The cheapest way to text a group of people
The cheapest way to text a group depends on two things: how many people are in it, and who they are. For a lot of groups the honest answer is free. Here’s how to tell where you land.
Start with who you’re texting
| Your group | Cheapest good option | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Friends, family, a club under ~10 | Group text | Free |
| A club or community that uses WhatsApp | WhatsApp group or Broadcast list | Free |
| Volunteers, parents, a congregation | Text-Em-All pay-as-you-go, or a free group app | Free, or cents per message |
| Your employees, 10–100 | A staff broadcast tool like Airhorn | $5/mo + $0.75 per employee |
| Customers or a marketing list | An SMS marketing platform’s entry plan | ~$25–$39/mo |
| Thousands of people, with a developer | A messaging API like Twilio | Under 2¢ per text, plus fees |
Third-party prices reflect each company’s published pricing as of October 2026 and change often — check their sites before deciding.
When free is the right answer
For small groups of people who know each other, don’t pay for anything. A group text, a WhatsApp group, or GroupMe all cost nothing. They get noisy as they grow, but noise isn’t a cost. Free ways to send a mass text.
When free stops being cheap
- When delivery matters. Mass texts from a personal phone get filtered by carriers, silently. If a missed message costs you a no-show, free got expensive.
- When privacy matters. A group text gives every member every other member’s number.
- When you need replies sorted. Reply-all noise makes people mute the thread.
Watch the floor price, not the per-message price
SMS marketing plans advertise low per-message rates, but most have a monthly floor of $25–$39 built for lists of hundreds or thousands. If you’re texting fifteen people twice a week, the floor is the entire cost. For a small list, the cheapest plan is the one with the lowest minimum. More on small-list pricing.
For employees specifically
Airhorn charges per confirmed employee instead of per message or per contact tier, so a small team pays a small bill:
It’s only for texting staff who’ve opted in — not customers, members, or the public. If that’s not your group, one of the other options above will be cheaper and better suited.
Texting your staff? Start free
Seven days and 60 messages with no credit card. After that, $5/mo plus $0.75 per employee — about $12.50 for a team of ten.
Free for 7 days and 60 messages — no credit card. Your trial starts when you send your first broadcast, not when you sign up.