best sms apps 2024

Best SMS apps for small businesses in 2024

Our buying guide and how we rate the SMS apps

SMS apps are definitely not one-size-fits-all. 

Some criteria, like ease of use, apply universally to all businesses, while others, such as features, may vary. Your choice will depend on your specific needs, including essential integrations, features for daily operations, and your budget. With that in mind, we chose and rated the eight best SMS apps for small businesses based on: 

  • Ease of use—We examined how intuitive each app is, ensuring your team can quickly adapt to using it without encountering complex features or processes.
  • Features—We scrutinized each app's messaging functionalities, including capabilities such as mass texting, two-way communication, scheduled messages, multimedia messaging, and automation options.
  • Value for money—We reviewed each tool’s pricing, whether a monthly plan or pay-as-you-go, to determine the best value for your hard-earned cash.
  • Integrations—Every business has tools they just can’t live without. That’s why we looked into how well each SMS app integrates with other popular software.

The 9 Best Scheduling Apps Of 2024

1. YouCanBookMe (YCBM)

YouCanBookMe integrates scheduling, SMS notifications, and online payments into one intuitive tool. Users can automate personalized text messages for bookings, rescheduling, cancellations, sales updates, and marketing purposes.

Read more about YouCanBookMe

2. Twilio

Twilio’s cloud communication tool uses APIs to engage customers through SMS messaging, call redirection, and marketing analytics. It’s highly customizable but technically advanced, making it best suited to developers (or people with access to one).

Read more about Twilio


3. SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting offers an SMS and multimedia messaging service (MMS) marketing solution. It lets users launch campaigns quickly, send bulk messages, automate reminders, facilitate two-way conversations, and access campaigns across multiple devices.

Read more about SimpleTexting


4. Textmagic

Textmagic streamlines business texting by quickly sending notifications, alerts, reminders, and marketing SMS messages. Its intuitive UI, automation, prebuilt analytics, and handy templates make it a good option for non-technical users.

Read more about Textmagic


5. Salesmsg

Salesmsg’s cloud-based SMS platform helps you manage text conversations in the US and Canada via web or mobile app. The tool enables team collaboration through shared texting features and provides analytical tools.

Read more about Salesmsg


6. OpenPhone

OpenPhone is a VoIP business phone system that integrates calls, SMS, MMS, voicemails, and contacts into a single app. It offers call routing, auto-attendants, and team collaboration tools to boost communication and efficiency.

Read more about OpenPhone


7. EZ Texting

EZ Texting offers a text marketing solution featuring unlimited incoming messages, robust support, and image editing tools across all plans. It provides clear instructions, extensive help resources, and a user-friendly dashboard.

Read more about EZ Texting


8. Textedly

Textedly is a business SMS solution with free incoming messages, mass group texting, and two-way SMS functionality. The tool has valuable analytics and allows users to send long SMS messages (over 455 characters).

Read more about Textedly

🧰 Once you’ve made up your mind, dive into the latest SMS best practices to get the most out of your selected texting app! 

1. YouCanBookMe—Best for integrating SMS with scheduling

YouCanBookMe SMS platform

YouCanBookMe combines stress-free scheduling, SMS notifications, and online payments in one easy-to-use tool. With YCBM, all text messages are triggered through the booking page, allowing you to automate SMS messages based on actions such as booking, rescheduling, and cancellations. Users can schedule personalized confirmations, reminders, and follow-up text messages to inform clients about sales, significant changes, or market other services.

Pros

Cons

  • Combines online scheduling and SMS in one handy tool
  • User-friendly interface
  • Designed for both small and large teams
  • No need to purchase a phone number—they'll handle it for you
  • If you work with clients across a wide range of international locations, YouCanBookMe will set up local phone numbers for you based on your clients' location
  • No mobile app
  • Since it's a tool that focuses on both online scheduling and SMS, it might have limited texting features compared to SMS-only products

Top features:

  • Automated and personalized text messages
  • Localized phone numbers based on your clients’ location
  • Confirmation, follow-up, and appointment reminder SMS
  • Set prices and take payment for appointments
  • Customizable booking page with different appointment types and lengths
  • Ample integrations, including Zoom, Gmail, Zapier, and Outlook
  • Available in 44 languages 

 

Pricing: Pay-as-you-go, with texts starting at $0.07*

*You can send SMS messages from YCBM’s free scheduling plan or upgrade to the paid version for advanced features. 

YouCanBook.me has a clean interface, allows SMS notifications, works great for teams and is a highly effective sales and communication tool – we absolutely love it.

