Small businesses do not need the most powerful SMS chatbot platform. They need the one that starts working this week, costs a predictable amount, and does not get them into compliance trouble. Enterprise platforms like Attentive will happily sell you a managed program at thousands a month. Most small teams would be better served by a $25 to $50 a month tool they actually understand.
This list is built for teams of one to twenty, no developers on staff, and a real phone number customers can text. Every pick below was checked on September 28, 2026. Pricing changes often in this category, so treat the numbers as a snapshot and confirm them on the vendor’s site before you commit.
How we ranked these
Small business buyers care about different things than enterprises, so the criteria reflect that:
- Setup speed: can a non-technical owner get a working bot live in a day?
- Trial or free entry: can you test with real messages before paying?
- Number provisioning: does the platform give you a business number, or do you bring your own?
- AI replies: real conversational AI versus keyword matching labeled as AI.
- Compliance help: consent tools, STOP handling, and 10DLC guidance built in.
- Predictable cost: published pricing with no surprise surcharges.
The short version
| Platform | Starting price | Trial | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| SimpleTexting | $29/mo | 14 days, 50 messages | Best all-rounder for SMBs |
| Salesmsg | $25/mo | 14 days, no card | Best AI agents and CRM sync |
| Textedly | Free, then $29/mo | Free account, 50 messages | Simplest keyword automation |
| EZ Texting | $25/mo ($20 annual) | 30 days, 120 credits | Best trial, easy workflows |
| Heymarket | $24/user/mo | 14 days | Best shared team inbox |
| ManyChat | Free, paid from $17/mo | Free tier | Best for social plus SMS |
1. SimpleTexting: the best all-rounder for small businesses
SimpleTexting is the safest default pick on this list. It is owned by Sinch, which gives it real infrastructure behind a simple interface, and it is built around exactly what small businesses do with texting: keyword opt-ins, auto-replies, drip campaigns, and two-way conversations.
Plans start at $29 a month for 500 message credits on a toll-free number, with a 14-day trial that includes 50 test messages. Want a local number instead? That adds $10 a month plus a $4 one-time toll-free registration fee, per the vendor’s own breakdown. Credits roll over if you do not use them, which is kinder than most competitors.
The feature set is honest rather than flashy: unlimited keywords, scheduled messages, auto-replies, segments, an AI message-writing assistant, and API access for the day you hire a developer. It also ships real 10DLC registration guidance, which matters because unregistered US business texting gets filtered. The main watch-out is carrier fees, which can apply on top of the subscription depending on your setup. If you want one tool that does the standard small business playbook well, start here.
2. Salesmsg: the best AI agents for sales teams
Salesmsg starts at $25 a month for the Basic plan (one seat, one number included, extra seats $10, extra numbers $5), with a 14-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Texting runs on a credit pool shared with voice features, so one budget covers your calls and texts.
What puts it on this list is the AI. Salesmsg’s AI Agents 2.0 handle inbound replies, lead qualification, and even booking, and its AI Booking Agent is built for appointment-based businesses. That is a step beyond the AI writing assistants most competitors offer, which only help you draft messages. It also carries TCPA and 10DLC compliance tooling plus HIPAA alignment, and its native HubSpot and Salesforce sync keeps conversations attached to contact records automatically.
The catch: the AI agent features sit toward the higher tiers, with Pro at $277 a month. Basic is a solid texting plan, but if you are buying Salesmsg for the AI agents, confirm which tier includes what you need before you sign up. Best fit: small sales or service teams that live in their CRM and want the bot to qualify and book while they work.
3. Textedly: the simplest way to start
Textedly wins on simplicity and on having a genuinely free tier. The free account gives you 50 messages and one custom keyword with no credit card and no time limit. Paid plans start at $29 a month for 500 messages, and every plan includes drip campaigns and conversation triggers.
Annual billing gets you 20 percent more messages instead of a discount, which is a nice touch. Two things to know before you commit: an $8 per month telecom surcharge applies on every plan, and the public API is still listed as coming soon, so this is not the pick if you plan to integrate deeply later.
Textedly is ideal for the business that wants one thing: customers text a keyword to a number and get an automated sequence back. Restaurants announcing specials, gyms running promotions, shops collecting SMS subscribers at checkout. If your needs grow into branching lead qualification flows, you will outgrow it, but you will outgrow it cheaply.
4. EZ Texting: the best trial and the easiest workflows
EZ Texting offers one of the most generous trials in the category: 30 days with 120 credits and no credit card required. The Launch plan is $25 a month (or $20 a month billed annually) with 500 monthly credits, unlimited incoming messages, contacts, and keywords. Stepping up to Boost at $75 a month unlocks workflow automation for drip sequences and triggered replies.
