The three channels differ first of all in **what content they are allowed to carry**. That constraint decides more than cost or deliverability.

## One-table summary

| | Kakao Alimtalk | Kakao Brand Message | SMS · LMS · MMS |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Allowed content | **Informational only** | Informational + **advertising** | Informational + **advertising** |
| Body | Pre-approved template | Pre-registered rich template | **Free-form** |
| Audience | Anyone whose number you have | Channel friends / non-friends / broadcast | Anyone whose number you have |
| Setup required | Kakao sender profile + **template review** | Kakao sender profile + template registration | **Sending number registration** only |
| Delivery depends on | Recipient uses KakaoTalk | Recipient uses KakaoTalk | Mobile network — effectively everyone |
| Relative unit cost | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Endpoint | `/api/v2/notices/send` | `/api/v2/brand-messages/send` | `/api/v2/messages/send` |

## Choosing by situation

```text
Is the content promotional?
├─ Yes → Do you want to reach it through your Kakao channel?
│         ├─ Yes → Brand Message (adFlag: Y)
│         └─ No  → Advertising SMS/LMS — (광고) prefix + opt-out required
│         Either way: no sending 21:00-08:00 KST
│
└─ No (informational) → Is it a repeating, structured notification?
          ├─ Yes → Alimtalk (needs template review, cheapest)
          │        + replaceSms: Y if it must arrive
          └─ No  → SMS (verification codes, one-off notices, no template)
```

### Order confirmations, delivery updates, booking confirmations

**Alimtalk.** The wording is structured and repeats, so one template review buys you the lowest unit price. Delivery matters here, so pair it with [SMS fallback](/en/cookbook/sms-fallback).

### Verification codes

**SMS.** Alimtalk can carry them, but a verification code lives or dies on immediate delivery and you cannot know whether the recipient uses KakaoTalk. SMS is simpler and more certain. Do not swallow the failure — tell the user.

### Discounts, events, coupons

**Brand Message** or **advertising SMS.** An Alimtalk template will not be approved for this. If you already run a Kakao channel, Brand Message wins on both expressiveness (list, carousel, commerce) and price.

### Long notices, such as maintenance announcements

**LMS.** Up to 2,000 bytes of free text with a subject line. Making this an Alimtalk template means re-review every time the wording changes.

### Promoting to people who are not channel friends

**Brand Message with `targeting: N`.** Impossible with Friendtalk, and more expressive than an advertising SMS.

## Common misjudgements

- **"Alimtalk is cheap, so we'll promote through it too."** It will not be approved. Attempts to disguise promotion get rejected, and repeated attempts put the channel at risk.
- **"SMS is legacy, move everything to Alimtalk."** Alimtalk only reaches KakaoTalk users. Migrating without fallback means a share of your messages quietly disappears.
- **"We'll just use Friendtalk."** It [shut down on 2025-12-31](/en/cookbook/friendtalk-sunset). New work goes to Brand Message.
- **"Template review will be quick."** It takes business days. Start it with [sending number registration](/en/cookbook/sender-number), before the code.

## Using all three

Most production systems do.

```php
<?php

// Order confirmation — Alimtalk, falling back to SMS
$sendgo->alimtalk->send([
    'templateCode' => config('sendgo.templates.order_confirm'),
    'replaceSms'   => 'Y',
    'smsSubject'   => '[Order confirmed]',
    'smsContent'   => 'Order #{var1} is confirmed.',
    'contacts'     => [['contact' => $phone, 'var1' => $orderNo]],
]);

// Verification code — SMS
$sendgo->sms->sendSms([
    'content'  => "[Acme] Verification code: {$code} (valid 5 minutes)",
    'contacts' => [['contact' => $phone]],
]);

// Autumn sale — Brand Message (advertising; check the night window first)
$sendgo->brandMessage->send([
    'targeting'          => 'M',
    'messageType'        => 'FL',
    'friendTemplateUuid' => config('sendgo.templates.autumn_sale'),
    'adFlag'             => 'Y',
    'contacts'           => $optedInContacts,
]);
```

## Next

- [Send a Kakao Alimtalk](/en/cookbook/send-alimtalk)
- [Send SMS, LMS and MMS](/en/cookbook/send-sms)
- [Send a Kakao Brand Message](/en/cookbook/send-brand-message)