Text Message Marketing Software

Understanding How We Rank SMS Marketing Software

Creating the list of top-performing platforms that handle text message marketing goes way beyond selecting popular brands. Our team of experts has strict evaluation criteria in place and tests each product individually. Only the best of the best earn a mention in our table. Scroll down to learn how we rank these particular platforms.

Classification

Despite not playing a role in the ranking process, categorization is crucial for any type of software. There are three classification cornerstones here, along with the marketing application of the text marketing platforms.

Industry Focus, Business Size, Deployment

These three are critical to understanding the target businesses of a product.
Industry focus helps customers find solutions that can help them achieve their specific goals. This is often accomplished with the help of industry-specific tools. For example, retail businesses aim to boost sales while night clubs need higher attendance rates. Churches tend to engage with their followers, and eCommerce entities often launch coupons or promos.

Business size is also essential, especially regarding the pricing of these text platforms. In addition, services targeting large enterprises have advanced features and the power to handle even the largest texting lists. In contrast, SMBs can go for more straightforward solutions that cost less and cover the basics only.

The last software classification cornerstone is deployment. The two most common options here are cloud-hosted and on-premise platforms, with the former leading the way. Online systems are easy to use and access. They are also cheaper and don’t require any infrastructure from the user. That’s why most SMBs prefer cloud-hosted solutions.

Marketing Application

When writing about text message platforms, we must mention the use of the software. There are two applications, which can help users decide what product will make the most sense for their business.

• Mobile-centric – when businesses heavily rely on mobile communication with their customers. These clients need advanced features that enable them to run contests, engage contacts, and expand their reach.
• Mobile-extenders – when a company simply extends its relationship with consumers via SMS. Such businesses need basic tools to reach their audience on special occasions.

Key Functions of SMS Marketing Platforms

Among the myriad of potential features, there are key capabilities that help us identify the best performers. Read further and learn what functionalities earn better rankings for the platforms mentioned in our table.

Automation

This is always a highly appreciated feature. Automation saves hours of manual work for users and minimizes the chances of errors. With streamlined workflows, you get to set the rules once, and then the system handles the rest. Here are the top text marketing platform functions that automation enables you to do.

• Run drip campaigns – Those involve sending a series of items (in this case text messages) to new subscribers. This feature helps businesses to engage subscribers following pre-set rules based on the industry’s best practices.
• Send repeating messages – Do you send the same message every Monday or every Valentine’s Day to all your contacts? This is when the automation of repeating messages comes into play. The SMS software will send these on time without you having to worry about missing the deadlines.
• Schedule messaging – Set rules regarding date and time when specific texts should be sent. You can schedule a single event or multiple months of text marketing at once. This works for repeating messages too.
• Automated responses – These are also known as auto-replies and autoresponders, and provide responses to subscribers after they send you a shortcode. Automatic replies can be anything, from contest results to customer help.
• Birthday texts – First, the SMS platform should provide you the option to collect the birthday of new subscribers easily. Then, when the date comes, it should automatically send a personalized birthday text.

Mass Text Messaging

A must-have feature for any business that wants to reach all subscribers at once. Your system must support mass texting because otherwise, you’re supposed to send the texts one by one. Here, we have the following key functionalities.

• Import and manage contacts – You must be able to import and manage your existing subscribers. This should be done with a few clicks and as smoothly as possible.
  Send texts online – Leading SMS marketing services must support sending texts online. Global reach is appreciated.
• Email to SMS – Simple sending of SMS from emails is highly desired. The platform should be able to convert emails into texts and automatically deliver them. It should also turn any arriving messages into emails.
• SMS distribution lists – Contact segmentation is crucial for sending targeted campaigns. Top programs let you create lists and then distribute specific messages to selected categories only. Distribution lists can be created based on gender, age, employment status, or anything else.

Message Customization and Personalization

Show your subscribers that they’re more than their phone number. Use the personalization feature of your text marketing software to include their name and/or the last name into the SMS. Add anything else you want, like your motto or any other personal touch.

Shortcodes

Shortcodes are letter and/or number sequences that help users organize and/or segment contacts. There are three basic actions here.

• Text to Vote
• Text to Win
• Text to Join

When a contact texts the appropriate shortcode back, they give their votes, enter contests, or join promotions. These shortcodes can be whatever you need them to be as long as the platform supports them.

