Marketing Strategy
SMS Marketing Platforms for Small Business Compared
On the vendors' own pricing pages, opened on 2026-11-11, entry plans for a small list cluster around the same allowance: 500 message credits. EZ Texting Launch starts at $20 a month on annual billing or $25 monthly. SimpleTexting shows $39 a month with a local number, and SlickText shows $29 per month. Fees, overage rates and billing terms are what separate them.
$20→
EZ Texting Launch, annual billing
EZ Texting pricing page
Assumption
$39→
SimpleTexting entry, local number
SimpleTexting pricing page, monthly estimate
$29→
SlickText entry plan
SlickText pricing page, 500 credits
1 vs 3→
Credits per SMS vs MMS
EZ Texting pricing page
See Sources at the end of the article. Cards marked Assumption are examples, not results.
What do SMS marketing platforms charge at entry level?
The table below uses each vendor's own pricing page as the primary source. Prices were read on 2026-11-11 and can change, so confirm them at checkout. Monthly and annual billing are kept apart, and no prices are averaged.
| Platform | Entry price | Included | Extra fees and terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EZ Texting Launch | $25/mo on monthly plans; $20/mo billed annually | Local textable number; up to 500 contacts; 500 monthly credits (monthly plan) or 6,000 yearly credits (annual plan); 1 user | Overage $0.04 per credit; subject to telecom fee; carrier pass-through fees billed separately; sales tax where applicable | Setup within 1 business day |
| EZ Texting Boost | $75/mo monthly; $60/mo billed annually | 500 to 2,000 contacts; same credit allowance | Overage $0.035; telecom fee waived | Price rises with list size |
| SimpleTexting | Estimated $39/mo with local number (page also shows "billed yearly at $398.40") | 500 credits ($29) plus local number ($10) | Extra credits 5.5 cents each; $4 one-time carrier registration; additional carrier fees apply | Same-day local number activation; no contracts |
| SlickText | $29 per month | 500 credits per month; all tools in every plan | Overage rate not listed on the pricing page when checked | Pay yearly for 2 months free; free trial without a credit card |
Two details deserve a second look. SimpleTexting's page shows a $39 monthly estimate and a $398.40 annual figure, and the two do not reduce to one clean monthly number. SlickText's page has a monthly and yearly toggle, so the billing interval behind the $29 should be checked on screen.
How is cost per message calculated?
Divide what is paid by the credits used. One credit buys one SMS of up to 160 characters on EZ Texting, and an MMS costs 3 credits. A secondary source says SimpleTexting counts an MMS as 3 credits and a 306-character message as 2 (secondary).
Arithmetic from vendor figures, assuming every credit is used and ignoring carrier fees:
- EZ Texting Launch, annual billing: $20 for 500 credits a month (6,000 a year) is 4.0 cents per credit.
- EZ Texting Launch, monthly billing: $25 for 500 credits is 5.0 cents.
- SimpleTexting with local number: $39 for 500 credits is 7.8 cents.
- SlickText: $29 for 500 credits is 5.8 cents.
A secondary comparison lists SimpleTexting tiers at 500 credits for $29, 1,000 for $49 and 2,000 for $79 (secondary). That works out to 5.8, 4.9 and 4.0 cents. It conflicts with the vendor page, which shows $39 once a local number is added, so the vendor figure is the one to budget with.
Credits left unused still cost money, so the real cost per delivered message is higher than these numbers whenever a month runs below the allowance.
Why do contact-based and credit-based pricing behave differently?
EZ Texting sorts plans by list size: Launch for up to 500 contacts, Boost for 500 to 2,000, Scale for 2,000 to 50,000. The credit allowance printed on each plan does not change between tiers, so a larger list raises the price without adding messages. Overage rates do fall, from $0.04 to $0.035 to $0.03.
SimpleTexting's page frames price around credits and a number type. A secondary comparison states that contacts are unlimited on every tier (secondary). That makes it a different shape of bill: send volume moves the price, list size does not.
For a salon with 300 contacts, either structure fits. For a coffee shop that expects its list to pass 500 within months, the next EZ Texting tier is worth pricing now. For a studio texting a small list often, the credit count matters more than the contact count.
SlickText states that every plan includes all tools, which removes feature gating as a variable.
Do third-party roundups agree with vendor pages?
Partly. A cost-comparison site lists SimpleTexting at $39 a month and EZTexting at $25 a month (secondary), matching the local-number and monthly-billing figures above. The same page reports SMS software ranging from free to $3K a month, with an average of $341 across 12 tools and 4 of 19 tools offering free tiers (secondary).
That average includes enterprise and e-commerce platforms priced at $200 to $500 a month and up, such as Recart and Attentive, so it says little about a local shop's likely bill. The roundup is a map of the market, not a budget.
Some listings show a "Free" starting price for tools like Omnisend SMS and Klaviyo SMS (secondary). Those are tied to email or e-commerce stacks, and a free tier does not remove per-message charges.
Where a roundup and a vendor page disagree, the vendor page wins for pricing and the roundup is useful only for scanning options. Publication dates matter too: the comparison used for credit tiers above was published on 2026-08-20 (secondary).
What do consent and opt-out rules require?
This section summarizes what the sources state and is not legal advice. A lawyer should review the sign-up flow before the first send.
The FCC says its rules ban texts sent to a mobile phone using an autodialer unless the phone owner previously gave consent. It adds that commercial texts require written consent, while consent for informational texts may be oral. Elsewhere it describes written consent as available on paper or electronically, including website forms.
