Why does this page exist?
Text messaging is crucial for today's businesses to drive more revenue and connect with their customers. SMS has an average open rate of 97% within the first three minutes of receipt making it the #1 preferred channel for almost every type of outreach.
Unfortunately, most texting providers in the market have ventured into outright unethical practices by charging an extreme markup on SMS rates -- specifically those who charge more than $0.02 per text.
So in order to help you, we've put together a list of every well-known platform and sorted it by cost so you can find the best solution for your business.
We’ve also included their review ratings on G2 and Capterra to provide additional transparency into each platform’s overall customer satisfaction.
Popular texting platforms (sorted by price per text)
| Company | Base SMS cost | Base Subscription | Hidden Fees | Source | G2 Rating | Capterra Rating | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Textla | 🥇 $0.005 | $25 | None | 🔗 | 5 | 5 | April 10, 2024 |
| Textline | 🥈 $0.015 | $59.97 | Yes, limited number of seats (3) | 🔗 | 4.5 | 4.9 | April 10, 2024 |
| EzTexting | 🥉 $0.030 | $25 | Yes, limited number of sends per day | 🔗 | 4.5 | 4.3 | April 10, 2024 |
| Avochato | $0.030 | $23 | Yes. limited number of seats (1) | 🔗 | 4.4 | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
| Heymarket | $0.030 | $46 | Yes, limited number of seats (2) | 🔗 | 4.6 | 4.5 | April 10, 2024 |
| TextMagic | $0.049 | None | None | 🔗 | 4.3 | 4.6 | April 10, 2024 |
| TextingBase | $0.050 | $25 | Yes, limited number of sends per month | 🔗 | N/A | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
| Salesmsg | $0.050 | $25 | Yes, limited number of sends | 🔗 | 4.6 | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
| Textedly | $0.052 | $26 | Yes, pay for additional users and texts | 🔗 | 4.7 | 4.5 | April 10, 2024 |
| SlickText | $0.058 | $29 | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.8 | 4.8 | April 10, 2024 |
| SimpleTexting | $0.058 | $29 | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.7 | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
| TextRequest | $0.059 | $59 | Yes, limited number of sends | 🔗 | 4.6 | 4.6 | April 10, 2024 |
| Text-Em-All | $0.090 | None | Yes, limited number of sends | 🔗 | 4.8 | 4.8 | April 10, 2024 |
| TextUs | Contact for $ | $300 | None | 🔗 | 4.7 | 4.8 | April 10, 2024 |
| BirdEye | Contact for $ | $489 | Yes, texting add-on is an additonal $100 per month | 🔗 | 4.8 | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
| Podium | N/A | $399 | None | 🔗 | 4.5 | 4.3 | April 10, 2024 |
Ecommerce specific platforms
| Company | Base SMS cost | Base Subscription | Hidden Fees | Source | G2 Rating | Capterra Rating | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yotpo | $0.007 | None | Yes, carrier fees apply and minimum spend commitment | 🔗 | 4.3 | 4.6 | April 10, 2024 |
| Postscript | $0.015 | $25 | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.9 | 4.4 | April 10, 2024 |
| Attentive | $0.020 | $300 | None | 🔗 | 4.8 | 4.8 | April 10, 2024 |
| Emotive | $0.020 | None | None | 🔗 | 4.5 | 4.0 | April 10, 2024 |
| Klaviyo | $0.300 | $45 | Yes, limited number of sends | 🔗 | 4.6 | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
CpaaS providers
| Company | Base SMS cost | Base Subscription | Hidden Fees | Source | G2 Rating | Capterra Rating | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | $0.0040 | None | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.5 | 4.6 | April 10, 2024 |
| Telnyx | $0.0040 | None | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.8 | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
| Plivo | $0.0055 | None | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.5 | 4.3 | April 10, 2024 |
| Infobip | $0.0076 | None | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.3 | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
| Vonage | $0.0077 | None | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.2 | 4.5 | April 10, 2024 |
| Sinch | $0.0078 | None | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.0 | 4.7 | April 10, 2024 |
| Twilio | $0.0079 | None | Yes, carrier fees apply | 🔗 | 4.2 | 4.5 | April 10, 2024 |
Understanding Pricing Structures
Most SMS platforms operate on a subscription basis. The fee may covers access to the platform's features, such as automation tools, analytics, and customer support. Depending on the provider, this could be a flat rate or vary based on usage levels. Watch for the fee to cover texts per month because this often boxes you into a set plan and then charges you huge amounts to go over that monthly limits.
Beyond the included allotment in a subscription, businessses typically pay a per-text fee. This fee can vary based on the volume of texts sent and the destination of the messages. International texts might cost more than domestic ones.
Other Factors to Consider
Look for platforms that offer features like automation, scheduling, and detailed analytics. Integration with existing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems and marketing tools can also be a huge advantage, making the messaging component seamless with other business operations.
Reliable customer support can help resolve issues quickly, minimizing downtime. Additionally, the platform's overall reliability, uptime, and message delivery rates are critical factors to consider.
FAQs
Be cautious of hidden fees such as setup fees, monthly maintenance fees, or fees for number rental. Some providers also charge extra for API access or for specific types of messages like multimedia messages (MMS). Always ask for a detailed breakdown of all costs before committing.
Many SMS providers offer tiered pricing, where the cost per message decreases as the volume of messages you commit to sending increases. However, it's important to understand whether these bulk rates have expiration dates or if unused messages roll over to the next billing cycle