2-Way Messaging

This is another essential feature of the best SMS marketing software that enables contacts to reply to campaigns and respond with texts. It allows clients to communicate with their subscribers and answer questions. Powerful platforms also keep these messages, creating a conversation, and a contact messaging database.

Picture Messaging (MMS)

Images, videos, and audio messages. All these belong in the MMS category of texts. Many people prefer pictures to text, so this is a useful functionality. MMS communication is known to boost both response and engagement rates.

Email Capture

Did you know that you can use your SMS marketing platform to build your email list too? This is possible with the email capture feature. It helps businesses to collect email addresses from their subscribers. Within a few clicks, you can then export these emails into your email marketing software.

Number Validation and Self-Cleaning

You want a platform that can perform carrier lookups and number validations. It should automatically remove any invalid phone numbers too. Such capabilities make sure you have a healthy contact list, without irrelevant subscribers. Self-cleaning achieves the same goal but in the long run. Your text marketing app should perform such procedures to remove any changed or closed numbers.

Reporting

Get real-time reports on your message status. Generate delivery reports to see how many messages were received, opened, and more. Reporting is crucial here to help you improve your game, detect anomalies, etc.

Integrations

Any software must integrate with other apps seamlessly. It’s useful for the platform to work with solutions like email marketing systems and CRM tools. Zapier is a highly appreciated integration because it paves the way to over 1,000 other programs. The more integrations a product supports, the better for the user, especially if they already have different systems in place.

User Friendliness and Accessibility

Nobody enjoys using text message programs that come with a steep learning curve. Complex solutions tend to push users away. That’s why we give better rankings to simple and easy-to-navigate platforms. An intuitive UI and robust yet uncomplicated dashboards are more than welcome.

Accessibility plays an important role too. With more and more business owners and marketers constantly on the move, mobile readiness is a must. If the product offers native mobile apps – even better.

Pricing

A free trial and a product demo always earn better rankings to the brands that offer them. These show that a company believes in their texting software. They don’t force you into subscribing without experiencing the platform first, and we appreciate that.

That said, when it comes to the cost of SMS marketing plans, our experts rank software based on the value of money they bring to end-users. Rather than favoring cheap or overly expensive products, we prefer averagely priced solutions. The only exceptions are brands that bring a lot to the table, regardless of their pricing.

Text Message Marketing Software Reviews

SlickText

At a Glance

SMBs and large enterprises can use SlickText to improve their marketing strategy. The platform is robust and covers shortcodes, automation, verifications, and more. SlickText is a 360-degree solution for eCommerce, retail, and real estate businesses, as well as sports clubs and nonprofits.

Pros

• Automated workflows
• Text message scheduling
• 2-way messaging
• Auto-replies
• Personalization

Cons

• Reporting could be better

Features

SlickText boasts plenty of functions, both essential and advanced. With this text campaign software, clients get full automation through message scheduling, auto-replies, birthday texts, and repeating messages. SlickText also supports drip campaigns, free rollover texts, and self-cleaning lists. Meaning, users need to do the work just once, while the platform handles the rest.

SlickText further supports 2-way messaging and shortcodes. Text to win, text to join, and text to vote are all among the options. The platform enables businesses to send messages in bulk and personalize texts. Mobile coupons and loyalty rewards deserve mention too.

The list of crucial texting program features goes on with email capture, webhooks, contact segmentation, and age verification. Plus, SlickText provides analytics and link tracking, meaning that users get insights into the performance of their campaigns.

Pricing

Regardless of whether you need 50 or 50,000 texts per month, SlickText has a plan for you. Before investing in a package, users can test the platform through a free trial or product demo.
Startups that don’t need more than 50 texts per month can also use the Freebie package. It’s completely free to use and supports a single textword and unlimited contacts.

The starting SMS marketing price of the SlickText texting marketing software is $29 per month. This plan supports 500 texts, two textwords, MMS messaging, and rollover texts. There are seven additional plans whose monthly cost goes up to $1,250 per month. Besides more messages and textwords, these advanced packages also include live chat support and 1-on-1 training sessions.

TextMagic

At a Glance

Over 100,000 clients have used TextMagic to send alerts, notifications, confirmations, and reminders to their contacts. The platform has a global reach, high customer satisfaction rates, and a plethora of features. Being a pay-as-you-go mass texting service, TextMagic works for businesses of any size, regardless of their industry focus.

