MessageDesk vs Text Request (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MessageDesk grades higher than Text Request: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
MessageDesk grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MessageDesk
Shared team text inbox that runs on your existing business numbers
Text Request
Business texting with a shared dashboard, priced by included texts
Which one is for you
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
Pick Text Request if
- Fits if your team shares one US text line
- Works for offices that text customers back and forth
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you grow: $145 for 2,500 texts, $295 for 6,500
- Tight if you need the API: only Enterprise at $575 and above
- Watch out: extra texts cost 5.8 cents each on Basic and Starter
- Watch out: one dashboard is one text line, so more lines need a higher plan
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAMessageDeskFair | 1.8GPAText RequestWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | D$59.99 for 1,000 texts, with integrations from $145 and the API from $575; the middle of the category is $36. |
| Free plan and trial | DA 14-day free trial, but a credit card is required to start. | DTry it free, but the page gives no length or terms. |
| Features | 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. | CTwo-way and mass texts, sequences and payments, with the API, integrations and keywords held back for higher plans. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect existing numbers and register with carriers, which takes set-up. | CNo store rating on record, and 10DLC sending needs to be set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android, with Zapier, Twilio, RingCentral, Zoom Phone, 8x8 and Webex listed. The phone apps are marked beta. | BWeb with a Chrome extension, integrations and an API on top plans; no phone apps listed. |
| Best for | a shared texting inbox on your existing numbers | a shared texting dashboard for US businesses |
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: MessageDesk and Text Request. How we grade
Price against what you get
MessageDesk starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Text Request starts at $59.99 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and MessageDesk starts $30.99 a month lower. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, 3 score higher than MessageDesk for less, and 6 score higher than Text Request 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
At a glance
| MessageDesk | Text Request | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29 per user / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly) | $59.99 per month for 1,000 texts, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial; a credit card is required to start. | Try it free; the page does not state the length or terms |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Alderwood Labs Inc. | Text Request |
| Price read from | messagedesk.com | textrequest.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Text Request
- Texts beyond the monthly allowance cost 5.8¢ down to 1.3¢ each, depending on the plan.
- The API is only on Enterprise and higher; integrations and the Chrome extension need Starter or above.
- The pricing page shows 20% off the first 3 months and a promo code banner; the list prices are recorded here.
- One dashboard is one text line, so extra lines mean a higher plan or a $5 add-on on High Volume tiers.
Key features
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.
Text Request
- Two-way texting dashboard
- A web dashboard for conversations with customers, with unlimited users, contacts and contact groups on every plan.
- Mass texts and scheduling
- Send mass texts, schedule messages, and use message templates and sequences from the same account.
- Payments and location requests
- Text-to-pay is listed on every plan; location requests come with Starter and above.
- Chrome extension and integrations
- Starter and above add a Chrome extension and third-party integrations; the API arrives with Enterprise.
- 10DLC verified sending
- Every plan is listed with 10DLC verified sending for US business texting.
Plans
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.
Text Request
Basic$59.99
per month for 1,000 texts and 1 dashboard, billed monthly
Two-way and mass texting, sequences, payments, templates and 10DLC sending. Extra texts 5.8¢. Shown at $47.99 for the first 3 months.
Starter$145
per month for 2,500 texts and multiple dashboards, billed monthly
Adds location requests, unlimited keywords, a Chrome extension and third-party integrations. Extra texts 5.8¢. $116 for the first 3 months.
Corporate$295
per month for 6,500 texts and 5 dashboards, billed monthly
Adds custom merge fields. Extra texts 4.9¢. Shown at $236 for the first 3 months.
Enterprise$575
per month for 20,000 texts and 10 dashboards, billed monthly
Adds API access. Extra texts 3.2¢. High Volume tiers run from $890 a month for 50,000 texts to $2,900 for 250,000.
Ways to pay less
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.
Text Request
- Other savings
20% off the first 3 months
Plan cards show a reduced price for the first 3 months, for example $47.99 against $59.99 on Basic, marked as for new customers.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MessageDesk or Text Request?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MessageDesk starts at $29 per user / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly), and Text Request starts at $59.99 per month for 1,000 texts, billed monthly. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, MessageDesk or Text Request?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither MessageDesk nor Text Request has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do MessageDesk and Text Request run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only MessageDesk lists iOS and Android apps and only Text Request lists a browser extension. 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.