Best SMS marketing software for consent and quiet hours
7 vendors comparedVendor claims read 2026-10-22
For the owner or marketing lead who sends promotional texts: offers, launches, cart reminders. That is the part of texting where the FCC asks for prior express written consent, and where a sign-up form, a STOP reply or a text at 9:30 p.m. turns into a claim. We read seven platforms' own help centres on 2026-10-22; every status below names the page it came from. Stores on Shopify get their own read in SMS marketing apps for Shopify. Order updates and reminders sit under different rules, set out in TCPA rules for text messages.
Verdict by use case
Best overall
Consent timestamps on every profile and in exports, plain-language opt-out detection on by default, and campaigns checked against each recipient's quiet hours. US texts go out on a verified toll-free number, not 10DLC.
Best for store automations under state hours
Campaigns and automations both wait for the subscriber's waking hours, with Florida, Maryland, Oklahoma and Washington windows built in. No number joins the list without a code or a reply of Y.
Best for keyword and web-form sign-ups
Double opt-in is forced on web forms and popups, and the opt-in statement rides on every confirmation. Opt-Out Intelligence can act on replies that never say STOP.
Seven platforms, eight requirements
The rows follow a subscriber from the sign-up box to the export you would hand a lawyer: the record of the opt-in, the confirmation text, the second step, STOP and HELP, the sending window, the number registration and the consent file. Four platforms here default to toll-free numbers for US texts, which go through carrier verification instead of 10DLC (the trade-off is in 10DLC vs toll-free). "Our pick" marks the best-overall verdict.
| Requirement | Our pickKlaviyo | Attentive | Postscript | Omnisend | SimpleTexting | EZ Texting | SlickText |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Records opt-in with a timestamp and the number | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor |
| Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Check with the vendor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Double opt-in available | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automatically | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Yes |
| HELP auto-reply | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Yes | Check with the vendor | Yes |
| Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-product | No | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Yes | Yes | No |
| Consent records exportable | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor |
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the number
- CTIA asks senders to keep the date, time, number and the words used to secure consent.CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023), 5.1.2
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)
- CTIA lists five things a recurring programme's confirmation text should carry.CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023), 5.1.2.1
- Double opt-in available
- A confirming reply ties the consent to the handset that will receive the texts.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automatically
- The FCC rule names seven reply words and also counts any reply a reasonable person reads as a revocation.47 CFR § 64.1200(a)(10)
- HELP auto-reply
- CTIA's confirmation calls for customer care contact details or HELP instructions.CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023), 5.1.2.1
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zone
- Telephone solicitations are barred before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. local time at the called party's location.47 CFR § 64.1200(c)(1)
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-product
- US carriers route business texts on local numbers through registered brands and campaigns.
- Consent records exportable
- CTIA asks senders to retain every opt-in and opt-out so consent can be shown later.CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023), 5.1.5
What the sign-up box must say
Every platform here ships a sign-up form, and none of them can make its wording compliant for you. This is what a marketing opt-in carries, part by part, and where each part comes from.
Sample sign-up box, unchecked
01 I agree to receive recurring automated marketing text messages from Juniper Bakery 02 at the mobile number provided. 03 Consent is not a condition of purchase. 04 Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. 05 Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel. Terms and Privacy.
- 01
47 CFR § 64.1200(f)(9)(i)(A)
Names the seller and says the texts are marketing, sent with automated technology.
- 02
47 CFR § 64.1200(f)(9)
The agreement has to carry the number the texts will go to.
- 03
47 CFR § 64.1200(f)(9)(i)(B)
The second half of the required disclosure.
- 04
CTIA § 5.1.2.1
Frequency and charges, two of the five items carriers expect around an opt-in.
- 05
CTIA § 5.1.2.1
Customer care and how to opt out; carriers also look for the linked terms and privacy policy.
The checkbox starts empty: Omnisend's forms will not let it be pre-ticked, and Postscript tells merchants never to pre-check one. Ticking it is the signature, because the FCC rule accepts an electronic signature that federal or state contract law recognises (§ 64.1200(f)(9)(ii)). Florida, Maryland and Oklahoma copy the same two-part disclosure into their own consent definitions and name text messages outright. Keywords need the same wording: Klaviyo asks for the disclosure wherever a keyword is shown, and Postscript's compliance guide notes consent can be gathered by keyword. Build your own wording with the opt-in language builder, or read the long version in the written-consent guide.