- Deepak Shukla, Founder of Pearl Lemon Leads

🧰 Need help crafting your ideal reminder SMS? These appointment reminder text message templates will help you get started.

YouCanBookMe SMS in action

With super customizable booking pages and forms, YouCanBookMe users have the ability to add a phone number field to their booking form. This means that you can easily get permission from your clients to send SMS notifications and reduce no-shows. 

Check out how Greg Schwartz Schwartz, an AI and prompt engineering consultant has included SMS into his booking process.

how to easily get permission on your booking page for SMS messages

 

Appointment reminders are phenomenal. Before I turned them on, I had almost 20% of appointments canceled. After turning them on, that went down to less than 1%.
- Greg Schwartz, a self-employed AI and prompt engineering consultant
 

 

2. Twilio—Best for developers

twilio SMS

Twilio is a cloud communication platform that uses APIs to reach your customers effectively. It’s highly customizable, allowing you to select from various features, including SMS messaging, call redirection, and marketing analytics tools. Although it offers some out-of-the-box features, Twilio is best suited for developers, as you’ll need technical expertise to get the most out of the tool. 

Pros

Cons

  • Very flexible with lots of customization options
  • Offers comprehensive SMS analytics and tracking tools
  • Affordable pricing per text
  • Can be tricky to set up with a steep learning curve, especially if you aren’t a developer
  • Users have some gripes with the speed of customer support

Top Twilio features:

  • Programmable Messaging APIs that deliver messages to your customers through text and WhatsApp
  • Conversations API that lets you text back and forth with customers
  • Programmable voice API to make, receive, and monitor phone calls
  • Advanced customization for developers
  • CRM and email integration
  • Two-factor authentication for log-ins and onboarding

 

Pricing: Pay-as-you-go pricing with texts starting at $0.0079*

*Consider that using a developer-centric service such as Twilio may result in higher expenses for setting up and maintaining your messaging system, especially if you need to make changes in the future and hire contractors to do so.

3. SimpleTexting—Best for SMS marketing campaigns

simpletexting sms platform

SimpleTexting is an all-in-one SMS and MMS marketing tool that lets you launch text marketing campaigns without needing a developer. Users can send bulk text messages to subscribers to promote their latest deals or set up automated reminders. Additionally, features like two-way conversations simplify follow-ups. Since SimpleTexting is cloud-based, campaigns can be accessed from multiple devices using an integrated dashboard.

Pros

Cons

  • Doesn’t require programming skills
  • Clean and simple dashboard
  • Ample integrations
  • Reliable customer support and robust features
  • More expensive than the majority of its competitors
  • Experienced developers may find the tool limiting

Top features:

  • Free incoming SMS messages
  • Multiple keywords that help you build different subscriber lists
  • Can run surveys, polls, competitions, and sweepstakes via SMS
  • Marketing analytics and reporting
  • Two-way messaging and mass texting
  • Rollover credits
  • AI-powered automated responses

 

Pricing: Starting at $29/month for 500 SMS credits and $10/month for a local number (toll-free numbers are free)


4. Textmagic—Best for non-technical users

textmagic sms platform

TextMagic is a business texting platform that lets you quickly send notifications, alerts, reminders, and marketing SMS messages. It simplifies workflow management with automation, AI-powered automated responses, and pre-built analytics. TextMagic features two-way communication and integrates easily with APIs and Zapier for enhanced functionality. Additionally, its pay-as-you-go model keeps it cost-effective, especially for small businesses. 

Pros

Cons

  • Intuitive UI with no development experience needed
  • Ability to quickly import your contacts and start seeing messages
  • Easy-to-use SMS templates and autoresponders
  • For larger businesses, the pay-as-you-go pricing might get expensive fast
  • Every Textmagic account in USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico must buy a dedicated number, which is not ideal if you work with international clients

Top features:

  • Can send SMS, MMS, and attachments
  • Email-to-SMS functionality to send text messages directly from your inbox
  • Mass texting and two-way messaging
  • Real-time reporting
  • SMS templates and autoresponders that save time
  • Schedule messages for a later time and date
  • Built-in automation and segmentation

 

Pricing: Pay-as-you-go, with texts starting at $0.04/message and numbers at $10/month


5. Salesmsg—Best for local businesses in the US and Canada

salesmsg sms platform

Salesmsg is a cloud-based SMS platform that lets you send, receive, and manage text conversations via web or mobile app. It provides extensive integration options for efficient messaging and calls from a single number, making it helpful for real-time lead generation and boosting speed to lead. Additionally, Salesmsg facilitates collaboration by allowing team members to share texting features and offers analytical tools to track campaign progress.

