How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- SimpleTexting is the easiest all-round choice for small teams, at $29 a month for 500 credits with unlimited contacts.
- EZ Texting has the lowest entry price at $25 a month, which suits a first campaign on a tight budget.
- TextMagic fits irregular senders, since you pay per text instead of carrying a monthly subscription.
- Carrier registration and number fees add to the headline price, so check the full cost on the pricing page before you commit.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 SimpleTexting | All-round small-business texting for small teams | $29/month (500 credits) | Free trial |
 EZ Texting | The cheapest first campaign for a small business | $25/month (500 credits) | Free trial |
 SlickText | Teams that want compliance handled carefully | $29/month (500 credits) | Free trial |
 Textedly | High-volume senders who want simple, predictable pricing | $29/month | Free trial |
 TextMagic | Occasional sending without a monthly subscription | $0.049 per text (prepaid) | Free trial |
 Salesmsg | Two-way sales and support texting with a shared inbox | See website | Free trial |
 Podium | Local businesses that want reviews, texting, and payments in one place | See website | No |
 Attentive | Ecommerce brands running email and SMS together | See website | No |
 Klaviyo | Ecommerce brands that want email and SMS revenue in one platform | Free (up to 250 contacts); from $20/month | Yes |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best SMS marketing software for small businesses
#1SimpleTexting
Best for: All-round small-business texting for small teams4.7/5 on
G2 (647 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit simpletexting.com
Starting price$29/month (500 credits)
Free planFree trial
SimpleTexting is the platform most small businesses should try first. Mass campaigns, autoresponders, drip sequences, MMS, and polls all live in one clean interface, and the $29 plan includes 500 credits with unlimited contacts, so a growing list does not force an upgrade by itself. Carrier registration is handled for you, which removes one of the most confusing parts of business texting.
The real entry cost is higher than $29. A registered number adds a monthly fee, plus a one-time carrier registration charge, and extra credits cost a few cents each. Even with those fees, SimpleTexting stays simple to run, and its integrations with HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Zapier cover most small-business stacks.
What we like- Unlimited contacts on every plan
- Free incoming texts
- Mass campaigns and two-way replies from one number
Watch out for- US and Canada only
- Number fee and carrier registration add to the monthly cost
#2EZ Texting
Best for: The cheapest first campaign for a small business4.5/5 on
G2 (744 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit eztexting.com
Starting price$25/month (500 credits)
Free planFree trial
EZ Texting wins on entry price. At $25 a month for 500 credits, it undercuts its closest rivals, and the AI composer helps a first-time sender write a campaign without staring at a blank box. MMS support with stock images makes promotional messages look better than plain text, which matters for restaurants, salons, and retailers.
Read the pricing page closely. A small monthly telecom fee and per-message overage charges sit on top of the plan price, so a heavy month costs more than $25. For a business sending one or two campaigns a month, EZ Texting remains the cheapest credible start.
What we like- Lowest entry price in this list
- AI message composer
- MMS with stock images included
Watch out for- Monthly telecom fee on top of the plan
- Overage charges apply beyond the credit allowance
#3SlickText
Best for: Teams that want compliance handled carefully4.8/5 on
G2 (1,934 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit slicktext.com
Starting price$29/month (500 credits)
Free planFree trial
SlickText puts compliance first, which sounds dull until a carrier blocks your number. Its opt-in tools, keyword handling, and list management follow carrier rules closely, and features such as text-to-win contests and loyalty programs suit retailers and event venues. Analytics show who clicked and who converted, not just who received a message.
The downside is cost at the edges. Rich messaging features carry setup and annual fees, and the most useful automation sits above the entry tier. Businesses in regulated or promotion-heavy markets will value the compliance focus; others may find SimpleTexting or EZ Texting cheaper for the same sends.
What we like- Strong opt-in and compliance tooling
- Text-to-win and loyalty features
- Good analytics
Watch out for- RCS messaging carries a setup fee and annual cost
- Some advanced features need higher tiers
#4Textedly
Best for: High-volume senders who want simple, predictable pricing4.6/5 on
G2 (1,451 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit textedly.com
Starting price$29/month
Free planFree trial
Textedly takes a different approach to pricing. Plans scale by message volume, not by how many contacts you hold, which helps businesses with large lists that send rarely. Custom keywords, MMS, and even voice message options cover the common campaign types, and setup is quick.
The interface is functional rather than polished, and the integration list is shorter than the leaders'. If your priority is sending a lot of messages at a low monthly cost without fussing over design, Textedly is a practical pick. If you want deep CRM connections, look at Salesmsg or SimpleTexting first.
What we like- Scales by messages rather than contacts
- Custom keywords
- MMS and voice options
Watch out for- Interface feels plainer than SimpleTexting
- Fewer native integrations
#5TextMagic
Best for: Occasional sending without a monthly subscription4.4/5 on
G2 (128 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit textmagic.com
Starting price$0.049 per text (prepaid)
Free planFree trial
TextMagic suits the business that texts a few times a month. You buy credits and pay about 4.9 cents per text, with no subscription to justify in quiet months. Global coverage across many countries also makes it a good fit for businesses with international customers.
The model has its own fees. Renting a number and meeting carrier registration requirements add monthly charges, so the per-text price is not the whole bill. Still, for irregular senders, paying per message beats paying $29 every month for an idle account.
What we like- Pay only for what you send
- Works in 190-plus countries
- No monthly plan required
Watch out for- Number rental and carrier fees add monthly costs
- Less of a campaign studio than rivals
#6Salesmsg
Best for: Two-way sales and support texting with a shared inbox4.7/5 on
G2 (433 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit salesmsg.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Salesmsg is built for conversations, not just broadcasts. A shared inbox lets a sales or support team answer texts together, with calling built in and CRM sync to HubSpot and Salesforce. Higher tiers add AI agents that can qualify leads outside business hours, which suits firms where speed of reply wins deals.