Quiet hours, state by state
The federal line is 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the recipient's location. Several states close the window at 8 p.m., and a platform that times sends from your office clock, not the subscriber's, misses both. Florida's rules and the other states' are in the state telemarketing laws guide.
| State | Window | Also in the statute | Texts covered? |
|---|---|---|---|
| FloridaFla. Stat. § 501.616(6) | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | No more than three solicitation calls to a person in 24 hours on the same subject. | § 501.616 speaks of phone calls; the FTSA (§ 501.059) counts a text as a telephonic sales call. |
| Oklahoma15 O.S. § 775C.4(A) | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | No more than three solicitation calls to a person in 24 hours on the same subject. | Its written-consent definition names text messages. |
| MarylandMd. Com. Law § 14-4502(c) | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | No more than three solicitations to the same person in 24 hours on the same subject. | Its written-consent definition names text messages. |
| WashingtonRCW 80.36.390(8) | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | A request not to be called again lasts at least one year. | Defines a call as live, artificial or recorded voice; vendors apply it to texts anyway. |
| ConnecticutConn. Gen. Stat. § 42-288a(c) | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Reaches residents and any number with a Connecticut area code. | Its sales-solicitation definition names text or media messages. |
| TexasTex. Bus. & Com. Code § 301.051(b)(2) | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday | Not for calls the consumer asked for, on an unfinished debt or contract, or to an existing business relationship. | Since 1 September 2025 a text counts as a telephone solicitation in the registration chapter (S.B. 140); § 301.051 speaks of calls. |
Statutes read on each legislature's site, 2026-10-22. Federal floor: 47 CFR § 64.1200(c)(1).
The platforms do not agree on the list
Each vendor ships its own idea of which states are stricter. Three of them, from their own help centres:
Attentive
- FL
- OK
- OR
- MD
- WA
- TX
- CT
an optional state switch; journeys only; Connecticut opens at 9 a.m.
Postscript
- FL
- CT
- MD
- OK
- WA
- TX
built in; Texas needs switching on; New Jersey kept to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; its guide opens Connecticut at 8 a.m., an hour before the statute
Klaviyo
- FL
its Florida note advises no sends before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. local
New Jersey and Oregon appear on a vendor list but their statutes were not read for this page, so treat them as open questions for counsel. The state mini-TCPA guide tracks them, and the quiet-hours checker works out the window for one recipient.
Vendor by vendor
Each card repeats the table's rows with the detail from the vendor's own page. Whatever the tool keeps, keep your own copy too: a consent log of your own outlives a platform switch, and the Records guides and tools cover what it should hold. Texting for service, support and one-to-one replies is compared in best text messaging service for business, and texting from inside a sales CRM in the CRM texting comparison. Leaving one of these tools? See Attentive alternatives, SlickText alternatives or EZ Texting alternatives. Other texting comparisons, guides and tools sit in the Texting pillar.
Klaviyo
What it is
An email and SMS marketing platform for online stores. Sign-up forms, subscribe keywords, tap-to-text links and checkout boxes collect SMS consent, and the help centre asks for disclosure language above the submit button.
Who it fits
Stores already sending email from Klaviyo that want texts in the same flows, with US sending on toll-free numbers.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberYes
Each profile shows SMS consent status with a consent timestamp; marketing and transactional consent are kept apart.
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Yes
The default confirmation names the organisation, HELP and STOP, says message and data rates may apply and that frequency varies.
- Double opt-in availableYes
Per list and per keyword. Keywords default to single opt-in; Klaviyo recommends double opt-in for every SMS list.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyYes
All seven FCC words, plus unsubscribe detection that reads replies like "remove me". On by default for US numbers.
- HELP auto-replyYes
HELP and INFO send an editable reply with your contact details.
