Best text messaging service for business, read for consent
7 vendors comparedVendor claims read 2026-10-22
For the owner or ops lead choosing texting software for a team that messages customers: which tool keeps the opt-in on record, answers STOP and HELP for you, holds messages outside the recipient's waking hours and gets your number registered with the carriers. We read seven services' own help centres on 2026-10-22; every status names the page it came from. If the same number also takes calls, the OpenPhone (Quo) alternatives page reads business phone systems that text.
Verdict by use case
Best overall
The only tool here whose documentation covers all five of quiet hours by each contact's time zone, typo-proof STOP handling, double opt-in, in-app 10DLC and an export by opt-in status. Check that every workflow and broadcast has its Quiet Hours toggle on.
Best for SMS marketing lists
An AI reader opts out people who write "please stop" instead of STOP, forms force double opt-in, and HELP and opt-in replies come with compliance text built in. Campaigns schedule on the account's clock, so set send times for your earliest time zone.
Best for proving consent
Its consent request asks for YES before the first message and keeps the date and time of the answer on the contact. Opt-outs are keyword-only, so agents must catch sentences by hand.
Seven services, eight requirements
The rows are the texting rules a business acts on every week: the CTIA's consent and confirmation guidance, the FCC's revocation rule, the 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window and the carriers' 10DLC registration. "Our pick" marks the best-overall verdict.
Most cells read "Check with the vendor" for one reason: a help centre that does not describe a feature does not prove the feature is missing. Ask for it in writing before you sign. The wording you collect consent with is a separate job; the opt-in language builder drafts it.
| Requirement | Our pickSalesmsg | SlickText | Textline | Heymarket | SimpleTexting | EZ Texting | Textedly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Records opt-in with a timestamp and the number | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Yes | Check with the vendor | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor |
| Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates) | Check with the vendor | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automatically | Check with the vendor | Yes | No | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor |
| HELP auto-reply | Check with the vendor | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor |
| Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zone | Yes | No | Check with the vendor | Yes | No | No | Check with the vendor |
| 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-product | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Consent records exportable | Yes | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor |
| Double opt-in available | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
- 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
- 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
- Double opt-in available
- A confirming reply ties the consent to the handset that will receive the texts.
The words that opt people out
The FCC rule names seven reply words that revoke consent on their face. Each tool publishes its own list of keywords that opt a contact out automatically, and the two lists do not match.
| Reply | Salesmsg | SlickText | Textline | Heymarket | SimpleTexting | EZ Texting | Textedly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "stop" | Listed | Listed | Listed | Listed | Listed | Listed | Not stated |
| "quit" | Listed | Listed | Listed | Listed | Not stated | Listed | Not stated |
| "end" | Listed | Listed | Listed | Listed | Not stated | Listed | Not stated |
| "revoke" | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not stated | Not listed | Not stated |
| "opt out" | Not listed | Listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not stated | Listed | Not stated |
| "cancel" | Listed | Listed | Listed | Listed | Not stated | Listed | Not stated |
| "unsubscribe" | Listed | Listed | Listed | Listed | Not stated | Listed | Not stated |
| A typo ("stoppp") | Toggle | AI setting | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| A sentence ("please stop texting me") | Not stated | AI setting | By hand | By hand | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Listed = on the vendor's published automatic opt-out list. Not stated = the vendor publishes no full list. Toggle and AI setting = caught once a setting is on. By hand = the help centre says an agent opts the contact out. Read 2026-10-22.
No published list here includes "revoke", and only SlickText's and EZ Texting's include "opt out". Both are words the FCC rule treats as a revocation on their face, and a reply that does not trip a keyword still has to be honoured within 10 business days.
Test it before the first send
- From a staff phone, text each of the seven words to your new number, one at a time, re-joining between tests.
- Text a typo and one plain sentence. Note which ones opt the phone out without anyone touching the inbox.
