Choosing the best SMS marketing platform depends on how you plan to text your customers, what you can spend, and how much setup you want to handle. This guide compares five of the top SMS marketing platforms: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Brevo, Constant Contact, and Attentive.
We looked at each one's pricing model, whether you can sign up on your own or need to go through a sales team, how deep its automation goes, and whether SMS stands alone or comes bundled with email.
The comparison table below shows how they line up side by side, and the sections after it cover each platform in more detail.
How we evaluated these platforms
We compared each platform against the same set of criteria so the comparison stays consistent from one tool to the next. Here are the criteria we used:
- Pricing transparency and signup model: We checked whether prices are public and whether you can start sending on your own or need a sales call first.
- Automation depth: We looked at what each platform can automate out of the box and which features sit behind higher plans.
- Ecommerce integrations: We reviewed how well each tool connects to online stores and uses purchase data in your messages.
- Support model: We compared the kind of help you get, from phone and chat to dedicated account managers.
- SMS bundled with email or standalone: We noted whether texting comes as part of a broader marketing platform or as its own product.
Want to see how Mailchimp compares with other marketing platforms? Browse the Mailchimp comparisons hub for more side-by-side breakdowns.
Mailchimp: best for businesses that want SMS bundled with email & broader marketing tools
Mailchimp is known as an email marketing platform, but what you might not know is that it adds texting to the tools many businesses already use. It’s a practical text message marketing platform for teams that want one login instead of two.
Its SMS marketing tools sit alongside email & automations, and Mailchimp SMS e-commerce users saw up to a 22x ROI after launching their first SMS Marketing campaign*. Store owners can also connect their shop through Mailchimp's ecommerce marketing tools.
Pricing
- SMS is an add-on to any paid Email plan; credits from $20/mo (1K) to $2,500/mo (450K)
- Self-serve from $13/mo; SMS setup includes a short application & approval before you can send
Key features
- Email, SMS and automations in one platform: You can build campaigns, triggered messages and follow-ups in the same place, with SMS replies handled in the Mailchimp Inbox or the mobile app. Mailchimp users saw up to a 2x higher click rate when they used both Email and SMS.**
- Predictive analytics and AI-generated content: Available on Standard & Premium, predictive analytics gives you a view of likely customer behavior, and AI-generated content helps you draft campaigns faster.
- Email-to-SMS campaigns: Mailchimp can turn your best emails into SMS campaigns, with AI suggestions to help you adapt the copy.
- WhatsApp (coming soon): Mailchimp is adding WhatsApp, the #1 global messaging app, so you can reach customers from the same place you send email and SMS.
- Deep Shopify and WooCommerce integrations: Connecting your store lets you use customer and purchase data to build audiences and trigger messages.
- Intuit and QuickBooks ecosystem: Mailchimp is part of Intuit, so it fits well if your business already runs on QuickBooks.
Best for
- Businesses that want SMS bundled with email & broader marketing tools rather than a standalone SMS platform
Limitations
- SMS credits cost extra: Credits are a separate line item on top of your base plan price, so you need to budget for both. Your costs grow as your send volume grows.
- Limited country coverage: Mailchimp supports SMS in 37 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and over half of Europe. If you text customers elsewhere, confirm your audience is covered before you commit.
Klaviyo: best for ecommerce brands that want SMS tied to deep segmentation
Klaviyo is built around store and customer data, which appeals to ecommerce brands that want to split their audience into precise groups before they send a text. It combines email, SMS, WhatsApp, and a B2C CRM in one platform.
Its close partnership with Shopify makes it a natural fit for stores on that platform. You can read a full matchup in our Mailchimp vs. Klaviyo comparison.
Pricing
- Email + SMS plan from about $35/mo (500 profiles); SMS credits scale with volume on top.
- Bills on active profiles, so cost scales with list size regardless of send volume.
Key features
- Email, SMS, WhatsApp and Customer Hub: Customer Hub is Klaviyo's B2C CRM, and it sits in the same platform as your messaging channels.
- Deep segmentation and predictive analytics: You can group customers by their store activity and use predictions about their behavior to decide who gets which message.
- AI agent support: Klaviyo includes AI agent support inside Customer Hub.
Best for
- Ecommerce brands that want SMS tied to deep segmentation and a tight Shopify partnership
Limitations
- Active-profile billing: Costs can spike as your list grows, even if you send no more messages than before.
- Narrower SMS coverage: Klaviyo supports SMS in 23 countries, fewer than Mailchimp's 37. Confirm the current list with Klaviyo if you text customers abroad.
- Limited support channels: Paid plans get 24/7 email and 24/5 live chat, with weekend chat hours varying by plan. There is no phone line.
Brevo: best for teams with large contact lists that want low-cost email & pay-as-you-go SMS
Brevo appeals to teams that want to keep costs low while still reaching customers on more than one channel. It puts email and SMS on one platform, adds WhatsApp on its Professional plan, and does not charge by the number of contacts you store. That pricing setup works well for businesses with large lists. See how it stacks up in our Mailchimp vs Brevo comparison.
Pricing
- SMS billed per message, varying by country; prepaid credits never expire; Starter from $9/mo
- Priced by email volume sent, not contacts stored, so SMS is the added variable cost
Key features
- Email & SMS on one platform, with WhatsApp on Professional: You can reach customers by email and SMS without paying for separate tools, and WhatsApp campaigns open up on Professional plans ($499/mo) and above. The Free plan holds up to 100,000 contacts, and paid plans are priced by email volume rather than list size.
