A Sling alternative for group messages to your staff
Sling’s free plan is generous: scheduling and one-on-one messaging for up to 30 people. Group announcements are where you start paying — and where app-based delivery matters most.
Where Sling genuinely wins
Free scheduling for up to 30 users, with time-off requests and one-on-one messaging. If you need a schedule app and your team is small, that’s a hard deal to beat. Paid plans add time tracking, labor cost tools, and group messaging at a few dollars per user.
Where it fits badly for announcements
Group messaging is paid, per user. Premium runs about $1.70–$2 per user per month. For 20 people, that’s $34–$40 a month.
It’s in the app. Same as every scheduling tool: the message reaches whoever has the app with notifications on.
Side by side
| Airhorn | Sling | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Texting an employee roster | Scheduling with in-app chat |
| Group announcements | Included | Premium plan, per user |
| How messages arrive | SMS, every phone | In the Sling app |
| 20-employee estimate | $20/mo | ~$34–$40/mo for group messaging |
| Scheduling | No | Yes, free up to 30 users |
Sling figures reflect their published pricing as of October 2026 and may have changed — check their site for current rates before deciding.
Which to choose
Use Sling’s free plan for scheduling regardless. Add Airhorn instead of upgrading if all you’d be upgrading for is group announcements that reach every phone.
Text your whole team at once
Add your team, they reply YES to confirm, and you broadcast from one dashboard. $5/mo plus $0.75 per employee — no contracts.
Free for 7 days and 60 messages — no credit card. Your trial starts when you send your first broadcast, not when you sign up.