It ships AI Compose for drafting messages and AI Reply on higher tiers, plus the standard compliance helpers: opt-out management, 10DLC support, and quiet hour awareness. One pricing wrinkle: the Launch plan carries a $5 per month telecom fee on top of the subscription, so the real entry cost is $30 a month, not $25.
EZ Texting suits the owner who wants to try before buying with real message volume, and who wants visual workflows without learning a developer tool. The unlimited contacts and keywords on every tier also make it friendly to businesses building a big list on a small budget.
5. Heymarket: the best shared inbox for teams
Heymarket is built for teams that text customers together. Instead of messages living on one person’s phone, the whole team works from a shared inbox with assignments, internal notes, and conversation history. Pricing starts around $24 per user per month on the Standard plan, with Plus at $49 and Pro at $75 adding AI tools and deeper administration. Messages are billed separately from the seat price, so confirm the per-message rate for your volume.
The AI story is solid: AI Essentials on the Plus tier and above help draft replies and summarize conversations, and the platform integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zapier. Automations handle keyword responses and routing, and a 14-day trial lets you test the inbox with your team.
The honest trade-off: per-user pricing plus separate message charges makes it the priciest pick here once your team grows past a few seats. But if three or more people handle customer texts and you need support automation with a human handoff, the shared inbox model is worth it.
6. ManyChat: the best if social media is half your business
ManyChat is the odd one out here because it is really a social automation platform with SMS attached. The free tier gives you 25 active contacts across 2 channels, and SMS unlocks at the Pro tier ($39 a month, or $29 billed annually, with 2,500 contacts and ManyChat AI).
Why include it for small business? If your customers find you on Instagram, the comment-to-DM automation plus SMS follow-up is a genuinely effective combo that none of the SMS-native tools do as well. The visual flow builder is excellent, and the AI replies on Pro handle open-ended questions.
The billing model needs attention: you pay per active contact per month, not per message, and SMS carrier fees sit on top. A business with a big quiet list that sends one monthly broadcast will pay for every contact reached. It is the right pick for creators, coaches, and retailers with engaged social audiences. It is the wrong pick for a plumber who just wants appointment reminders.
What “AI” actually means on these plans
Vendors use “AI” loosely, so here is the honest breakdown. AI writing assistants (SimpleTexting, EZ Texting’s AI Compose) help you draft messages faster; they do not talk to customers. AI reply suggestions (Heymarket, EZ Texting’s AI Reply) propose responses a human approves. True conversational AI (Salesmsg’s AI agents, ManyChat AI, Textedly’s triggers are not this) actually holds the conversation, qualifies the lead, and books the appointment. Buy the level you need. A pizza shop does not need an AI agent. A dental clinic with a busy front desk might.
The compliance basics every small business must get right
This is the part nobody wants to read and everybody needs to. In the US, you need express consent before sending marketing texts, you must honor STOP requests immediately, and you must register for 10DLC before sending application-to-person messages from a business number. Every platform on this list helps with pieces of this (opt-out handling, quiet hours, registration guidance), but none of them make you compliant automatically. Read our guides on TCPA consent and opt-out keywords before you launch your first campaign. This is general information, not legal advice.
Want this set up for you?
I build SMS chatbots and API integrations for businesses. If you would like what this guide describes, done for you, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest SMS chatbot platform for a small business?
Textedly’s free account (50 messages, one keyword) is the cheapest way to start, and its $29 a month plan is competitive. Salesmsg at $25 a month and EZ Texting at $20 a month annually are the cheapest paid entries. Remember to add telecom surcharges ($5 to $8 a month on some plans) and carrier fees to the real total.
Do I need a developer to set up an SMS chatbot?
No. Every platform on this list is built for non-technical owners. SimpleTexting, Textedly, and EZ Texting can be running keyword auto-replies within an hour. You only need a developer if you want custom integrations with your own systems.
Can customers reply to the automated texts?
Yes, on all six platforms. Two-way messaging is standard. The difference is what happens with the reply: basic plans notify you or run keyword triggers, while AI tiers (Salesmsg, ManyChat Pro, Heymarket Plus) can draft or send the response automatically.
Which platform is best for appointment reminders?
Salesmsg’s AI Booking Agent is purpose-built for this, and SimpleTexting’s drip campaigns handle reminder sequences well. For pure reminders rather than conversational booking, see our guide to AI SMS appointment reminders.
How do I avoid getting my business texts marked as spam?
Get explicit opt-in consent, identify your business in every message, honor STOP requests immediately, complete 10DLC registration, and respect quiet hours (no texts before 8am or after 9pm in the recipient’s timezone). Our 10DLC guide covers the registration process.
Can I switch platforms later without losing my number?
Usually yes. US business numbers (toll-free and local) can generally be ported between providers, though the process takes days to weeks and may involve fees. Keep your contact list exported and your consent records backed up regardless of which platform you choose.