SimpleTexting vs Textedly vs EZ Texting: Three-Way SMB Texting Comparison (2026)

SimpleTexting vs Textedly vs EZ Texting is the rare three-way comparison where a single page genuinely helps, because these three sell to the same buyer: the small business that wants to text its customers without hiring a developer. All three offer keyword opt-ins, mass texting, automations, and two-way messaging. All three price in monthly plans with credits. The differences are in the details that determine your actual bill: contact limits, overage rates, telecom fees, and how far automation goes.

This article compares all three side by side on keyword management, automation depth, per-message pricing tiers, contact limits, and the fee fine print.

Entry pricing, with the fine print

SimpleTexting starts at $29/month for 500 credits. The complete entry cost, from the company’s own 2026 materials: $29/month plus $10/month for a registered local number and a $4 one-time carrier registration fee. Extra credits cost 5.5 cents each. Incoming texts are free. Contacts are unlimited on every plan, which is a standout feature: your list can grow without changing your price. Plans scale to 50,000 messages at $899/month, with per-credit costs falling to 2 cents at the top tier. Annual billing earns a 20% discount.

EZ Texting starts at $25/month on the Launch plan: 500 monthly credits, one user, a local number, and support for up to 500 contacts. Annual billing drops it to $20/month. The fine print: a $5/month telecom fee on Launch, and 4-cent overages. The structural catch is the contact-based tiering: pass 500 contacts and the next tier (Boost) jumps to $75/month. For a growing list, that jump is the real price.

Textedly starts at $29/month in third-party roundups, with pricing that scales by message volume rather than contacts. Sources cite an $8/month telecom surcharge. Textedly’s public tier details are thinner than its competitors’, which itself is a data point: confirm the current plans on textedly.com before budgeting.

First-blush winner on entry price: EZ Texting at $25/month ($20 annual). But the contact cap makes it the most expensive of the three for a growing list, which is exactly the trap the fine print sets.

The three-way pricing table

	SimpleTexting	Textedly	EZ Texting
Entry price	$29/mo, 500 credits	$29/mo	$25/mo ($20 annual), 500 credits
Contact limit at entry	Unlimited	Scales by messages	500 contacts
Number fee	$10/mo local + $4 one-time	Confirm	Included on Launch
Telecom fee	Passed through at cost	~$8/mo cited	$5/mo on Launch
Overage rate	5.5c per credit	Confirm	4c per credit
Incoming texts	Free	Confirm	Confirm
Next tier jump	$49/mo (1,000 credits)	Confirm	$75/mo (Boost)
Annual discount	20%	Confirm	~20% ($20/mo)

The table makes the structural difference clear. SimpleTexting charges for messages and lets contacts grow free. EZ Texting charges for both messages and list size, with a steep step at 500 contacts. Textedly’s message-based scaling resembles SimpleTexting’s, but its public details need confirmation.

Keyword management

Keywords (text JOIN to 12345) are the core list-growth mechanic for SMB texting, and all three handle them well.

SimpleTexting offers unlimited keywords on every plan, which is generous: you can run a keyword per campaign, location, or offer without counting. EZ Texting supports keywords with automatic subscriber organization by keyword, plus QR codes and embedded forms for list growth. Its list-growth toolkit is arguably the strongest of the three for a business building a list from scratch. Textedly supports keywords as standard, with fewer distinctive extras reported.

For a business whose plan is “keywords everywhere” (a keyword per store location, per campaign, per event), SimpleTexting’s unlimited keywords remove a constraint. For a business building its first list, EZ Texting’s QR codes and forms are the more useful growth tools.

Automation depth

SimpleTexting offers autoresponders, drip campaigns, and scheduled messaging, with segmentation by link clicks, signup method, area code, and custom fields. Merge fields personalize each text. Reviewers rate its campaign builder as the most polished of the three, with an AI writing assistant included on all plans.

EZ Texting offers automated workflows for appointment reminders, welcome messages, abandoned carts, and after-hours replies, plus AI-assisted message creation and segmentation. Its automation is practical rather than deep: it covers the standard SMB playbook well.

Textedly covers the standard automation set (scheduled sends, autoresponders, drip campaigns) without a distinctive standout feature in third-party coverage.

Judgment: SimpleTexting for campaign builder polish and segmentation depth, EZ Texting for practical workflow coverage, Textedly as a competent third without a signature strength. None of the three approaches the automation depth of an Attentive or Klaviyo, but none of them charges like one either.

Two-way messaging and inbox

All three offer two-way messaging with a shared inbox for managing replies. SimpleTexting runs campaigns and two-way replies from the same dedicated number. EZ Texting’s inbox handles replies alongside broadcasts. These are table stakes in 2026, and all three clear the bar.