Pros

• Send texts online
• SMS distribution lists
• SMS surveys
• Number validation
• Zapier integration

Cons

• Pricey for global reach

Features

TextMagic stands out because it’s very straightforward to use but covers all essential areas of text message marketing. Bulk messaging, MMS texting, and 2-way communication are among the platform’s critical functions. Users also get to send texts online as well as send texts from emails to both customers and employees. The TextMagic SMS campaign software also supports importing contact lists.

The platform has extensive global coverage across over 200 countries and more than 1,000 mobile networks. It enables users to categorize their contacts, run SMS surveys, and create workflows. TextMagic gives clients access to SMS templates but allows personalization, as well.

The system will look up carriers and validate numbers, making sure no invalid contacts end up into your contact lists. TextMagic comes with reporting and analytics. This way, users can track KPIs, such as reply rates and delivery status.

Pricing

Anyone interested in testing the TextMagic SMS program can subscribe to a 30-day free trial that includes free credits. Plus, the service comes without any contracts, a money-back guarantee, and no account fees.

TextMagic has a pay-as-you-go SMS marketing pricing model, meaning that clients buy credits and then spend them on messages. The credits never expire. As for the cost per text, it’s $0.04 for sending to US and Canadian numbers. The respective price per SMS for reaching British and Australian numbers is $0.068 and $0.076.

TextMagic doesn’t charge extra for inbound texts. The SMS tool comes with the following pricing for inbound messages.

• United States – $4/month
• Canada – $4/month
• United Kingdom – $4.10/month
• Australia – $15/month

Prices for all other countries can be found on the vendor’s website.

Sendinblue

At a Glance

Sendinblue has over 10 years of experience in helping brands build their customer relationships. This software works for businesses in all industries, clubs, churches, and nonprofits. Thanks to Sendinblue’s long list of features and a robust dashboard, the number of contacts doesn’t matter either. This is an excellent solution for those who need CRM with text messaging.

Pros

• SMS personalization
• SMS marketing
• A/B testing
• Scheduled texting
• Contact segmentation

Cons

• Lengthy initial setup
• Analytics could improve

Features

This software goes beyond SMS and MMS marketing, although it handles these areas splendidly too. Bulk, 2-way, and scheduled texting are all included in this platform. Sendinblue prides itself on its automation capabilities, allowing users to set auto-replies, automatic URL shortening, and create entire workflows.

Spam filtering and A/B testing make sure customers achieve the best possible results with their campaigns. Plus, the Sendinblue texting software for business provides useful reports. Here, clients get access to real-time reporting, heat maps, open & click stats, and device reports. Some of these, however, are available only to the most expensive plans.

Pricing

Sendinblue doesn’t offer a classic free trial. Instead, the company has a Free Plan with unlimited contacts and 300 emails per day. The Free Plan includes SMS marketing and the most essential tools but lacks advanced reporting.

The other packages of the Sendinblue text messaging platform are listed below. Please note that annual billing gets clients discounted prices.

• Lite for new marketers – $25 per month/40,000 emails/essential tools
• Essential for growing businesses – $39 per month/60,000 emails/advanced tools
• Premium for marketing professionals – $66 per month/120,000 emails/advanced tool
• Premium boosted – $173 per month/350,000 emails
• Enterprise – price upon request/full set of features/dedicated account manager

Businesses that primarily need texting services should note that all plans include this option. SMS credits are bought in bulk and never expire. Here’s the pricing for sending 100 texts using this automated texting service.

• United States – €1.00
• United Kingdom – €3.17
• Canada – €1.00
• Australia – €7.47

Sendinblue has a global reach. You can find the exact pricing for sending SMS to hundreds of different countries on the vendor’s website.

Txt180

At a Glance

Companies looking for the best SMS marketing platform should also check out Txt180, a great and simple solution for businesses of any size and industry. The system is web-based and comes with an easy-to-use control panel. Txt180 is a classic budget-friendly solution with a focus on text messages.