- Ask the vendor whether you can add "revoke" and "opt out" as opt-out keywords; if not, write an inbox rule that someone checks daily.
- Keep the test texts and the date: they are part of your record that the process works.
The full keyword picture, carrier words included, is in the opt-out keywords guide, and the rule's history in TCPA rules for text messages.
Vendor by vendor
Each card repeats the table's rows with the detail from the vendor's own page. Before you register a number, run the 10DLC registration checklist; to compare costs, the 10DLC cost calculator. Four of these tools have a comparison of their own: EZ Texting, Textedly, SlickText and SimpleTexting alternatives. If your texting should live inside your CRM, see the CRMs with text messaging.
Salesmsg
What it is
A business texting and calling platform built around shared inboxes, broadcasts, workflows and a power dialer, with a HubSpot integration. Compliance settings sit on one organisation-level page.
Who it fits
Sales and service teams texting leads and customers across several time zones, especially from HubSpot.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberCheck with the vendor
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Check with the vendor
Double opt-in sends a templated confirmation text; the help centre does not show its wording.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyCheck with the vendor
STOP, END, CANCEL, QUIT, UNSUBSCRIBE and STOPALL opt the contact out, typos, punctuation and emoji included, under the "Recognize opt-outs in any format" toggle. Requests in other words are opted out by hand.
- HELP auto-replyCheck with the vendor
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneYes
Quiet Hours use each contact's local time zone: set on the record, synced from HubSpot, or estimated from the area code. Workflows, broadcasts and campaigns each carry their own toggle.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productYes
A Compliance page takes the business profile, then the brand and campaign; an AI checker rates the submission's chance of approval.
- Consent records exportableYes
Contacts filter by opt-in status and export from the Contacts page.
- Double opt-in availableYes
Organisation-wide setting: every contact must reply Y to the confirmation text before agents can text them.
SlickText
What it is
A mass texting platform for marketing lists: keywords, web forms and pop-ups, campaigns, workflows and an inbox. New accounts are assigned a toll-free sending number and register it in the app.
Who it fits
Businesses growing a subscriber list through keywords, forms and pop-ups, then sending scheduled campaigns.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberCheck with the vendor
Contacts can be filtered by how they joined (manual creation, import or keyword); an opt-in timestamp is not described.
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Yes
An Opt-In Compliance Statement is appended to every opt-in auto-response.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyYes
Seven keywords always opt out. Opt-Out Intelligence, an AI reader, also catches typos and sentences such as "please stop messaging me" when set to "Opt the Contact Out".
- HELP auto-replyYes
A HELP text gets a reply with your website link 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
Contact lists can be downloaded; which consent fields come with them is not listed.
- Double opt-in availableYes
Forced on web forms and pop-ups; can be switched on for keywords and bulk imports too.
Textline
What it is
A shared texting inbox organised by departments, each with its own number, with announcements, surveys and HIPAA plans. A consent web form and a consent request text live inside the product.
Who it fits
Service teams, clinics and offices that must show when each customer agreed to be texted.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberYes
With Secondary Consent (Pro plan) each contact shows whether consent was given and the date and time it was given or refused.
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Check with the vendor
After YES the contact is told they can now message your business and can reply STOP any time; frequency and rates are not in that reply.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyNo
Single-word commands only: STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END and QUIT. Anything else is unsubscribed by an agent.
- HELP auto-replyCheck with the vendor
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneCheck with the vendor
Scheduled messages take a date, time and time zone you pick; no quiet-hours window is described.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productYes
For numbers it supplies, Textline acts as the registering provider (CSP); company and department details are filled in inside Textline.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
Consent can be imported by CSV or API; an export of consent records is not described.
- Double opt-in availableYes
Secondary Consent texts "To consent, reply YES." before an agent can message the contact.
Heymarket
What it is
A team texting inbox with broadcasts, campaigns, lists, an API and CRM integrations. Compliance switches (double opt-in, appended opt-out text) sit on one admin page.
