Best Text Message Marketing Services for Startups

Text message marketing can be a powerful tool for sending notifications to your customers or potential customers. When done correctly, it can help you keep your business at the top of your audience's mind and increase sales. Here is a comparison of some of the most popular text message marketing services to use in your startup.

The growth of SMS marketing has led to multiple companies sprouting up that offer specific features for businesses at specific points in their journey. For example, if you're looking for a service that is easy to set up and doesn't require a tech background, there is one for you.

If you need a service that includes more customizing features but still allows you full control, there is a service for that too. Whichever SMS service you consider, it's important to compare the features and benefits with your business goals.

For the entrepreneur looking to have full control over the SMS marketing campaigns they plan on running, SimpleTexting is an easy answer. It allows startups to not just use an SMS service but to put in place automatic responses and text threads based on keywords. 

For example, if you own a digital dry cleaning service, you can have customers text “CLEANING” to your SimpleTexting number, and they will be automatically added to a specific marketing campaign based on that keyword. There is also analytics provided so you can make informed decisions about your marketing campaigns, and you can also create groups of customers to target.

Pros

• Able to have full control over campaigns
• Funnel new prospects based on keywords
• Can integrate surveys, polls, and more
• Provides integrated analytics
• Easy-to-use interface

Cons

• Mobile app is not as easy to use

Price Breakdown

• 500 texts: $29/month
• 1,000 texts: $49/month
• 2,000 texts: $79/month
• 3,000 texts: $109/month
• 7,500 texts: $229/month
• 25,000 texts: $549/month
• 50,000 texts: $899/month
• Custom plans available

If you’re looking for an SMS marketing service you can sign up for and send a message on the same day, TextMagic might be your best choice. The interface is extremely easy to understand, and you can choose if the replies go to the API, web app, email, or your direct number. 

It’s easy to build contact lists from an imported spreadsheet, and the pay-as-you-go format makes it ideal for startups that may want to experiment with SMS before being locked into a longer plan. 

Pros

• Pay as you go makes it easy to see if you like the service
• Very easy to use and understand
• Strikes a balance between easy to use and powerful functionality

Cons

• Platform isn’t the best for scaling

Price Breakdown

• $0.04 per message sent within the US

Some startups will be more concerned with outgoing SMS marketing than with outgoing and inbound messages. That’s because the marketing will be centered around sending notifications on booked appointments or confirmations for successful sign-ups or payments. 

Sakari gears their plans and payment towards both outbound and inbound messages so that you only get charged a set price for everything, making the service cheaper than others on this list. The service is easy to use, and you’ll be able to start sending messages just moments after signing up.

Pros

• Payment structure friendlier for outgoing messages
• Easy-to-use interface
• Can integrate with Zapier to use third-party apps

Cons

• Doesn’t have comprehensive features

Price Breakdown

• Starter: $16/month for 500 texts
• Growth: $30/month for 1,000 texts
• Business: $90/month for 3,125 texts
• Team: $170/month for 6,250 texts
• Gold: $330/month for 12,500 texts
• Elite: $640/month for 25,000 texts
• Custom plans available for higher message volumes

While Salesmsg isn’t available internationally yet, they do provide an excellent service for startups who are based in the United States or Canada. The simple interface only has four tabs to choose from, so it’s a straightforward service you’ll get used to using fairly quickly. 

It does allow you to assign different phone numbers to different team members, and you can forward incoming calls to your personal line. You’ll have easy integrations with Outlook and Google Calendar and bigger marketing automation services like Zoho or HubSpot. 

Pros

• Great for businesses based in the US or Canada
• Very easy to use and get started
• Can integrate with third-party services for more functionality

Cons

• Limited features available

Price Breakdown

• 500 texts: $25/month
• 1,000 texts: $49/month
• 2,500 texts: $99/month
• 5,000 texts: $179/month
• 7,500 texts: $249/month
• Custom plans available for higher message volumes

You don’t have to have a background in tech in order to figure out how to send SMS marketing messages thanks to EZ Texting. What really separates EZ Texting from the other companies is just how much guidance and support they offer through the web app. Instead of needing to figure everything out on your own, there are tons of helpful hints, tips, and videos available. 

The features of EZ are similar to a lot of other platforms. You can text one-on-one or in groups, separate prospects by keywords, receive analytics, and set up various marketing campaigns. If you’re just starting with SMS messaging, you might want to consider EZ Texting so you can get your foundation established. 

Pros

• Extremely easy to use
• Helpful hints and videos guide you through using the platform
• Has similar features to many other platforms on this list

Cons

• Not the best choice for scaling your business

Price Breakdown

• Value: Starting at $24/month
• Essentials: Starting at $36/month
• Premium: Starting at $61/month

Customer: Starting at $374/month

One of the most well-known brands on this list, Twilio, provides an extensive list of features that you can take advantage of. It’s basically a blank canvas where you can create your own SMS messaging campaigns, phone number redirections, and tons of other helpful features. 

Although Twilio has a large library of APIs that you can use if you have some background with code, you don’t need to be a developer to use it. You can just use the features that don’t require any code, and it will still be more powerful than a lot of other tools on this list.

Pros

• Has a large library of APIs that can increase functionality
• Well known and trusted brand
• Can fully customize your SMS marketing campaigns

Cons

• Can be confusing if you aren’t used to SMS platforms

Price Breakdown

• Pay as you go — $0.0075 per sent/received message in the US

Podium is helpful for startups that are looking for an all-around option that can help scale with their growth. The platform offers a ton of helpful features like automated follow-up messages, surveys, Google Analytics integration, and more. 

Users can use Podium effortlessly thanks to the friendly interface, and it can integrate with many big-name CMS systems. You can even encourage your customers to leave reviews using the service and you’ll be able to respond immediately. 

Pros

• Offers similar features to other services
• Encourages user engagement, including seeking out user reviews
• Integrates with big-name CMS systems

Cons

• Customer service is lacking

Price Breakdown

• Essentials: $189/month for 1,000 contacts and three team members
• Standard: $449/month for unlimited contacts and unlimited team members
• Professional: $649/month for unlimited contacts and unlimited team members, more automation, etc.