Pros

• SMS scheduling
• Shortcodes
• Mass texting
• Mobile coupons
• Daily specials and devotionals

Cons

• No personalization yet
• No SMS rollover

Features

Any company can automate its SMS and MMS marketing with the simple Txt180 platform. This system is rich in features, and supports free inbound messages, unlimited subscribers and contact importing. Regarding group messaging, Txt180 offers autoresponders, alternate messages, and 2-way messaging. Age verification, drip campaigns, scheduling, and shortcodes are additional functions of this text messages software. Consumers can text to win, vote, and get info.

Besides enabling clients to run mass texting campaigns, the platform simplifies their processes too. This is achieved via the message templates, multiple users, and dynamic dates. We also want to mention the web widget alongside the groups and mobile coupons. The list of functionalities goes on with message forwarding, QR codes, and flyer builders.

Pricing

Txt180 provides a 15-day free trial to all interested consumers. It includes 100 messages and a custom keyword. No credit card is required for claiming the free trial.

As for the pricing of this mass texting software, it starts at $19.95 per month. Businesses can get it for $14.95 per month if billed annually. The package includes 500 credits. You can calculate the number of messages for 500 credits by multiplying the number of texts by the number of contacts. For instance, 250 contacts x 2 SMS per month equals 500 credits.

A plan with 50,000 credits costs $625 per month, billed annually, or month-to-month.

TxtSync

At a Glance

Businesses in recruitment, eCommerce, hospitality, travel, and many other industries use TxtSync text messaging software to reach their customers. The platform supports 2-way messaging, workflows, conversations, and personalization. With custom-priced plans, the brand can meet the needs of all companies, regardless of the size of their contact list.

Pros

• Link tracking
• Inbound messaging
• Text message templates
• Contact tagging and grouping
• Automated workflows

Cons

• No mobile coupons

Features

TxtSync handles the essential operations of SMS business marketing. The platform supports 2-way and bulk messaging, two key capabilities. It also enables clients to have direct conversations with consumers and to run SMS campaigns. This text message software gives users insights, such as delivery reporting, link tracking, and engagement statistics. Creating streamlined workflows is possible as well.

Clients meanwhile get to keep their messages personal by merging data and inserting details like contacts’ names. The system gives users access to a contact database. It also enables number tagging, grouping, and flagging. Plus, TxtSync is GDPR compliant and integrates to over 1,000 programs through Zapier.

Pricing

Brands can test the platform using a 14-day free trial.

The TxtSync automated texting software provides custom pricing. This means clients need to request a plan designed per their needs and size. The inbound pricing for most countries is free. The outbound price per SMS is £0.012 in the USA, £0.035 in the UK, £0.018 in Canada, and £0.05 in Australia.

The pricing for the other countries is provided on the company’s website. Customers from some countries, like the UK, can have a branded sender ID.

DialMyCalls

At a Glance

Marketing agencies, businesses, churches, schools, property managers, and emergency notification services are some of the DialMyCalls’ typical clients. This bulk text messaging software is simple and easily adapts to the customers’ needs. With DialMyCalls, users can streamline their communication with all their subscribers within a few clicks.

Pros

• Text scheduling
• SMS keywords
• Landline texting
• Polling and surveys
• Personalization

Cons

• No duplicate numbers for the same contact
• Advanced tools cost more

Features

DialMyCalls enables clients to create and schedule engaging SMS campaigns through 2-way messaging, landline texting, and long code SMSing. Since this tool is primarily for mass texting, this functionality is supported too. DialMyCalls is also an automated text service thanks to its workflows.

The platform also supports keywords, provides templates and runs surveys. The latter, however, is one of the advanced features that cost extra. Here, we also have polling and push to repeat, forwards, record, or opt-out.

We also want to mention that DialMyCalls lets users send text photos and videos without MMS. This is a unique option that saves cash but also limits clients in terms of text length. Personalization to a certain level is possible too.

Pricing

Any brand can test the DialMyCalls bulk SMS software for free by subscribing to the free account. This plan includes one weekly 30-second message sent to up to 25 numbers. This option doesn’t require a credit card or any payments, and is perfect for startups and small organizations.

The pricing can be monthly or pay-as-you-go. The monthly plans cover seven tiers that include anything from one to 500 numbers. Their pricing starts at $7.49 per month and goes up to $94.99 a month. Those who prefer pay-as-you-go text marketing apps can spend $10 for 140 credits. One credit equals a single 30-second call to a single number or a single SMS. Just keep in mind that some advanced tools (polling, surveys, SMS keywords, and more) cost more credits.

