10 Best CRMs for Texting in 2027: A Small Business Guide

The best CRM for texting lets you text a lead, call them and see every reply on the same contact record. It also sends the next follow-up on its own when nobody on your team is free. Plenty of tools can send a text. Fewer do it inside the CRM without an extra subscription, a second phone number or a connector that breaks on a busy Friday.

We compared ten options that small businesses ask us about most. We make GoCRM, so it is on the list, and we have tried to be fair to the other nine: each section says how texting works, who the tool suits and what to watch out for. Plans and features change often, so check the vendor's own page before you buy.

The short list

What to look for in a CRM for texting

• Texting built in, not bolted on. Native two-way texting keeps every message on the contact record. An integration can work, but it usually means a second bill, a second login and one more thing to maintain.
• Local numbers for calls and texts. People are more likely to answer a local number, and replies should come back to the same number your team calls from.
• Automated follow-up. The texts that matter most are the first reply to a new lead, a text back after a missed call and an appointment reminder. Check that the CRM can send them without someone pressing send.
• One shared history. When a rep is out, anyone else should be able to open the contact and see the whole conversation, including calls and emails.
• A mobile app. Field teams text from the truck, the job site or the open house, not from a desk.
• Help with registration and consent. US carriers require businesses to register before texting from local numbers. Ask who handles that and how opt-outs are recorded.
• How texting is billed. Many CRMs sell texting as an add-on, a higher plan or message credits on top of the seat price. Ask for the total for your team size and message volume.

The 10 best CRMs for texting in 2027

1. GoCRM

GoCRM is built around the phone. Two-way texting, calling and follow-up automation are part of the product, not add-ons. Your team texts from a browser or the mobile app using local business numbers, and every message, call, voicemail and recording lands on the contact record.

• Texting: built in. Two-way texting, reusable templates that fill in contact details, scheduled messages and one shared conversation history per contact.
• Automation: texts can go out automatically after a form fill, a missed call, a booked appointment or a pipeline stage change, together with tasks and lead assignment.
• Also included: built-in calling with recordings and voicemail, email marketing, a sales pipeline and marketing attribution.
• Best for: small sales teams that answer leads by phone and text, such as home builders, real estate teams, mortgage lenders, insurance agencies, HVAC companies and contractors.
• Watch out for: pricing is not published online, so you get it on a demo. If you need a very large app marketplace, HubSpot and Pipedrive connect to more third-party tools.

See how it works on the GoCRM text messaging page, or start from ready-made texts such as the new lead introduction and the appointment reminder.

2. Close

Close is a sales CRM for inside-sales teams that spend the day on the phone. Calling, texting and email are built in, so a rep can work a lead from one screen.

• Texting: built in. Two-way SMS and MMS on numbers you rent through Close, including shared team numbers. The iOS and Android apps send texts and alert you to replies.
• Automation: texts inside workflows and scheduled texts need the Growth plan or higher.
• Registration: you register for A2P 10DLC inside Close, and US texts are not delivered until it is approved.
• Best for: small inside-sales teams that call, text and email at volume.
• Watch out for: texting only works on numbers rented through Close, automated texting sits on the pricier plans, and message usage is billed on top of seats. See Close's SMS guide.

3. Salesmate

Salesmate is a mid-priced sales CRM with calling, texting, sequences and workflow automation in one app.

• Texting: two-way SMS and MMS from a Salesmate phone number once you turn on its Calling & Texting add-on. Local and toll-free numbers are available.
• Automation: bulk texts from a contact or deal list, scheduled texts, a send-text action in workflows and text steps in sequences.
• Registration: A2P 10DLC registration is done inside the app.
• Best for: small and mid-sized teams that want calling, texting and automation without moving to an enterprise CRM.
• Watch out for: texting runs on a prepaid balance. If the balance runs out during a bulk send, the rest of the queue fails.

4. HubSpot

HubSpot is the best-known all-in-one CRM, with free tools and paid hubs for marketing, sales and service. It can text, but its built-in texting is designed for marketing campaigns rather than one-to-one sales conversations.

• Texting: marketing SMS comes with Marketing Hub Professional and Enterprise or an SMS add-on. HubSpot's help pages say reps cannot start a text from the contact record or the help desk.
• Automation: workflows can send texts to opted-in marketing contacts, with an opt-out line and quiet hours switched on by default.
• One-to-one texting: through marketplace apps such as Textline, Sakari or Twilio-based tools.
• Best for: companies already on Marketing Hub Professional that send opted-in campaigns and alerts.
• Watch out for: texting requires one of the higher-priced hubs or an add-on, it sends only from US numbers, and reps need a separate app for everyday conversations.

5. HighLevel

HighLevel (often called GoHighLevel) is an all-in-one marketing platform built for agencies that manage many client accounts.

• Texting: built in through its own phone service, LC Phone, with two-way SMS, MMS and calls in one conversations inbox and in the mobile app.
• Automation: workflows and SMS campaigns are core features.
• Registration: every business that texts through LC Phone must register with The Campaign Registry.
• Best for: marketing agencies that run texting and follow-up for many clients and want to resell it.
• Watch out for: it is agency software, so a single small business pays for client sub-accounts and reselling tools it will not use, and messaging is paid from a prepaid usage wallet.

6. Keap

Keap, now part of Thryv, combines a CRM with email and text automation for service businesses.

• Texting: two-way texting through Keap Business Line, a business number for calls and texts on the web and in the mobile app. You can choose a verified local number or a toll-free one.
• Automation: text broadcasts and automations go out from a separate Keap marketing number, and broadcasts are capped at 500 recipients per send.
• Best for: service businesses that want automated email and text follow-up in one place.
• Watch out for: Business Line works only in the US and Canada, marketing texts are US-only and text-only, each account gets one business line, and the starting price is high for a small team.

