Answer
In search results, SMS activation most often means services like SMS-Activate / 5sim: you rent a temporary number to sign up on a third-party site and intercept their SMS.
Cascade does not belong to that class. Cascade is outbound delivery:
- you already know your user’s number;
- you send them an OTP or short link;
- channels: WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS;
- code verification — in your backend via API.
| Task | SMS-activation marketplace | Cascade |
|---|---|---|
| Whose number | Rented / virtual | Your user’s number |
| Direction | Inbound SMS from another service | Outbound OTP from you |
| API meaning | Buy a number, wait for SMS | POST /otp/send → POST /otp/verify |
Detailed confusion breakdown: “How not to confuse with SMS-Activate”. Comparison: /compare/cascade-vs-sms-activate. How SMS verification works in your product: /faq/sms-verifikaciya.