Alternatively, companies that need more can go for tailored pricing.

Omnisend

At a Glance

Personalized, omnichannel, and with limitless use cases. Those are the key characteristics of the Omnisend email and text message marketing software. This all-in-one solution for automating your campaigns and scoring more leads is used by growth-focused businesses of all sizes. The platform is easy to use and boasts a global audience reach.

Pros

• Full automation
• Built-in link shortener
• Segmentation
• Personalization
• MMS texting

Cons

• Lacks intuition

Features

Omnisend’s toolsets include SMS and email marketing, marketing automation tools, segmentation, and forms. All these make the platform a robust solution to multiple marketing processes.

As for tools typical for texting platforms, we have mass texting, global reach, and workflow automation. Omnisend supports the personalization of the texts and campaign creation. Users can set rules for drip campaigns, running promotions, or engaging consumers. If someone isn’t an expert in creating campaigns, Omnisend comes with pre-build workflows.

This service is also equipped with list building tools. These enable email capturing via a TCPA compliant manner. Clients also get access to integrated opt-out links, link shorteners, and reporting. Other vital functions include discount coupon codes, customer feedback, custom forms, and integrations. This business text messaging software supports over 1,000 programs, including Zapier, Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento.

Pricing

Marketers can test Omnisend by getting a 14-day free trial or requesting a product demo. There is also a Freemium Plan of the platform, but it doesn’t include the software’s text message marketing tools. Here is the monthly pricing for the packages with this feature for companies with 500 subscribers.

• Standard – $16/ 15,000 emails/3 users/20 segment
• Pro – $199/ 15,000 emails/5 users/50 segments
• Enterprise – price upon request/ unlimited emails and users/200 segments

Subscribing to annual billing gets clients of the mass texting software discounts on all plans. Also, SMS credits cost extra. The price per one SMS stands at $0.015 in the US and Canada, $0.041 in the UK, and $0.040 in Australia.

EZ Texting

At a Glance

Small coffee shops, startups, large companies, and churches use EZ Texting’s SMS tools to connect with their contacts. Thanks to a myriad of functionalities, the platform can serve multiple purposes and handle any workload. EZ Texting is a popular cloud-hosted tool that provides SMS, MMS, and 2-way texting alongside useful analytics.

Pros

• Keywords and forms
• Polling
• Reminders
• Text-to-landline
• Personalization

Cons

• Needs more integrations
• Pricey high-volume plans
• No credit rollover

Features

This is the best text marketing platform for marketers who need something simple yet robust. EZ Texting can help clients build their contact lists using sign-up forms, keywords, and advanced messaging features. Engaging any audience is also possible thanks to reminders, polls, and content-rich MMS picture messages. Users also get access to the exclusive EZ chat that offers one-on-one conversations with subscribers.

EZ Texting has many other functions too. For instance, text-to-landline enables businesses to send and receive texts online, using their phone. Like the other leading SMS platforms, the system also offers a link shortener, poll builder, list creation, and personalization. Text scheduling, recurring messages, and performance tracking are among EX Texting’s advanced tools.

Pricing

Potential clients can sign up for a Free 14-day Trial of EZ Texting. This Freemium offer doesn’t require a credit card and comes without any risks or commitment. It includes 100 free credits and one demo keyword.

• The Premium Plans of the EZ Texting SMS program have the following monthly pricing:
• Plus – $49/ 1,000 credits/1 custom keyword
• Select – $94/ 2,000 credits/2 custom keywords
• Elite – $149/ 3,300 credits/3 custom keywords
• Pro – $250/ 5,500 credits/4 custom keywords
• Bronze – $450/ 10,000 credits/6 custom keywords
• Silver – $1,100/ 25,000 credits/10 custom keywords
• Gold – $2,000/ 50,000 credits/15 custom keywords
• Pay & Go – 5 cents/credit.

Please note that the annual plans of the EZ Texting SMS marketing software come with a 20% discount. One SMS message costs one credit, while one MMS message is three credits. Purchasing extra credits ranges from 3.25 to 4.5 cents per credit, depending on the plan.

