SMS or short message service is a text messaging service used by billions of users the world over. In fact, two-thirds of all mobile phone users today use SMS to communicate with others.  It should come as no big surprise that texting is becoming obsolete as SMS messages have a character limit plus it’s rather difficult to hold an SMS conversation of any length.

Here are five apps which make SMS lame:

IMO

IMO is an app that’s available both on Android and iOS. This app is super easy to use, it looks great and best of all it’s free. IMO supports all the major players out there today including Facebook chat, Google Talk, AIM, MSN Messenger, Yahoo and more. IMO sends messages very quickly and gives you push notifications for free.

IMO also offers a group chat feature that allows you to set up and save groups of friends for group chat. The app sends the selected contacts invites and allows you to choose which service you want to use when contacting them. IMO allows you to save your chat history indefinitely plus it lets you record voice messages up to 30 seconds in length.

Google Voice

This app is easy to use and it’s probably already installed on your Android handset.  If it’s not, there is no need to worry because it’s free to download.

Google Voice lets you send cost-free messages. This app can be set up to take the place of your smartphone’s default SMS messaging app. A nice thing about Google Voice is that it syncs with Google Voice on the internet and on other devices, allowing you to access you messages on your PC, another Android device or on an Apple product.

eBuddy

The eBuddy web messenger app offers support for Facebook Chat, Gtalk, AIM, ICQ, MSN/Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Hyves and MySpace IM. This app works in iOS and on Android, it’s free, and it gathers all of your instant messaging accounts into one location so you can view who is online so you can message them.

eBuddy features a clean interface with an attractive chat window. The use of tabs helps to keep the screen free of clutter and makes everything easy to see. Unfortunately, the Android version of the app doesn’t give you a lot of chat options such as sending photos and files. And, eBuddy doesn’t support VoIP or Skype text chat. However, if you want an easy chat app that’s free and simple to use, eBuddy delivers.

Chomp SMS

This app is one of the fastest messaging apps out there. Chomp SMS is free and it’s available on iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android and Blackberry. Plus you pay nothing extra for all of it’s great features – making this a very popular replacement app for SMS. If you like personalization options as many of us do, you are going to love ChompSMS. There are all types of personalization features including signatures, templates, colors, fonts, wallpapers and more.

GoSMS Pro

Rounding out the list of top apps that make conventional SMS lame is GoSMS Pro. Although this is not the fastest messaging app on the market, it is highly customizable with many themes and settings.

GoSMS Pro uses pop-up windows which display messages as you receive them. You can respond to messages this way without having to switch to another app and disrupting what you were doing. GoSMS Pro also features a night mode which adjusts the hue, saturation and color of the app to optimize its use in the dark.

This article is written by Cynthia Rupp.twitterqa is to Ask or Answer on twitter.