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneYes
Campaigns check each recipient's profile location and delay or skip; flows go by the phone's area code.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productNo
US sending is a toll-free number verified with the carriers through Klaviyo, or a short code; Klaviyo lists no US long codes.
- Consent records exportableYes
List and segment exports carry SMS consent status and the consent timestamp.
Attentive
What it is
An SMS and email marketing platform for consumer brands, built around on-site sign-up units, welcome journeys and two-way texting, with a state quiet-hours switch.
Who it fits
Consumer brands running high-volume programmes from a dedicated short code.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberYes
Each subscriber profile shows the date Attentive learned of the opt-in and how it was collected.
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Yes
Every text welcome journey opens with a mandatory legal message.
- Double opt-in availableYes
Sign-ups sit as "joined" until the subscriber confirms; uploads can require a reply of Y first.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyNo
Seven opt-out words act at once. Other opt-out phrasing gets a reply asking the subscriber to text STOP, without opting them out.
- HELP auto-replyCheck with the vendor
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneYes
Journeys queue to the subscriber's local time; an optional state switch covers FL, OK, OR, MD, WA, TX and CT. Scheduled campaigns are not held, only flagged.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productCheck with the vendor
Programmes send from short codes; no 10DLC registration appears in the help centre.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
Segment exports carry the number, SMS marketing status and an opt-out flag, with no opt-in date column.
Postscript
What it is
SMS marketing for online stores, with popups, keywords and Shopify checkout as opt-in sources. A number only becomes a subscriber after an on-site code or a reply of Y.
Who it fits
Online stores that want campaigns and automations held to state quiet hours without setting them by hand.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberYes
Each opt-in method creates a consent record, and opt-in and opt-out records are kept after a deletion request.
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Yes
After the reply of Y: "You're subscribed! Reply STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for help." The request text carries the rates line.
- Double opt-in availableYes
Confirmed opt-in (reply Y) or Onsite Opt-in (a code typed on the page). Every subscriber passes one of the two.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyYes
Variations, typos and phrases like "take me off this list" unsubscribe automatically.
- HELP auto-replyCheck with the vendor
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneYes
Campaigns and automations wait for waking hours in the subscriber's time zone, with stricter state windows built in. Texas must be switched on.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productCheck with the vendor
Each shop gets a toll-free number on install and Postscript runs its verification; no 10DLC registration appears in the help centre.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
Omnisend
What it is
An email and SMS marketing platform for Shopify and WooCommerce stores. Its sign-up forms add the consent text when the legal block is on, and US sending needs a verified toll-free number.
Who it fits
Smaller stores that want quiet hours and frequency caps on by default and are content with single opt-in for texts.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberYes
Each contact carries SMS consent and an SMS opt-in date.
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Check with the vendor
- Double opt-in availableNo
Double opt-in is email only; SMS sign-ups are single opt-in.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyYes
For US traffic, keyword matching plus AI intent detection that reads replies like "Remove me from your list"; both unsubscribe at once.
- HELP auto-replyCheck with the vendor
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneYes
On by default, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., worked out per recipient's time zone; editable by day.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productCheck with the vendor
US sending is a toll-free number verified from Store settings (about 5 business days); short codes on request.
- Consent records exportableYes
The contacts CSV includes SMS consent, SMS opt-in date and SMS opt-out date.
SimpleTexting
What it is
A texting platform for small businesses: keywords, web sign-up forms, campaigns and a shared inbox. The first message to a new contact is a standalone compliance text.
Who it fits
Local businesses that grow a list with keywords and want 10DLC registration done inside the account.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberYes
Contacts carry an opt-in date and an opt-in source (keyword or web form) that segments can filter on.
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Yes
A standalone compliance text on first contact: business name, STOP, HELP and the rates line.
- Double opt-in availableYes
A keyword can send a confirmation that the contact answers Y or N.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyCheck with the vendor
STOP unsubscribes automatically; other wording is not covered in the help centre.
- HELP auto-replyYes
A system HELP reply with your company number; it cannot be edited.
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneNo
Delivery windows exist on autoresponders, but they follow the account's time zone, not each recipient's.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productYes
Local numbers are registered with The Campaign Registry from the account.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
List exports carry contact fields and the message history, with no opt-in date column named.
