A TextUs alternative for recruiting desks that won’t sign for 12 months
Who each fits, what each costs, and how to switch.
On TextUs
- 12-month term that renews itself
- Candidate replies count toward your messages
- US messaging only
On Textually
- Monthly, close any time
- Replies free
- Canada and the US
The short answer
TextUs suits staffing firms on Bullhorn or another ATS that want texting inside it and can sign a 12-month agreement; Pro is $299 a month for 5,000 sent and received messages. Textually suits smaller recruiting desks that want monthly billing, free replies and Canadian candidates, and bring candidates in by CSV, Google Sheets or HubSpot.
Checked October 18, 2026. Facts about TextUs come from textus.com; what its users say is quoted from public reviews. Sources are at the end of the page.
Why recruiting desks look for a TextUs alternative
Buyers praise how easy TextUs is. The recruiters using it every day are less happy with the redesigned Chrome extension and the app. The buyers who leave name the renewal: a price that rises at the end of the term, and an agreement that renews unless you give notice in time.
101 reviews read in full, October 18, 2026: 63 on Trustpilot, Softwarefinder and SourceForge, 21 on the Chrome Web Store, 17 on the App Store. Each bar shows its own sample. G2 and Capterra blocked direct reading.
In their users’ words
What they love
As a Staffing Manager and Recruiter, TextUs saves me an ENORMOUS amount of time in scheduling and rescheduling interviews
I get a good response rate with candidates that I am a unable to reach by phone.
What frustrates them
painful renewal price
Totally would use something else if I could.
TextUs and Textually, point by point
In the order TextUs’s users raise them. Each point says who comes out ahead.
Contract and leaving
Textually aheadTextUs“All TextUs agreements begin with a 12-month term.” It renews unless you object at least 30 days before the end.
TextuallyMonthly. Close your workspace any time; the fee and numbers end at the end of the billing month.
Miss the notice window and you’re in for another year.
What counts toward your bill
Textually aheadTextUsTheir terms count “each SMS Message both sent and received.”
TextuallyOnly the texts you send. Replies are free.
A busy week of candidate replies uses your allowance on TextUs.
Price at renewal
Textually aheadTextUsRenewal “may result in re-pricing at renewal without regard to the prior term’s per-unit pricing.”
TextuallyA platform fee of $49 a month at the founding price (first 1,000 teams, locked 12 months; standard $99), numbers at $10 local and $12 toll-free, and texts bought up front from 5¢ down to 2.5¢. Billed monthly from the day your first number goes live.
Your price is on our pricing page, the same for every team.
ATS and CRM
TextUs aheadTextUsBullhorn (Bullhorn Messaging runs on TextUs), JobDiva, Greenhouse, Workday, Salesforce, HubSpot.
TextuallyCSV, Google Sheets, the API and HubSpot. No Bullhorn or other ATS yet.
A Bullhorn shop that wants texting inside the ATS should stay with TextUs.
Canadian candidates
Textually aheadTextUsTheir FAQ: “TextUs is currently available for U.S.-based messaging.”
TextuallyTexts Canadian and US mobiles. We verify toll-free numbers for Canada and handle STOP and ARRET.
A desk with candidates in Toronto or Vancouver can text them from day one.
Picture messages and apps
TextUs aheadTextUsMMS, a WhatsApp add-on, a mobile app and a Chrome extension.
TextuallyText messages only. An installable web app with reply notifications.
If you send images or need a native app, TextUs covers more.
Follow-up sequences
EvenTextUsSteps on delays, with a choice on each step when a contact replies.
TextuallyText, Wait and Condition steps. A reply always ends that candidate’s sequence.
Interview reminders stop the moment the candidate answers.
A year on a five-recruiter desk
Our assumptions, to show the sum: 5 recruiters, 3,000 texts out and 2,000 replies a month, 5 local numbers, no picture messages. TextUs prices from textus.com/pricing; carrier registration fees left out for both.
| Item | TextUs Pro | Textually |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $299, covering 5,000 messages sent and received | $49 founding ($99 standard) plus 5 numbers at $10: $99 ($149) |
| Messages | The desk sits at the 5,000 cap; extra messages $0.02 to $0.05 | A 50,000-text bucket for $1,375, used over 12 months; replies free |
| Commitment | 12-month term, renews unless you object 30 days before | Monthly, close any time |
| First year | $3,588, committed | $2,563 founding, $3,163 standard |
At this size the price gap is modest. The bigger difference is the commitment: one desk signs for a year, the other pays month to month.
Pick TextUs if
- Your desk runs on Bullhorn or another ATS and wants texting inside it.
- You send images, use WhatsApp, or want a native app and a Chrome extension.
- You want a named success manager, a short code or RCS on an enterprise plan.
Pick Textually if
- You won’t sign a 12-month agreement for texting.
- Candidates reply a lot and you don’t want replies on the bill.
- You recruit in Canada as well as the US.
- You bring candidates in by CSV, Google Sheets, HubSpot or the API.
How to switch from TextUs
Check your renewal date
TextUs renews unless you object at least 30 days before the term ends. Put a reminder 45 days out.
Start registration with us first
Get access and we file your number registration. It takes 1 to 3 weeks, so your numbers are live before the old term ends.
Export candidates, consent and opt-outs
Take your contacts with the consent source and date, and your opt-out list, so nobody who said stop gets a text.
Build the sequence and launch
Import by CSV or Sheets, write the interview reminder and the no-reply nudge, and launch.
Questions to ask any texting provider
- Do replies count toward my messages?
- What happens to my price at renewal?
- Can I leave mid-term?
- Can I text candidates in Canada?
Questions.
Other alternatives
How much does TextUs cost?
TextUs Pro is $299 a month with 5,000 messages and 5 phone numbers; extra numbers are $49 a month and Enterprise is custom, on textus.com/pricing, checked October 18, 2026.
Does TextUs have a contract?
Yes. Their pricing page says all agreements begin with a 12-month term, and their terms say it renews unless either side objects at least 30 days before the end.
Does TextUs charge for incoming texts?
Their subscription terms count each SMS message both sent and received toward usage. Textually counts only the texts you send.
Does TextUs work with Bullhorn?
Yes. Bullhorn’s texting product is powered by TextUs. Textually has no Bullhorn integration today.
Can TextUs text Canadian numbers?
Their FAQ says TextUs is currently available for U.S.-based messaging. Textually texts Canadian and US mobiles and verifies toll-free numbers for Canada.
What is a good TextUs alternative for a small recruiting team?
If the team wants monthly billing, free replies and Canadian candidates, Textually fits. If it needs texting inside Bullhorn, Bullhorn Messaging (TextUs) remains the closer fit.
Sources
Read on October 18, 2026. Product names are their owners’ trademarks. Spotted something out of date? Write to hello@usetextually.com and we’ll check it.
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