7. Freshsales

Freshsales is Freshworks' sales CRM, with a clean interface, sales sequences and a built-in phone.

• Texting: the texting screens are inside Freshsales, but messages go through an SMS provider you connect yourself, such as Twilio or ClickSend. See Freshsales' SMS guide.
• Automation: bulk texts from a list view, send-SMS actions in workflows and text steps in sales sequences, which need the Pro plan or higher.
• Best for: teams that like Freshworks' tools and are comfortable managing an SMS provider account.
• Watch out for: you deal with two vendors. Number registration, message billing and delivery all sit with the SMS provider.

8. Zoho Bigin and Zoho CRM

Zoho makes two CRMs: Bigin, a simple pipeline CRM for small businesses, and Zoho CRM, the full product.

• Bigin: includes calling and WhatsApp but no native SMS. Texting means a third-party extension or a Zoho Flow or Zapier connection to a provider such as Twilio.
• Zoho CRM: two-way SMS and MMS from leads, contacts and deals through Zoho's SMS extension for Zoho Voice, which needs a Zoho Voice number registered for A2P 10DLC.
• Best for: budget-minded teams that already use other Zoho apps.
• Watch out for: texting means a second product or app on top of the CRM, and two-way local texting through Zoho Voice covers only the US and Canada.

9. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a visual pipeline CRM that many small sales teams start with.

• Texting: not built in. The mobile app can open your phone's own messaging app with the contact's number filled in, but that sends from the rep's personal number.
• Business texting: through marketplace apps such as Twilio-based tools, ClickSend, Salesmsg or Sakari, or through a connected dialer such as Aircall or JustCall.
• Best for: teams that love Pipedrive's pipeline and do not mind adding a texting app.
• Watch out for: every texting setup adds another vendor, another bill and another number to register.

10. SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting is not a CRM. It is a texting platform you can use next to one.

• Texting: a two-way inbox, mass texting, MMS, keywords, auto-replies and drip campaigns, with iOS and Android apps. Local, toll-free and short code numbers are available.
• CRM connections: it lists integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, Follow Up Boss and others. Some, including HubSpot, run through Zapier rather than putting texting inside the contact record.
• Best for: businesses that mainly need mass texting and already have a CRM they like.
• Watch out for: there is no calling, it reaches only US and Canadian carriers, and your customer history ends up split across two tools.

Which one should you pick?

• You want calling, texting and automated follow-up in one place, with no add-ons: GoCRM or Close.
• You already run your marketing on HubSpot: HubSpot's marketing SMS for campaigns, plus a texting app such as Textline for one-to-one conversations.
• You are an agency running texting for clients: HighLevel.
• You only need mass texting and already have a CRM: SimpleTexting.
• You are on a tight budget and already use Zoho: Bigin with a texting extension, or Zoho CRM with Zoho Voice.

Texting rules to know before you choose a CRM

Whichever tool you pick, the same rules apply to business texting in the US. This is a short summary, not legal advice.

• Register your number. US carriers require businesses that text from ordinary 10-digit numbers to register their brand and use case with The Campaign Registry, a process called A2P 10DLC. Texts from unregistered numbers get blocked, and approval can take from a few days to a few weeks. Toll-free numbers go through their own verification. Ask each vendor who handles it; at GoCRM we help you register during setup.
• Get consent first. Marketing texts sent through an automated system generally need the person's prior express written consent, and an electronic signature on a web form can count. The carriers' CTIA messaging guidelines also expect people to agree in writing before they receive promotional texts.
• Make opting out easy. Tell people how to stop your texts, and treat replies such as STOP, QUIT, END, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE as an opt-out. Federal rules say people can withdraw consent in any reasonable way.
• Keep marketing texts to reasonable hours. Federal rules bar telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the recipient's local time, and some states set tighter limits.
• Say who you are. Put your business name in the first message so people know who is texting them.

For more on what to send, read our guides to business texting and promotional text messages.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best CRM for texting?

For most small sales teams, the best choice is a CRM with two-way texting, calling and automated follow-up built in, so every conversation stays on the contact record. GoCRM and Close both work that way without extra apps. HubSpot fits teams already paying for Marketing Hub Professional, and HighLevel fits agencies.

Is there a CRM that combines calling, texting and email?

Yes. GoCRM, Close and HighLevel include calling, texting and email in the product, and Salesmate does once you add its Calling & Texting option. Keap combines them through Keap Business Line in the US and Canada.

Which CRMs have texting built in?

GoCRM, Close, HighLevel and Keap include two-way texting, and Salesmate does with its Calling & Texting add-on. HubSpot includes marketing texts on its higher plans. Freshsales, Zoho and Pipedrive rely on an SMS provider or a marketplace app.

Do I need to register my business number to send texts?

Yes, in the US. Businesses that text from a local 10-digit number must register their brand and campaign for A2P 10DLC before carriers deliver their messages. Toll-free numbers need their own verification.

Can a CRM send iMessages?

Not in the usual sense. Texts from a CRM go out as SMS or MMS from a business phone number. Apple Messages for Business is a separate channel: it runs through an Apple-approved messaging provider, does not use a phone number, and the customer has to start the conversation. Some third-party services offer iMessage sending for sales teams, but they are not part of Apple Messages for Business, so check their terms and reliability before you depend on one.

What is the difference between a texting app and a CRM with texting?

A texting app such as SimpleTexting is built to send messages and campaigns. A CRM with texting keeps those texts next to the calls, emails, deals and tasks for each contact, so follow-up, handoffs and reporting all happen in one place.

Want to see texting, calling and follow-up working together? Book a GoCRM demo.