Two-way messaging is where the human workload hides. A shared inbox sounds simple until three employees reply to the same customer thread or a keyword opt-in needs a personal follow-up. SimpleTexting’s inbox assigns conversations and keeps reply history on the contact record, which matters once replies exceed a few dozen a day. EZ Texting covers the basics with team access and message templates. Textedly’s inbox is functional without standout team features in third-party coverage. If your use case is mostly broadcast with occasional replies, any of the three works. If you plan real conversations at volume, put the inbox through its paces in the trial: assign a thread, search history, and test how it handles an opt-out mid-conversation.

API and integrations

All three offer APIs and Zapier integrations. SimpleTexting’s API and integration story is the most developed, with reviewers noting strong Zapier and API options for marketing automation. EZ Texting offers an API with AI-assisted segmentation hooks. None of the three is a developer platform; the APIs exist to connect the texting tool to the rest of your stack, not to build products on.

10DLC and compliance

All three handle carrier registration for you as part of onboarding, which is the main reason a small business should prefer these managed platforms over a raw API. SimpleTexting’s $4 one-time carrier registration fee and $10/month local number fee are stated upfront. Expect similar mechanics on the others, and confirm the current fees during trial. For background on what 10DLC registration involves, see our 10DLC cost guide.

Coverage

SimpleTexting is a US and Canada platform. EZ Texting and Textedly are US-focused. If you need international sending, none of these three is the right pick; look at the CPaaS comparisons elsewhere in this cluster instead.

Which should you choose?

Choose SimpleTexting if: you want unlimited contacts so your list can grow without repricing, you value the most polished campaign builder and deepest segmentation of the three, or you want predictable message-based pricing with a 20% annual discount.

Choose EZ Texting if: you want the lowest entry price for a list under 500 contacts at the cited tier ($25/month entry), you are building a list from zero and want the strongest list-growth toolkit (keywords, QR codes, forms), or your contact count will stay under 500 for the foreseeable future.

Choose Textedly if: you are a high-volume sender on a budget and its message-based tiers price your volume best. Confirm the current tiers and the telecom surcharge on textedly.com first, since public details are thin.

The decision shortcut: under 500 contacts and just starting out, EZ Texting has the lowest entry price for a list under 500 contacts at the cited tier. Growing list, message-heavy program, SimpleTexting’s unlimited contacts and falling per-credit rates win. Always trial with a real campaign before committing; all three offer trials.

FAQ

Which has the lowest entry price for a small list?

EZ Texting at $25/month ($20/month billed annually) for 500 credits and 500 contacts, plus a $5/month telecom fee. For a list that will stay small, it has the lowest entry price for a list under 500 contacts at the cited tier. For a growing list, SimpleTexting’s unlimited contacts usually win within months.

What happens when I exceed 500 contacts on EZ Texting?

You move to the Boost tier at $75/month, a 3x jump. This is the most important number in the EZ Texting evaluation for any business with growth plans.

Does SimpleTexting really offer unlimited contacts?

Yes, on every plan, according to the company’s own 2026 materials. Your price changes with message volume, not list size. This is its standout structural advantage.

Which has the best automation?

SimpleTexting, by reviewer consensus: the most polished campaign builder, deepest segmentation (clicks, signup method, area code, custom fields), and an AI writing assistant on all plans. EZ Texting covers the standard SMB automation playbook well.

Do any of these work outside the US?

SimpleTexting covers the US and Canada. EZ Texting and Textedly are US-focused. For international sending, use a CPaaS provider instead.

Which is best for a first-time texter?

EZ Texting for the lowest entry price for a list under 500 contacts at the cited tier and strongest list-growth tools, or SimpleTexting for the most forgiving pricing as you learn (unlimited contacts, free incoming texts, no-card trial). Both are built for non-developers.

The bottom line

SimpleTexting vs Textedly vs EZ Texting comes down to list dynamics. Static small list? EZ Texting’s $25 entry has the lowest entry price for a list under 500 contacts at the cited tier. Growing list? SimpleTexting’s unlimited contacts and message-based pricing win. High message volume on a budget? Price Textedly’s tiers against SimpleTexting’s. The trap to avoid is EZ Texting’s 500-contact cliff: it is the lowest-cost start and the priciest growth. Pick the pricing structure that matches where your list is going, not where it is today. Before you sign, confirm the current entry plans and fees on all three sites, since these managed-platform price cards change more often than the API rate tables do. A two-week trial on your real list will tell you more than any comparison article can.