That power comes with pricing that is less transparent than the flat-rate tools here, and a business that only sends monthly promotions will pay for features it never opens. Choose Salesmsg when texting is a sales channel, not a newsletter.
What we like- Shared team inbox
- Built-in calling
- Native HubSpot and Salesforce integrations
- AI agents on higher tiers
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing on some plans
- More tool than a business that only sends campaigns needs
#7Podium
Best for: Local businesses that want reviews, texting, and payments in one place4.5/5 on
G2 (2,155 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit podium.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Podium is a broader local-business platform where texting is one part of the package. Review invitations sent by text, a unified inbox, and payment collection sit together, which suits dentists, auto shops, home services, and other businesses that live on local reputation. Multi-location management is a genuine strength.
The trade-off is price and focus. Podium prices by quote, and a business that only wants SMS campaigns will find cheaper dedicated tools. It earns its place here for firms that will use the reviews and payments features every week, not just the texting.
What we like- Review requests by text
- Payments and messaging in one inbox
- Strong for multi-location firms
Watch out for- Custom quote pricing
- Texting alone is not its cheapest use
#8Attentive
Best for: Ecommerce brands running email and SMS together4.6/5 on
G2 (1,078 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit attentive.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Attentive is the enterprise-grade option for online stores. It segments shoppers by browsing and purchase behavior, triggers messages from cart and checkout events, and pairs SMS with email in one system. Ecommerce brands with serious volume get managed onboarding and deliverability support.
Small businesses outside ecommerce should skip it. Pricing is custom and usage-based, a demo is required before you can even start, and the feature set assumes a store with steady online orders. For a Shopify store doing real volume, Attentive is a strong contender; for a local service business, it is the wrong shape.
What we like- Advanced behavioral segmentation
- Strong Shopify and ecommerce integrations
- Managed onboarding
Watch out for- Custom, usage-based pricing
- Demo required
- Overkill for non-ecommerce businesses
#9Klaviyo
Best for: Ecommerce brands that want email and SMS revenue in one platform4.6/5 on
G2 (1,368 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit klaviyo.com
Starting priceFree (up to 250 contacts); from $20/month
Free planYes
Klaviyo starts as an email platform and adds SMS as a second channel, which is exactly how many ecommerce brands buy. Flows for abandoned carts, post-purchase follow-ups, and win-back campaigns can mix email and text in one automation, driven by real purchase data from Shopify and other store platforms.
Watch the SMS pricing. The monthly plan covers email contacts, while SMS sends draw on separate credits, so a text-heavy program costs more than the headline price suggests. For stores that already run Klaviyo for email, adding SMS here is simpler than buying a second platform.
What we like- Free tier for small lists
- Deep Shopify data for targeting
- Email and SMS flows in one builder
Watch out for- SMS credits cost extra on top of the plan
- Pricing climbs quickly as the list grows
How we chose
We focused on platforms that serve small businesses directly, with self-serve signup or a clear small-business plan, and checked entry prices against vendor pricing pages in October 2026. Public reviews on G2 and Capterra helped confirm where headline prices hide fees, such as number rental and telecom surcharges. Enterprise-only platforms without small-business plans were excluded, as were bulk SMS APIs aimed at developers.
Buying guidance for small businesses
SMS has rules that email does not, and the wrong platform choice costs more than money. A few decisions matter more than the feature list.
Consent and carrier registration come first
US carriers require businesses to register their numbers and prove customers opted in, through a process called 10DLC registration. Every tool here helps with it, but registration takes time and a small fee, so start it before your first campaign date. Never buy a list or text people who did not ask to hear from you, since carrier blocks and fines follow quickly.
Count the full monthly cost, not the plan price
Add the number fee, carrier registration, telecom surcharges, and overage rates to the plan price. A $25 plan with fees can cost more than a $29 plan without them, and overage rates punish a list that grows faster than the credit allowance. Model your cost at twice your current list size before choosing.
Start with one campaign type
Pick the single campaign that will pay for the tool, such as appointment reminders, a monthly offer, or abandoned cart texts, and run it well for a month. A platform that handles that one job reliably beats a bigger platform whose extra features sit unused while the bill grows.
Frequently asked questions
How much does SMS marketing software cost for a small business?
Entry plans run from $25 to $29 a month for around 500 credits, plus number and carrier fees. Pay-as-you-go options such as TextMagic suit irregular senders, while ecommerce platforms price by contacts and SMS credits.
Do I need permission to text my customers?
Yes. Customers must opt in before you send marketing texts, and US carriers require business number registration. Every platform in this list provides opt-in tools such as keywords and signup forms, and you should keep records of consent.
What is the difference between SMS credits and contacts?
Credits pay for messages sent, while contacts are the people on your list. Some platforms charge by credits and allow unlimited contacts, while others charge by list size. If your list is large but you send rarely, a credit-based plan is usually cheaper.
Can I send MMS with pictures and coupons?
Yes, all the tools here support MMS, though MMS messages cost more credits than plain SMS. Image coupons, menus, and product photos work well, but keep file sizes small so messages deliver quickly.
Is SMS marketing still effective in 2026?
Text messages are opened far more often than email, which is why appointment reminders and time-limited offers perform well by text. The channel works best for short, useful messages to people who opted in, not for long promotions.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://simpletexting.com/pricing/
- https://www.eztexting.com/pricing
- https://www.slicktext.com/pricing
- https://www.textedly.com/pricing
- https://www.textmagic.com/pricing/
- https://www.salesmsg.com/pricing
- https://www.podium.com
- https://www.attentive.com
- https://www.klaviyo.com/pricing
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.