On opting out, the FCC states that a person may opt out of any robocall or robotext at any time and in any reasonable manner, even after consenting. It also says its rules apply even if the number is not on the National Do Not Call Registry.
CTIA publishes Messaging Principles and Best Practices for the wireless industry. Read the current document directly before launch, because platform and carrier registration rules build on it.
One practical consequence follows from the FCC wording: a phone list gathered only for appointment booking may not carry written consent to receive marketing texts. Platforms such as EZ Texting list double opt-in, keywords, QR codes and sign-up forms as tools for building a consented audience.
What would a 300-contact salon pay in the first year?
Inputs below are assumptions, chosen to test the pricing, not a forecast.
- Contacts: 300, all with documented written consent (assumption).
- Sends: 2 SMS campaigns a month, each 160 characters or less, to every contact (assumption).
- Credits needed: 300 x 2 = 600 per month, or 7,200 per year.
- Excluded: carrier pass-through fees, telecom fees and sales tax, which the vendors state are billed separately or vary.
| Option | Calculation | Year-one cost | Cents per credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| EZ Texting, annual billing | $240 plan + 1,200 over 6,000 credits x $0.04 = $48 | $288 | 4.0 |
| EZ Texting, monthly billing | ($25 + 100 over 500 x $0.04 = $4) x 12 | $348 | 4.8 |
| SimpleTexting, $39 monthly estimate | ($39 + 100 x $0.055 = $5.50) x 12 + $4 registration | $538 | 7.5 |
| SimpleTexting, $398.40 yearly figure | $398.40 + 1,200 x $0.055 = $66 + $4 registration | $468.40 | 6.5 |
| SlickText | $29 per month covers 500 credits; overage rate not shown | Not computable | Not computable |
The SimpleTexting yearly row assumes the $398.40 covers the 500-credit local-number bundle and that the 5.5-cent rate applies to extra credits. Verify both at checkout.
At an assumed $60 average service ticket, the lowest total above ($24 a month on average) equals 0.4 of one booking. The bigger lever is message type. If one monthly campaign becomes an MMS at 3 credits, usage rises from 600 to 1,200 credits a month.
For SlickText, the missing figure is the price of credits beyond 500, so that question belongs in a pre-purchase email. Platforms are not ranked here because the answer shifts with list size, send frequency and billing term.
How should the first two weeks look?
The sources document some timing: EZ Texting says setup takes within 1 business day for Launch, Boost and Scale, and SimpleTexting describes same-day activation for a local number. Carrier registration approval time is not stated in them, so the plan keeps slack. A dedicated short code, listed only on EZ Texting's Enterprise plan, takes 4 to 12 weeks and is out of scope for a small list.
Week 1: decide and prepare
- Day 1: count contacts that have given written consent to marketing texts, and set aside those that have not.
- Day 2: export the list from the booking or point-of-sale system. The salon booking system guide and the Booksy, Vagaro and Fresha comparison cover where those contact records live.
- Day 3: ask two or three vendors for current overage rates, carrier fees and billing terms in writing.
- Day 4: choose the number type and billing term. Annual billing lowers the monthly rate but commits cash up front.
- Day 5: create the account and submit carrier registration.
Week 2: build and send
- Day 8: write the sign-up wording and the opt-out reply. Check them against the FCC points above.
- Day 9: add a sign-up form, QR code or keyword at the counter and on the booking page.
- Day 10: send a test to staff phones and confirm the opt-out works.
- Day 11: load the consented list and build one segment.
- Day 12: schedule a first message of 160 characters or less, as a lapsed-client offer (reactivation campaign ideas).
- Day 14: review credits used, replies and opt-outs before scheduling a second send.
How should a buyer choose without a winner?
Three questions settle most cases. Will the list pass 500 contacts this year? How many credits will campaigns and reminders use in a month? Does the business prefer annual commitment or month-to-month terms?
Text and email also split work differently, which the SMS versus email comparison covers. Email ideas that can share the same offer are in the email campaign list, and the holiday email guide helps with seasonal timing.
Pricing around Black Friday and Cyber Monday can include promotions. One vendor page shows a new-customer discount on the first month, but how long it runs is not documented. Ask for current rates and the end date rather than waiting.
FAQ
Is a free SMS marketing plan really free?
Some tools list a free starting tier in a third-party roundup (secondary), and SlickText offers a free trial without a credit card. Free trials and free tiers are not the same as free ongoing sending. Ask what each message costs after the trial and what carrier fees apply.
Are carrier fees included in the plan price?
Not in the pages checked. EZ Texting says carrier pass-through fees are billed separately by exact usage, and SimpleTexting shows a $4 one-time registration and "additional carrier fees apply". Add them to any budget.
Can texts go to customers who only gave a phone number to book?
The FCC says commercial texts require written consent. A booking phone number alone may not meet that standard, so collect explicit opt-in. This is not legal advice, and a lawyer should review the flow.
What happens if monthly sends exceed the included credits?
On EZ Texting, overage is $0.04 per credit on Launch, $0.035 on Boost and $0.03 on Scale. SimpleTexting shows extra credits at 5.5 cents each. SlickText's overage rate was not listed on its pricing page when checked, so confirm it first.
Sources
- SimpleTexting pricing: vendor page
- EZ Texting pricing: vendor page
- SlickText pricing: vendor page
- SimpleTexting vs EZ Texting (2026): affiliate comparison (secondary)
- Costbench SMS marketing software comparison: third-party roundup (secondary)
- FCC: Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts
- CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices
A text list works best when it feeds a bigger local plan. For a review of how texting, search and ads fit together for a specific shop, request a free audit.
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Nataliia Rumiantsewa
Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.
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