EZ Texting
What it is
A text marketing platform for small and mid businesses, with keywords, campaigns, workflows and an opt-out tool it calls SafeSTOP.
Who it fits
Teams that want keyword disclosures sent for them and a guided 10DLC application.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberCheck with the vendor
Its FAQ says keywords and web sign-up forms create the documented opt-in record carriers and the TCPA require; the fields kept (time, number) are not listed.
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Yes
Keyword opt-ins get the required disclosures on content and frequency automatically.
- Double opt-in availableYes
Available to every account.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyCheck with the vendor
STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END and QUIT remove a contact automatically; its help pages list the words differently, and other wording is opted out by hand.
- HELP auto-replyCheck with the vendor
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneNo
Scheduled messages go out on the time zone set on the account, not the recipient's; the FAQ advises 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the recipient's time zone.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productYes
An A2P 10DLC application workflow inside the product.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
SlickText
What it is
A texting platform for small businesses with keywords, popups, web forms and a compliance page that holds the pre-opt-in statement, the opt-in statement, and the opt-out and HELP texts.
Who it fits
Shops, gyms and restaurants that collect sign-ups on a website or by keyword and want double opt-in forced on web forms.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberCheck with the vendor
Contacts carry an opt-in status and a source (keyword, import or manual).
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Yes
An opt-in compliance statement is appended to every opt-in auto-response.
- Double opt-in availableYes
Forced on web forms and popups; can be switched on for keywords and imports.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyYes
Seven words always opt out. Opt-Out Intelligence reads other replies and can opt the contact out, once set to do so.
- HELP auto-replyYes
HELP returns a non-editable reply with your website and email.
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneNo
Scheduled campaigns deliver on the time zone of the SlickText account, not the recipient's.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productNo
Toll-free numbers are registered in the app; a 10DLC number goes through your SlickText representative or support.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
How we read the claims
Questions buyers ask
Do marketing texts need written consent?
The FCC rule bars a call that includes an advertisement or is telemarketing, sent with an autodialer or an artificial or prerecorded voice, without the recipient's prior express written consent (47 CFR § 64.1200(a)(2)); the same section's revocation rule names text messages alongside calls. Whether a given platform counts as an autodialer is argued case by case, so every platform here asks for written consent anyway, and Florida, Maryland and Oklahoma write text messages into their own consent rules. The stakes: $500 per call or text, up to three times that ($1,500) if the court finds the violation willful or knowing.
What hours can marketing texts go out?
The federal rule bars telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. at the recipient's location (47 CFR § 64.1200(c)(1)). Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland, Washington and Connecticut stop at 8 p.m.; Connecticut also starts at 9 a.m., Texas runs 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with Sundays from noon, and Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland cap solicitations at three per person in 24 hours on the same subject. Sending between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. in the recipient's time zone, Monday to Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday clears every state rule on this page.
Is double opt-in required for SMS marketing?
The FCC's written-consent definition does not mention it. Klaviyo says carriers often require it and makes it a condition for US abandoned-cart texts; Omnisend offers single opt-in only for SMS and says the TCPA does not require double opt-in. A confirming reply or code does tie the consent to the handset that receives the texts, which is the record you want if a number turns out to belong to someone else.
A subscriber replied "please stop texting me". Do we have to treat that as STOP?
Treat it as one. The rule in force lets people revoke consent by any reasonable method, names stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel and unsubscribe, and gives the sender no more than ten business days; one confirmation text sent within five minutes is presumed allowed. Klaviyo and Postscript act on that kind of reply automatically, SlickText does once Opt-Out Intelligence is set to opt contacts out, and Attentive replies asking the subscriber to text STOP. A newer FCC order (FCC 26-67) would let senders name one exclusive revocation method, but it is adopted and not yet in effect: it starts 30 days after Federal Register publication, which had not happened by 2026-10-22.
Can we take our subscriber list to another platform?
Only with its consent records. Klaviyo's migration guide recommends exporting each contact's phone number and SMS consent timestamp; Omnisend's contact export carries the SMS opt-in and opt-out dates; Attentive's segment export gives the status but no opt-in date, and warns that it may include opted-out numbers and known litigators. Postscript asks you to certify that any uploaded list was collected in a TCPA-compliant way. Ask for the opt-in date, source and wording per number before you sign.