Pros

Cons

  • Clean, easy-to-navigate UI
  • Can share inbox with team members at no additional cost
  • Integrates with many third-party tools, including CRMs such as Hubspot and Pipedrive
  • Only offers services for the US and Canada
  • Web app might be simplistic for developers or experienced marketing teams

Top features:

  • Desktop and mobile apps
  • Schedule messages to send at a later date
  • Bulk messaging, automated SMS, and voice call functionalities
  • Two-way SMS and MMS messaging
  • Call-forwarding
  • Local and toll-free numbers
  • Built-in opt-in and double-opt-out features 

 

 Pricing: Starts at $25/month for 500 messages

6. OpenPhone—Best for integrating phone calls and texts

openphone

OpenPhone is a VoIP business phone system that combines calls, texts, voicemails, and contacts in one app. The platform supports SMS and MMS messaging, allowing for exchanging text, images, videos, and other multimedia content. With features like call routing, auto-attendants, and team collaboration tools, OpenPhone streamlines communication workflows for teams of all sizes.

Pros

Cons

  • Seamless text and voice integration
  • Modern and sleek interface
  • Handy AI-suggested message responses
  • Limited features in the lower-priced tiers
  • Additional fees for sign-up and messaging

Top features:

  • Schedule messages to send at a later time or date
  • Create and save message templates
  • Group messaging and auto-replies
  • Teammates can text one contact simultaneously
  • Call logs, recordings, voicemails, and texts appear in one seamless conversation
  • Send photos, videos, audio, gifs, and files 
  • Text and calls via phone and desktop

 

Pricing: Starting at $19/month, with additional messaging and carrier fees

7. EZ Texting—Best for multimedia messaging

ez texting sms marketing platform

EZ texting is a text marketing solution catering to companies in the US and Canada that want to set up SMS communication quickly. All EZ texting plans include unlimited incoming messages, phone and chat support, image editing tools, and growth tools but differ in terms of users, keywords, and numbers allowed. The platform stands out for its clear instructions, extensive help resources, user-friendly dashboard, and straightforward setup. 

Pros

Cons

  • Excellent user onboarding and help resources for non-technical users
  • Intuitive UI and comprehensive SMS toolkit
  • Easy set-up and management of contacts, with straightforward tracking
  • Only supports texting to numbers from US and Canada
  • Pricing plans lack flexibility, potentially leading to higher costs

Top features:

  • Free two-way texting
  • Mass texting and text forwarding
  • AI tools for drafting texts and responses
  • Team inbox to help ease collaboration
  • Design tools powered by Shutterstock for MMS messages
  • Analytics and reporting
  • Mobile and desktop app

Pricing: Starting at $25/month with 500 texts

8. Textedly—Best for long SMS messages

textedly sms platform

Textedly provides comprehensive business SMS solutions and seamless integration with popular tools like Slack and Mailchimp. Plans include free incoming messages, mass group texting, toll-free numbers, and two-way SMS, with varying message limits and custom keywords. The platform supports omnichannel communication, is favored for bulk messaging, and has a clean interface with user-friendly analytics.

Pros

Cons

  • Intuitive interface lets you quickly start texting without tutorials
  • Unique Instagram texting feature 
  • Ability to send longer texts (over 455 characters)
  • No mobile app
  • Monthly plans may not be flexible enough for smaller businesses

Top features:

  • Secure SMS payments
  • Unlimited contacts and free incoming messages
  • Messaging analytics
  • Schedule group and single texts
  • Voice services
  • Mass and two-way texting
  • SMS keywords to sign up for campaigns
  • SMS templates

 

Pricing: Starting at $26/month with 500 text messages

 

FAQ about best SMS apps for small businesses

How do I set up text messaging for my business?

To set up text messaging for your business, you’ll first need to choose an SMS app. Consider factors such as pricing, features, and integrations to select the best fit your needs. Next, you’ll need to create an account and provide a payment method. Once you go through a quick setup, you’ll either have to input your own contacts list or start collecting phone numbers from your customers via the SMS tool you chose. Once your recipients are all set, you can start drafting and scheduling your texts.

How can I send mass texts for free for business?

Unfortunately, no apps on the market will allow you to send mass texts for free. However, many SMS service providers (including the ones listed above) offer affordable pricing plans based on the number of messages you send, making them cost-effective options for businesses of all sizes. 

What is the app that sends SMS without needing a phone number?

With YouCanBookMe’s SMS app, you can send text messages without using your personal phone number or purchasing a new one. YouCanBookMe will send your SMS messages for you through a region-specific number based on the recipient’s location. All replies will go directly to your email inbox. 

 

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