Heymarket vs MessageDesk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Heymarket and MessageDesk share a 2.0 GPA, neither has a free plan, and MessageDesk starts cheaper, at $29 a month for each person against $49 a month for each person.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Heymarket grades higher on the free plan. MessageDesk grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Heymarket
Shared inbox for business texting and email
MessageDesk
Shared team text inbox that runs on your existing business numbers
Which one is for you
Pick Heymarket if
- Fits if a small team answers customer texts from one shared inbox
- Works for teams already living in HubSpot or Salesforce
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're solo: every plan has a 2-user minimum
- Pricey if you need campaigns or automations, which start at $99 a person
- Watch out: messages cost extra, $0.03 a credit, plus $10 a month per campaign for registration
- Skip it if you need the API, which sits on Pro at $199 a person
Pick MessageDesk if
- Fits if a team of three or more answers customer texts from one number
- Works for US and Canada firms keeping their landline or VoIP number
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you're one person, as Team has a 3-user minimum
- Watch out: cell phone numbers don't work, only landline, VoIP and Twilio
- Skip it if you want a card-free trial, since this one needs a card
- Tight if you broadcast a lot, because that's the separate credit-based Reach product
- Watch out: the phone apps are beta and the open API is not out yet
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAHeymarketFair | 2.0GPAMessageDeskFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$49 a person a month on yearly billing, with a 2-user minimum, so the floor is $98. Campaigns and automations need Plus at $99 a person. The category's dearer quarter starts at $49. | C$29 a user a month billed annually ($39 monthly) with a 3-user minimum, so the floor is about $87. Pro is $79 a user, and broadcasts beyond the allotment cost $0.05 a credit. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree trial with no credit card, but no free plan. You get a taste, then you pay. | DA 14-day free trial, but a credit card is required to start. |
| Features | CShared inbox, broadcasts, automations and AI agents. But lists, campaigns and group messaging are missing from Standard, and API access needs Pro at $199. | CShared inbox, up to 48 numbers, carrier registration, broadcasts and automations on Pro. The open API is listed as coming soon, and big broadcasts need the separate Reach product. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It's a web app with an inbox, templates, integrations and a number to text-enable, so there is setup to do. | CNo store rating on record. You connect existing numbers and register with carriers, which takes set-up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb inbox that teammates can also reach from their phones, plus Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Zendesk and Zapier. No desktop app on record. | BWeb, iOS and Android, with Zapier, Twilio, RingCentral, Zoom Phone, 8x8 and Webex listed. The phone apps are marked beta. |
| Best for | a shared texting inbox for teams | a shared texting inbox on your existing numbers |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Heymarket and MessageDesk. How we grade
Price against what you get
Heymarket starts at $49 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MessageDesk starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and MessageDesk starts $20 a month lower. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, 4 score higher than Heymarket for less, and 3 score higher than MessageDesk for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Heymarket also covers marketing automation and AI agents.
- MessageDesk also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Heymarket | MessageDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per user / month, billed annually | $29 per user / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial; a credit card is required to start. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Heymarket | Alderwood Labs Inc. |
| Price read from | heymarket.com | messagedesk.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Heymarket
- Messages are billed separately in credits: the page shows $0.03 per credit and one SMS segment is 1 credit, MMS 2 and RCS rich media 3.
- Prices shown are billed annually with a 2-user minimum; the page says monthly billing is available but does not show its price.
- Group messaging, lists, campaigns and automations are not on Standard, and API access needs Pro.
- A $10 per month per campaign charge covers 10DLC registration and compliance, and RCS rich media is annual-plans only.
MessageDesk
- Team has a 3-user minimum, and the monthly price is on an annual contract billed monthly.
- It supports 10-digit US and Canada numbers; landline, VoIP and Twilio numbers work, cell phone numbers do not.
- The iOS and Android apps are marked beta, and the open API is listed as coming soon.
- Mass broadcasts live in a separate credit-based product, Reach, billed at $0.05 per credit beyond your allotment.
Key features
Heymarket
- Shared inbox
- Texts and emails from many users, teams and channels land in one inbox that teammates can read and answer from desktop or their phones.
- Broadcasts and campaigns
- Personalized mass texts go to lists, and campaigns send a series of messages to them. Both start on the Plus plan.
- Automations
- Rules reply, assign chats or enroll contacts in a campaign based on keywords, timing or message sentiment.
- AI agents
- Q&A and scheduling agents trained on your own content answer questions and book appointments; AI Essentials and AI Advanced are tied to the Plus and Pro plans.
- Text-enable existing numbers
- A current business landline or number can be text-enabled or ported, and group messaging lets several contacts share one conversation.
MessageDesk
- Shared team inbox
- Assign, label, comment on and mention teammates in text threads, with block and scheduling tools.
- Keep your phone provider
- Host or port landline and VoIP numbers, or connect Twilio; the vendor says it does not work with cell phone numbers.
- Carrier registration included
- 10DLC registration is part of the plans, with no setup or number fees listed.
- Broadcasts and Relays
- Pro adds text broadcasts of up to 100 people and Relays, the product's automations.
- Roles and permissions
- Custom roles and permissions arrive on Pro; Enterprise adds multiple inboxes and custom single sign-on.
- Compliance posture
- The vendor says it is AICPA SOC 2 certified and lists HIPAA among its security pages.
Plans
Heymarket
Standard$49
per user / month, billed annually
Two-way messaging, shared inbox, unlimited contacts, templates, basic reporting and HubSpot. Minimum 2 users.
Plus$99
per user / month, billed annually
Adds lists and campaigns, automations, advanced reporting, group messaging and AI Essentials. Minimum 2 users.
Pro$199
per user / month, billed annually
Adds AI Advanced, API access, inbox transfer and advanced administration and security. Minimum 2 users.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom users and feature setup, white-glove onboarding, priority support and higher message volumes.
MessageDesk
Team$29
per user / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly)
Minimum 3 users. Shared inbox, up to 48 numbers, unlimited 1-on-1 texting and carrier registration.
Pro$79
per user / month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Adds broadcasts to up to 100 people, custom roles, multi-line opt-out, Relays automations and Zapier.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds priority support, multiple inboxes and workspaces, custom SSO, custom integrations and dashboards.
Ways to pay less
Heymarket
- Annual discount
Save up to 18% on annual billing
The pricing page has a Monthly and Annually toggle and says annual billing saves up to 18%.
MessageDesk
- Annual discount
Yearly plans cost less per seat
Billed annually, Team is $29 and Pro is $79 per user a month, against $39 and $99 on the monthly-billed view.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Heymarket or MessageDesk?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MessageDesk is cheaper to start with: $29 a month for each person, against $49 a month for each person for Heymarket. Heymarket starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually, and MessageDesk starts at $29 per user / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Heymarket or MessageDesk?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Heymarket nor MessageDesk has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Heymarket and MessageDesk run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only MessageDesk lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.