What does Florida's law add for texts?
Florida's FTSA counts a text message as a telephonic sales call (Fla. Stat. § 501.059). Separately, Florida ends commercial telephone solicitation phone calls at 8 p.m. in the called person's time zone and allows no more than three on the same subject in 24 hours (§ 501.616(6)); that section speaks of phone calls, so whether it reaches texts is a question for counsel, and most texting platforms apply it to texts. Before suing over text solicitations, the recipient must first reply STOP; the sender then has 15 days to stop texting, and a single text confirming the request is allowed (§ 501.059(10)(c)).
Sources
- CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023), 5.1.2fetched 2026-10-22
- 47 CFR § 64.1200(a)(10)fetched 2026-10-22
- 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3) (private right of action)fetched 2026-10-22
- FCC 26-67, consent revocation order (adopted 30 September 2026)fetched 2026-10-22
- Florida Statutes § 501.616 (2026)fetched 2026-10-22
- Florida Statutes § 501.059 (2026)fetched 2026-10-22
- Oklahoma Enrolled House Bill 3168 (2022), 15 O.S. § 775C.4fetched 2026-10-22
- Maryland Commercial Law § 14-4502fetched 2026-10-22
- Maryland Commercial Law § 14-4501fetched 2026-10-22
- RCW 80.36.390 (Washington)fetched 2026-10-22
- Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-284, 42-288a (chapter 743m)fetched 2026-10-22
- Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 301.051fetched 2026-10-22
- Texas S.B. 140, 89th Legislature (enrolled)fetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: Understanding Florida's mini-TCPAfetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: How to migrate off of Klaviyofetched 2026-10-22
- Postscript: SMS marketing compliance overviewfetched 2026-10-22
- SlickText: Tools to help you stay compliantfetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: Understanding consent in profilesfetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: Understanding your Text message settingsfetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: Understanding the double opt-in processfetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: April 11 SMS opt-out compliance changefetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: Quiet hours in campaignsfetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: Understanding SMS sending numbersfetched 2026-10-22
- Klaviyo: How to export a list or segment to a CSV filefetched 2026-10-22
- Attentive: Subscriber profile termsfetched 2026-10-22
- Attentive: Create a welcome journeyfetched 2026-10-22
- Attentive: Subscriber list uploadsfetched 2026-10-22
- Attentive: Fuzzy opt-outsfetched 2026-10-22
- Attentive: Quiet hoursfetched 2026-10-22
- Postscript: Managing data subject requestsfetched 2026-10-22
- Postscript: Understanding Onsite Opt-in and Confirmed Opt-infetched 2026-10-22
- Postscript: Subscriber opt-out compliancefetched 2026-10-22
- Postscript: Guide to quiet hoursfetched 2026-10-22
- Omnisend: Export contacts to a filefetched 2026-10-22
- Omnisend: Understand SMS opt-in methodsfetched 2026-10-22
- Omnisend: Compliance: meet TCPA requirements for SMS marketing in US/CAfetched 2026-10-22
- Omnisend: Manage SMS sending limits, frequency and quiet hoursfetched 2026-10-22
- SimpleTexting: Creating audience segmentsfetched 2026-10-22
- SimpleTexting: Free compliance messagefetched 2026-10-22
- SimpleTexting: Setting up a keywordfetched 2026-10-22
- SimpleTexting: What is a HELP response?fetched 2026-10-22
- SimpleTexting: Adding delivery windows to autorespondersfetched 2026-10-22
- SimpleTexting: How to register your local numberfetched 2026-10-22
- EZ Texting: Text marketing compliance (SafeSTOP)fetched 2026-10-22
- EZ Texting help: How to send a text broadcastfetched 2026-10-22
- EZ Texting: A2P and 10DLC number registrationsfetched 2026-10-22
- SlickText: Send or schedule mass text messagesfetched 2026-10-22
- SlickText: Obtaining and registering a sending numberfetched 2026-10-22