Vonage

At a Glance

Flexible, scalable, and straightforward are the words customers use to describe Vonage (formerly Nexmo). Some of the brand’s customers include names like GitHub, Airbnb, and Fitbit. Useful for maintaining communications, sending reminders, and marketing, Vonage offers text message solutions for any business or organization.

Pros

• Number fallback
• Mass texting
• Smart splitting
• Role-based access control
• Dashboard analytics

Cons

• Slow support
• Complex at first
• MMS separate product

Features

Vonage's customers can buy and look up phone numbers as well as send and receive SMS. Plus, they get access to all the essential tools for running successful texting campaigns. Adaptive routing ensures optimum delivery of texts, while the global compliance engine banishes unpredictable deliveries. Vonage supports shortcodes, so users can send memorable and simple messages.

Advanced encoding, number pools, number fallback, and smart splitting are valuable tools of the Vonage SMS marketing software. With these, users get to streamline and improve their messages. The platform helps its customers remain compliant with carrier specifications through queuing and concatenation. Monitoring, tracking, and managing performance is possible too. These are provided via subaccount, dashboard analytics, and role-based access.

Pricing

Vonage doesn’t provide any plan pricing on its website. The company, instead, markets a pay-as-you-go model where clients buy credits. Anyone can test how this works by subscribing to a Free Trial with free credits.

The prices for sending and receiving messages are available on Vonage's website. The brand boasts a competitive cost per text when compared to other text messaging solutions. Sending and receiving SMS to US numbers is only $0.0068 and $0.0062, respectively. Renting a virtual phone number for SMS and voice messages costs $0.98 per month.

Routee

At a Glance

Routee is an all-in-one solution that automates and handles multiple sectors, including texting, voice, email, and messaging apps. With a global reach and multipurpose approach, Routee is suitable for any company regardless of its size and industry focus.

Pros

• Unicode and long SMS
• Coupons and offers
• Delivery reporting
• Personalization
• Text scheduling

Cons

• Complex at first
• Unclear pricing

Features

Routee has all the essential capabilities of top text message marketing software. The list of functions includes bulk texting, 2-way messaging, MMS, contact management, and text personalization. Clients also get access to tools for sending coupons, conducting surveys, and creating polls. Mobile keywords come alongside the platform, too, just like scheduled messaging. Routee also provides delivery reports and insights that help marketers track the performance and detect issues of their campaigns.

Pricing

Routee didn’t use to have a free trial, but now it offers clients the option to test the platform first. The company’s pricing isn’t entirely clear because it lists separate products and no plans. So, it’s best to contact the SMS business solutions provider and get the exact monthly cost for the services you need.

The vendor, however, provides the pricing for sending and receiving SMS. Outbound and inbound SMS in the US costs $0.0065 and $0.0035. The establishment cost per number is $0.25, while the monthly price per number is $0.2. The service doesn’t limit the number of sent texts per day if you have credits to send them. Those who need unlimited text marketing plans will make the most out of Routee.

A Simple Texting Message Marketing Software Buying Guide

Our table of top-rated products highlights the most reliable solutions on the market. Still, picking the best option for your business goes beyond investing in the highest-ranked platform. That’s why we’re also providing you with a simple buying guide that will take you right to the software that best matches your needs and budget.

Step 1: Shortlist Using Categorization

Use our classification of SMS business marketing solutions to weed out unsuitable products. For example, if you run a religious organization, you need a texting platform that will be suited to this field. Then, if you have a mobile-centric business model, you would want an advanced tool with a myriad of must-have features.

Pay attention to targeted businesses in terms of size too. Not all platforms can handle bulk text messaging to tens of thousands of numbers. So, if you’re in charge of a large enterprise, you need robust software rather than a basic one.

Step 2: List Essential Functions

This step is all about the features. We explained the essential capabilities of the best text message marketing software. List the ones that apply to your marketing strategy and needs. For instance, if you often run contests, you should include the Text to Win function.

Once you have defined your needs, compare them against the shortlisted platforms from step 1. Those products that meet your minimum requirements will move on to the final round.

Step 3: Decide Based on Your Budget

Lastly, focus on the size of your investment. The price range per text message moves from $0.03 and over $0.05. Everything depends on how many contacts you have and what the text message marketing software offers.

So, set a budget acceptable for your business and stick to platforms within that price limit. If you end up with multiple suitable options, you can use product demos and free trials to pick the winner.