Compare/Head to head

TextUs vs Textwork

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

Starting price

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

Text-to-apply AI agent for hourly, frontline and trades hiring: it texts each applicant the moment they apply, runs your screening questions over SMS and hands back a scored report. Starter is $99/mo, and a person still decides who moves forward.

Where Textwork fits

Staffing desks filling hourly and frontline roles
Trades and service businesses hiring from Indeed and job ads
Lean talent teams that cannot call every applicant
Owners and hiring managers without a recruiting department

At a glance

Detail	TextUs	Textwork
Starting price	$299/mo	$99/mo
Free tier	–No	–No
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	✓Yes	–No
Listed under	Texting	AI screening, Texting
Capterra	4.7 from 126 reviews	Not enough reviews

Where they pull apart

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)

Textwork

Stands out: It closes the first-hour gap that loses hourly applicants. The agent replies by text at night and on weekends, asks one question at a time about availability, location, licences or start date, and follows up when an answer is vague, so recruiters start the morning with scored, comparable reports instead of a pile of unread applications.

Watch out: It is a very small vendor: the site counts 145 jobsites and about 180 applicants screened, and the Growth plan is still marked coming soon. Usage capacity on Starter is described only as limited, with no published number of conversations, and the only named ATS connection is SmartRecruiters.

Not the right fit for

Salaried or executive searches screened by phone or video
Teams that need a deep ATS integration beyond SmartRecruiters
Buyers who want a published conversation allowance before paying

Pros and cons

TextUs

Honest $299 Pro floor
Bullhorn, Workday, Greenhouse named
Shared inbox plus local numbers

WhatsApp is extra
No free trial advertised

Textwork

Replies to applicants instantly, including nights and weekends
Scored reports with full transcripts
Recruiters can take over the text thread at any time

Very small vendor with a short track record
Starter usage limits are not published
Only SmartRecruiters is named as an ATS connection

What each one costs

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 18 Sep 2026

Textwork

$99/mo

Starter is $99/mo with limited usage capacity, custom instructions and report history. A Growth plan at $199/mo with advanced model access is listed as coming soon, and Enterprise is quoted. The vendor does not publish a free trial. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Oct 2026

Common questions

Is TextUs cheaper than Textwork?

Textwork starts lower, at $99/mo against $299/mo for TextUs. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.

Can you try TextUs or Textwork for free?

Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

All TextUs alternatives All Textwork alternatives Every Texting tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 18 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?