Email web-app (aka webmail) that will send an SMS text message (or make a phone call) when email received

Question

I am seeking recommendations for an email web-app (webapp) that will send an SMS text message when an email is received. If nothing like that is available, I'm fine if it instead makes a telephone call with a voice announcement that an email message is waiting.

The requirements are very minimal:

1. Gratis or very low cost (under 10 $/€ per year)
2. Can handle 0-5 emails per month (which will total under 10KB of traffic!)
3. Not run or owned by a data collection company, such as Google, Facebook, et. al.
4. Will keep the phone number private

I don't even need to specify any sort of filters as to which received emails trigger sending an SMS message. That functionality would be a bonus, but not required.

Being able to receive attachments is not needed.

Being able to send emails is not even really needed. It would be a plus, but not required.

Answer 1

My obligatory Python based answer.

Given the requirement not to use a data collection company (there are a lot of them out there) and that most if not all of the free SMS sending services are run by some of them you need something that can:

1. Check your emails
2. Run some filters on them (presumably you don't want spam notifications)
3. Send the SMS

I would suggest the combination of a RaspberryPi, a 3G/4G hat and a pre-pay SIM - total outlay should be very reasonable initial outlay and very low annual charges (you should be able to find a provider that offers 200 SMS for $/£5 or more). This can be set up at your home base and a python script used to:

• poll your email account for new messages,
• apply some rules to see if notification is required, (e.g. is it from specific account(s), does it greet you by name, etc.),
• strip out attachments & images and
• possibly summarise the message & then
• send to your mobile number as an SMS (possibly with a unique ID).

You could also have the same system route incoming SMSs to the email originator based on a unique ID.

This set-up would have slightly higher setup costs than an online system but would give you maximum privacy, maximum control & minimum ongoing costs. The only possible issue would be if the power &/or internet connection at your base are unreliable.