After hours of researching, I've short-listed the seven best small business texting services on the market, so you don't have to.
When you’re tasked with finding an SMS app for your business, you have a lot of options to sift through. As I write this guide, the software review site G2 has 412 listings for SMS marketing software. And that doesn’t even cover all apps that count as texting tools.
With the help of real users, I found seven of the best text messaging services for business to reduce the overwhelm for you. Let’s find a good fit for your company.
The best app recommendations come from extensive knowledge and use. So, I chose these apps based on stories from users like you and their ratings from professionals across the internet. I also curated these options with a varied selection of strengths in mind so businesses with all sorts of goals can find the right tool.
Here are the seven top texting apps for businesses like yours:
Let’s start with a familiar name – SimpleTexting. It offers everything you need to send bulk and one-on-one messages in an easy-to-use package. Thanks to its approachable interface, hundreds of integrations, and intuitive analytics, it’s one of the best text messaging services for small businesses. But, it can also scale up for users with advanced texting needs.
Aiden Higgins of The Broke Backpacker vouches for SimpleTexting because of its affordable credits, integrations, and automation. For Aiden, it makes mass marketing campaigns simple to send.
SimpleTexting’s plans start at $39.99/month for 500 credits a month and three user seats and scale according to the number of credits and user seats you need every month.
Try SimpleTexting for free for 14 days here.
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OpenPhone offers text messages, calls, contact management, and multiple phone numbers in one platform for better communication. It could suit your business if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution for team collaboration or smaller-scale communication with clients. Its native group messaging is limited to nine contacts at once, so it’s not a great fit for mass text marketing.
Many users brought up their preference for OpenPhone to me. Scrape-it.cloud’s Roman Milyushkevich considers it an ideal solution for startups because of its low price and unlimited calls and texts in North America. Dave Kerr from Merged Dental Marketing loves its location-based text scheduling and mobile app. Michael Chen of Notta can confirm OpenPhone’s stability after using it for over five years without any major technology failures.
Pricing for OpenPhone begins at $15.00/user/month for unlimited calling and messaging in North America, with advanced plans starting at $23.00/user/month. Higher tiers include features like group calling and analytics.
Try OpenPhone for seven days by signing up here.
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As its name implies, EZTexting aims to make texting easy with a simple interface and straightforward service. Out of all the apps on this list, it has the widest range of pricing options to fit all sorts of businesses.
EZTexting was another popular option among the users I talked to. Instrumentl’s Gauri Manglik appreciates its intuitive UI and selection of integrations. On top of also vouching for its integrations, Brian David Crane of Spread Great Ideas attests to EZTexting’s affordable plans. At OSHA Outreach Courses, Farhan Siraj counts on this tool for its accessible pricing and use.
EZTexting’s business texting plans start anywhere from $20.00 to $3000.00 a month depending on the message speed, cost, and delivery rate you want. Message cost varies by plan, with the Launch plan charging $0.027/message.
Give EZTexting’s starter Launch plan a shot for free for 14 days at this link.
Download EZTexting for:
EZTexting does not have an Android app.
Attentive offers conversational SMS and email marketing features that optimize every step of the process. In exchange for robust personalization and customer conversion options, you’ll have to schedule a demo to learn more about pricing and expect to pay more compared to many apps.
The users who brought up Attentive to me like it because of its powerful AI and automations. Best Price Nutrition’s John Frigo appreciates that its AI composer can lend a hand on days when he’s not feeling so creative.
At Bybrand, Bernardo Castro relies on features like its AI composer, automated customer support, and suggested best times to send messages.
Attentive does not openly share its pricing on its website. In this Flowmium blog post, Andriy Boychuk claims that according to his network, Attentive charges $300.00/month and $0.01 per message, plus carrier fees.
Attentive offers access to a free trial and account signup after you participate in a free demo. It doesn’t have a mobile app.
At an affordable price, Google Voice delivers fundamental calling and texting features from a virtual number. Since it doesn’t have any bulk texting features, it’s another app that suits businesses that need smaller-scale communication.
While Google Voice is the most straightforward service on this list, users did point out a few of its versatile points. At Ling, a language app, Simon Bacher works with folks all over the world, making the app’s affordable international rates a huge plus.
Erik Pham from Health Canal vouches for Google Voice’s integrations with other Google Services that streamline communications and collaboration.
Google Voice’s plans (as seen on its main page) start at $10.00/user/month and scale up for features like unlimited users and an auto attendant.
Google Voice doesn’t offer a free trial, but it has one of the most approachable monthly prices on this list.
Download Google Voice for:
SendPulse has the most communication channels to choose from on this list. SMS is just one part of the tool’s offerings that include email, chatbots, LMS design, a CRM, and website management. It could work for your business if you have a large communications ecosystem that texting is just one part of.
Developer-minded users and users expecting an out-of-the-box solution can both appreciate SendPulse. According to Amy Kauffman of Let’s Tango, SendPulse is easy to integrate directly into web apps, and its API lets you adapt it to many use cases.
Meanwhile, Collen Clark from Schmidt & Clark finds it easy to use and set up in its native app.
SendPulse allows for free account signup and use and charges by the message for SMS services. Pricing per message is location-based – for example, it costs $0.022 to send a message to the United States.
The lowest plan tier for SendPulse is free, so you’ll always have access to your account. New SMS users can send 10 test messages for free.
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Podium calls itself a “lead conversion platform” and encompasses SMS, review management, web chat, voice calls, and social media messaging. If you’re trying to get more leads through text messaging, this app could help you integrate it into the rest of your lead generation strategies.
While it leans toward client communication over team communication, Podium works well for both use cases. VentureSmarter’s Jon Morgan uses the platform to coordinate among team members and clients and boost brand reputation through reviews.
When Gert Kulla needed a tool to organize communication at RedBat.Agency, Podium made it easy to stay on top of client conversations. And the review platform certainly does its job, too – SEO consultant Blake Smith acquired over 100 reviews for a client through it.
Podium’s pricing plans start at $249.00/month for 1,000 contacts and up to three users.
Podium does not offer a free trial, but you can watch a demo at this link.
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There’s no one-size-fits-all best tool for every business. As you browse the options in this guide, consider your:
Melissa writes thoughtful content about marketing and productivity for B2B SaaS companies like CoSchedule, Zapier, and Databox. She has six years of professional writing experience. Outside of the content marketing world, she sometimes writes about video games.
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