- 150+ integrations: Brevo connects with more than 150 business tools, so you can bring customer information from the apps you already use into your campaigns.
Best for
- Teams with large contact lists that want low-cost email & pay-as-you-go SMS
Limitations
- Automation behind a paywall: Full automation starts on the Standard plan ($18/mo), and Free & Starter cap automations at 2,000 contacts. Teams that want automated texts from day one will need to upgrade.
- Variable SMS costs: Because SMS is billed per message, your bill rises with every text you send. Large campaigns can add up quickly.
- AI tools & WhatsApp on higher tiers: WhatsApp campaigns, the Aura AI Data Analyst, and AI segmentation are limited to Professional plans and above, which start at $499/mo.
Constant Contact: best for a straightforward SMS add-on to an existing email plan
Constant Contact suits businesses that already send email and want to add texting without learning a new system. SMS is an optional add-on on its lower plans and comes included on Premium. Our Mailchimp vs Constant Contact comparison covers the differences.
Pricing
- SMS add-on from $10/mo (500 messages) on Lite/Standard; included on Premium ($80/mo)
- Lite from $12/mo, Standard from $35/mo, Premium from $80/mo (all at 500 contacts; price rises steeply with list size)
Key features
- AI Campaign Builder: Standard & up can draft a full email, social & SMS campaign from a single prompt; custom automations require Premium.
- Guided setup, social marketing and landing pages: Guided campaign setup walks new senders through each step. Social posting and landing page tools sit in the same account.
- Phone, chat and email support: Live phone and chat help is available on every plan, and Premium adds a dedicated priority support team.
Best for
- A straightforward SMS add-on to an existing email plan, without a separate platform to learn
Limitations
- SMS costs extra on lower plans: Lite and Standard charge for the SMS add-on. Premium includes the first 500 messages a month, then charges per message beyond that.
- US-only SMS: Constant Contact sends SMS in the United States only, so it will not work if you text customers in other countries.
- Automation on higher plans: Lite includes one automation template and Standard includes three. Custom automations require Premium ($80/mo).
- Steep price increases: Plan prices rise quickly as your contact list grows.
Attentive: best for high-volume enterprise brands that want an SMS-first platform
Attentive was built for texting first and later expanded into email, RCS, and push. It has the deepest SMS-specific feature set of the five platforms we compared. It also has the highest cost and the most involved sign-up. If you want to see how it lines up against a self-serve option, read our Mailchimp vs. Attentive comparison.
Pricing
- Quote-based subscription + usage; contract minimum (reported $2,000 to $3,000 per quarter); no public rate card
- Optional short code from $750/mo; demo-gated, rates sit behind a sales call rather than a public pricing page
Key features
- SMS-first platform with unified profiles: Attentive expanded from SMS into email, RCS, and push while keeping customer profiles in one place. It does not include a shared inbox.
- AI tools: Concierge pairs conversational AI with live agents, and AI Pro adds predictive audiences, send-time optimization & brand voice tools.
- Integrations: Attentive offers 100+ integrations, including Shopify, Snowflake, Gorgias, and Yotpo.
Best for
- High-volume enterprise brands that want an SMS-first platform and are willing to go through a sales process for it
Limitations
- No self-serve signup: Pricing requires a custom Order Form and a sales call before you can start sending.
- Enterprise pricing: The quarterly minimum and the short-code fee make it a poor fit for smaller lists.
- No shared inbox: Attentive has no inbox that spans channels, unlike Mailchimp's unified email and SMS inbox.
- Limited country coverage: Attentive lists SMS in 20+ countries, fewer than Mailchimp's 37. Confirm your markets with Attentive before you commit.
How to choose the right SMS marketing platform for your business
The best SMS marketing software for your business depends on four things. Here are the questions to ask before you pick:
- Do you want to sign up on your own? Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Brevo, and Constant Contact all offer self-serve signup. Attentive requires a demo and a sales call first.
- Should SMS stand alone or come with email? If you already send email, a platform that bundles both, like Mailchimp or Constant Contact, keeps everything in one account. Attentive suits brands that want to build around SMS first.
- What does your budget look like? Brevo charges per message and does not limit contacts, while Klaviyo bills on active profiles. Attentive has a quarterly minimum that suits larger brands.
- How much automation do you need? Some platforms hold automation and AI features back for higher plans, so check what is included at the tier you plan to buy.
If you want SMS and email working together in one place, with SMS reach in the US, Canada, Australia, and over half of Europe, Mailchimp is a strong place to begin. Ecommerce brands with detailed segmentation needs may prefer Klaviyo, and enterprise teams that text at high volume may find Attentive worth the extra cost.
Get started with Mailchimp
Ready to add text messaging to your marketing? Sign up for Mailchimp, choose an email plan, and add SMS credits. SMS setup includes a short application & approval before your first send. You can manage email and SMS from one platform and reply to customers from the Mailchimp Inbox or the mobile app.
Disclaimers
*Up to 22x ROI: Based on e-commerce revenue attributable to Mailchimp users’ SMS Marketing campaigns and Mailchimp SMS spend (not including plan cost) within one year of launch of first SMS campaign from 10/01/24 to 10/17/25. ROI calculation requires an e-commerce store that is connected to a Mailchimp account. Excludes Short code SMS. Results may vary.
**Up to 2x Higher Click Rate: Based on US Mailchimp users who sent both email and SMS campaigns compared to users who sent email-only campaigns from 8/1/23 to 7/28/26. Individual results may vary.