protect their users while significantly reducing SMS costs through proactive fraud prevention, real-time analytics, and smart routing.

Companies like BeReal and Bitstack have already saved up to 75% on messaging costs compared to previous providers, while enjoying a 95% conversion rate! 📈

Why did we build Prelude?

Before Prelude, we worked at Zenly, a social app acquired by Snap Inc. We saw firsthand how costly SMS verification was. It was one of Zenly’s largest expense, with up to 30% lost to fraud, a problem often overlooked by traditional providers. We realized there wasn’t a comprehensive solution on the market that could both control and minimize user verification costs.

After three years of tackling this issue at Zenly, studying fraud patterns, and navigating mobile network complexities, we decided to build Prelude.

Our goal? To help founders and developers like you verify and onboard users while preventing fraud from draining your budget—so you can focus on growth.

What makes Prelude unique? ✨

We created Prelude with founders and developers in mind, making sure it’s the product we wished we had in our previous role. Here’s how we stand out:

🥷 Anti-fraud focus: Many companies don’t realize how much of their SMS budget is lost to fraud (like SMS pumping or IRSF). Our AI-powered fraud prevention system evaluates each OTP in real time, filtering out fraudulent requests without blocking legitimate users, saving your budget.

🧠 Smart routing: Instead of relying on a single provider, Prelude acts as a smart broker, selecting from 30+ carriers and messaging channels to find the most cost-effective routes, ensuring you get the best conversion rate at the lowest cost.

📊 Real-time analytics & transparent pricing: Prelude shows exactly where your budget is going. With real-time analytics, you can track acquisition metrics and see the impact of your efforts in detail.

We’ve also simplified common pain points: global registration means you can start sending OTPs immediately, we handle rate negotiations for you, and our 24/7 support ensures you’re never left in the dark.