Compare/Head to head

Emissary vs TextUs

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Emissary

Sales-quoted

AI text recruiting for candidate engagement and automations. Pricing is sales-quoted.

Where Emissary fits

  • TA teams that want AI-assisted candidate texting
  • Recruiters running reminders and nurture by SMS
  • HR teams replacing email-only candidate comms
  • Companies buying texting as a recruiting workflow

TextUs

$299/mo

Shared business texting for recruiters. Pro is $299/mo (5,000 messages, 5 numbers); extra numbers $49/mo.

Where TextUs fits

  • TA and staffing teams that text as the channel
  • Bullhorn, Workday, or Greenhouse shops
  • Shared inboxes that need local numbers
  • Buyers who can budget a $299/mo floor

At a glance

DetailEmissaryTextUs
Starting priceSales-quoted$299/mo
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underTextingTexting
CapterraNot enough reviews4.7 from 126 reviews

Where they pull apart

Emissary

Stands out: Built as recruiting SMS with AI, not as a generic marketing texter.

Watch out: There is no public rate card. This is emissary.ai, the recruiting product, not another Emissary brand.

Not the right fit for

  • Marketers looking for consumer SMS blasts
  • Buyers who need a published monthly price

TextUs

Stands out: A real $299 floor for TA texting, with Bullhorn, Workday, Greenhouse, Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier named.

Watch out: Pro is $299/mo. WhatsApp is +$29/user (beta). Overage is $0.02/message.

Not the right fit for

  • Solo operators who need a sub-$299 plan
  • Teams that will not SMS candidates
  • People who need a full talent CRM (Sense)

Pros and cons

Emissary

  • Recruiting-specific SMS, not marketing blasts
  • AI-assisted candidate engagement
  • Two-way texting for TA workflows
  • Sales-quoted, no public rate card
  • Buying starts with a demo
  • Thin public feature list

TextUs

  • Honest $299 Pro floor
  • Bullhorn, Workday, Greenhouse named
  • Shared inbox plus local numbers
  • WhatsApp is extra
  • No free trial advertised

What each one costs

Emissary

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

TextUs

$299/mo

Pro from $299/mo with 5,000 messages and 5 numbers included. Extra numbers are $49/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try Emissary or TextUs for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Emissary alternatives All TextUs alternatives Every Texting tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?