Who it fits
Customer-service and account teams that share inboxes and send scheduled broadcasts nationally.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberCheck with the vendor
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Check with the vendor
Append Opt-Out adds your opt-out line to the first message each inbox sends a contact; a full confirmation with frequency and rates is not described.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyCheck with the vendor
STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END and QUIT opt the contact out automatically; other requests are opted out by hand from the contact pane.
- HELP auto-replyCheck with the vendor
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneYes
Inbox quiet hours block individual, campaign, broadcast, scheduled and API sends; a per-contact time zone (auto-detect is off by default) lets them follow where the contact is.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productYes
A 10DLC Registration page in Administration takes the form and shows each review stage.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
- Double opt-in availableYes
Contacts reply a keyword such as YES before agents can text them; the contact has to start the conversation.
SimpleTexting
What it is
An SMS marketing platform with keywords, campaigns, autoresponders and an inbox. It sends a separate compliance text the first time a new contact receives a message.
Who it fits
Small businesses running keyword sign-ups and monthly promotions from one number.
- 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
First message to a new contact triggers a separate text naming the company, STOP, HELP and rates; keyword set-up adds your monthly frequency.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyCheck with the vendor
STOP unsubscribes automatically; the help centre does not say whether other words or sentences do.
- HELP auto-replyYes
A fixed system reply gives your company phone number; it cannot be edited.
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneNo
Delivery windows on autoresponders follow the account's time zone, not the recipient's.
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productYes
A 10DLC registration form appears in the app after you choose a local number on a paid plan.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
Lists export to CSV with contact fields and message history; an opt-in date or source column is not mentioned.
- Double opt-in availableYes
A per-keyword option: new contacts reply Y or N before they are added.
EZ Texting
What it is
A mass texting platform from CallFire Inc. with keywords, web sign-up forms, workflows and 10DLC, toll-free or short-code numbers.
Who it fits
Businesses and organisations sending list-wide announcements and promotions from a short code or local number.
- 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
A keyword opt-in immediately gets the required disclosures on message content and frequency, with no work on your side.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyCheck with the vendor
STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END and QUIT remove a contact automatically, and a help article adds REMOVE and OPT OUT; the FAQ says plain-language opt-outs must also be honoured, without saying the platform catches them.
- 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
Brand and campaign registration is submitted through EZ Texting with business details, sample messages and the opt-in method.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
- Double opt-in availableYes
Offered to every account; EZ Texting says some content, such as age-gated messages, requires it.
Textedly
What it is
An SMS marketing and business messaging platform owned by Inunity: campaigns, two-way texting, keywords, web forms, payments and reviews by text.
Who it fits
Small and mid-sized businesses and nonprofits that want sign-up forms and bulk campaigns in one tool.
- Records opt-in with a timestamp and the numberCheck with the vendor
- Sends the opt-in confirmation (program, HELP, STOP, frequency, rates)Yes
New web-form sign-ups automatically get a compliance message confirming the subscription; you edit its wording and when it sends.
- Honours STOP and plain-language revocation automaticallyCheck with the vendor
The compliance page promises automatic unsubscribe detection without naming the words it catches.
- HELP auto-replyCheck with the vendor
- Quiet-hours window by the recipient's time zoneCheck with the vendor
- 10DLC brand and campaign registration in-productYes
A built-in, step-by-step registration workflow with approval status in the dashboard, for 10DLC and toll-free.
- Consent records exportableCheck with the vendor
Opt-outs are logged "for audits and reporting"; an export is not described.
- Double opt-in availableYes
New web-form sign-ups automatically get a double opt-in message to confirm.
How we read the claims
Questions buyers ask
For the rule itself, start with TCPA rules for text messages; to check a send time, the quiet hours checker.
What counts as an opt-out text under the FCC rule?
Replying "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel," or "unsubscribe" is a reasonable way to revoke consent on its face, and other words count "if a reasonable person would understand those words to have conveyed a request to revoke consent" (47 CFR § 64.1200(a)(10)). The request must be honoured within a reasonable time not to exceed ten business days. A newer order, FCC 26-67, lets callers designate an exclusive revocation method; it is adopted, not yet in effect.
Can we send a reply after someone texts STOP?
One. The FCC rule allows a one-time confirmation that carries no marketing, and a confirmation sent within five minutes is presumed to fall within the consumer's prior consent (47 CFR § 64.1200(a)(12)). CTIA's guidelines ask for one final opt-out confirmation per campaign. SimpleTexting, SlickText, Textline and Salesmsg document a standard opt-out reply that goes out on their keywords.
What time of day can a business send marketing texts?
The federal rule bars telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., local time at the called party's location (47 CFR § 64.1200(c)(1)); check your state's own rules as well. The clock that matters is the recipient's: Salesmsg and Heymarket can hold messages by each contact's time zone, while SimpleTexting's delivery windows and SlickText's scheduled campaigns run on the account's time zone.
Is double opt-in required for business texting?
Salesmsg's own help centre calls it not required. What the rules ask for marketing texts sent with an autodialer is prior express written consent: an agreement in writing, signed by the person, that names the number to be texted (47 CFR § 64.1200(f)(9)). A confirming YES from the handset is a strong record that the person who owns the number agreed, which is why most of these tools offer it.
Do all these tools register our 10DLC number for us?
Six of the seven take the brand and campaign details inside the product: Salesmsg, Textline, Heymarket, SimpleTexting, EZ Texting and Textedly. SlickText registers its default toll-free number in the app and arranges a 10DLC number through a representative or support. Registration is the carrier's gate, not legal compliance: it does not prove consent for any one contact.
What does texting without consent cost?
Under 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3), $500 per call or text, up to three times that ($1,500) if the court finds the violation willful or knowing. A list of 2,000 contacts texted once without consent is 2,000 possible violations, which is why the consent record matters more than any feature on this page.
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
- FCC 26-67, revocation order (adopted 30 September 2026)fetched 2026-10-22
- 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3) (private right of action)fetched 2026-10-22
- Salesmsg: Compliance Master Articlefetched 2026-10-22
- Heymarket: Automatic and Manual Opt-outfetched 2026-10-22
- EZ Texting help: What are opt-out numbers and how can I view themfetched 2026-10-22
- Textedly: llms.txt (company summary)fetched 2026-10-22
- Salesmsg: Quiet Hoursfetched 2026-10-22
- Salesmsg: Register for A2P 10DLCfetched 2026-10-22
- Salesmsg: SMS Opt-Out Compliancefetched 2026-10-22
- Salesmsg: Double Opt-Infetched 2026-10-22
- SlickText: Tools to Help You Stay Compliantfetched 2026-10-22
- SlickText: Send or Schedule Mass Text Messagesfetched 2026-10-22
- SlickText: Obtaining and Registering a Sending Numberfetched 2026-10-22
- Textline: Pro Secondary Consentfetched 2026-10-22
- Textline: Unsubscribing to Messagingfetched 2026-10-22
- Textline: Why do I need to register my company and its phone numbers?fetched 2026-10-22
- Heymarket: Contact Timezone Supportfetched 2026-10-22
- Heymarket: How to Register for 10DLCfetched 2026-10-22
- Heymarket: Double Opt-Infetched 2026-10-22
- SimpleTexting: Creating Audience Segmentsfetched 2026-10-22
- SimpleTexting: Free Compliance Messagefetched 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
- SimpleTexting: Setting Up a Keywordfetched 2026-10-22
- EZ Texting: SafeSTOP compliance featuresfetched 2026-10-22
- EZ Texting help: How to send a text broadcastfetched 2026-10-22
- EZ Texting: Frequently asked questionsfetched 2026-10-22
- Textedly: Web formsfetched 2026-10-22
- Textedly: Carrier compliancefetched 2026-10-22