The Textline Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Textline in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Textline
The Insider’s Guide
Business texting platform with a shared team inbox
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among business phone systems, read from Textline’s own pages.
Made by Textline, Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Textline’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Textline’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 4 of the 19 other business phone systems we grade
Textline is a business texting service rather than a full phone system: teams send and answer SMS and MMS from a shared inbox, from a new number or a text-enabled landline, and handle webchat, Facebook and Instagram messages in the same place. It has no voice calling of its own. Plans include a set number of agents, numbers and message credits, and prices are quoted by sales.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Textline, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It pulls in webchat, Facebook and Instagram messages too.
- 1
Best for teams answering customers by text
Textline isn't a phone system: it's a shared inbox for business texting, and it can text-enable the landline you already have.
- 2
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required to sign up
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 4
Shared texting inbox
Agents share one inbox for SMS and MMS, with departments for separate numbers, claiming, dispositions, whispers and tags.
- 5
Text-enabled landlines
Most existing landline numbers can be text-enabled without losing calls; a ported cell number loses voice and native texting.
- 6
Automations and announcements
Automatic replies, scheduled messages and one-to-many announcements on every plan; routes and timer automations come with Pro.
- 7
A 2.2 GPA, above 4 of 19
That is against the other business phone systems we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Textline you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Textline at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required to sign up
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Textline, Inc.
- Category
- Business Phone Systems
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for teams answering customers by text
Textline isn't a phone system: it's a shared inbox for business texting, and it can text-enable the landline you already have. It pulls in webchat, Facebook and Instagram messages too. There's no calling and no published price, so you'll need a phone system beside it and a sales quote.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No published base price: sales quotes it. With no figure it sits at the ordinary grade, and there's no per-head cost for five to give. The add-ons hint it isn't cheap: extra agents are $50 a month on Essentials and $70 on Pro. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 14-day free trial with no credit card needed to sign up. No free plan. |
| Features | C | A shared texting inbox, text-enabled landlines, automations, announcements, surveys, webchat and Facebook and Instagram messages. It does texting fully, but that's a smaller job than this category's: no voice calling, and calls only forward elsewhere. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record. There's a landline to text-enable or a number to set up, plus registration for local numbers. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Slack, Pipedrive, Zapier and Aircall, plus an API. No desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Textline is for
- Great if your customers would rather text you than call
- Handy when you want your existing landline number to take texts
- Good for healthcare teams that need HIPAA-compatible texting
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you need to make or take calls, as Textline has no voice calling
- Pricey if your team grows, at $50 a month for each extra agent on Essentials
- Not for you if you want a price before a sales call, since none is published
Good to know
Good for
- Support and operations teams that answer customers by text
- Businesses that want to text from their existing landline number
- Healthcare teams that need HIPAA-compatible texting
Worth knowing
- Textline publishes no base plan prices; sales quotes them. Extra agents are $50 a month on Essentials and $70 on Pro, and extra numbers $15 a month.
- There is no voice calling: Textline numbers can only forward calls elsewhere.
- Essentials includes 600 message credits a month and Pro 2,000; more cost $0.03 each in advance or $0.04 as automatic backup credits, and an MMS uses 3.
- A 10-digit local number adds a $15 monthly campaign registration fee; toll-free numbers have no monthly registration fee.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Textline's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
No published base price: sales quotes it.
We could not confirm Textline’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. textline.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Business texting platform with a shared team inbox. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, shared inbox, surveys, live chat, business texting.
A shared texting inbox, text-enabled landlines, automations, announcements, surveys, webchat and Facebook and Instagram messages.
- Shared texting inbox
- Agents share one inbox for SMS and MMS, with departments for separate numbers, claiming, dispositions, whispers and tags.
- Text-enabled landlines
- Most existing landline numbers can be text-enabled without losing calls; a ported cell number loses voice and native texting.
- Automations and announcements
- Automatic replies, scheduled messages and one-to-many announcements on every plan; routes and timer automations come with Pro.
- Webchat and social messages
- A website chat widget that can move a conversation to SMS, plus Facebook and Instagram messages in the same inbox.
- Surveys
- NPS and CSAT surveys by text on Essentials, and custom surveys on Pro and Enterprise.
- Security and HIPAA
- MFA, consent webforms and sensitive data redaction, with HIPAA-compatible plans offered at a separate base fee.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zendesk
- Freshdesk
- Slack
- Pipedrive
- Zapier
- Aircall
Textline is made by Textline, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/19
Other business phone systems it is graded above
Textline's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 19 other business phone systems we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 19) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 20 business phone systems we grade, cut by the letter each got. Textline’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 19
- CFree plan and trialAbove 8 of 19
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 19
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 19
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Textline you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 12 of the 19 other business phone systems grade higher.
What you could make
- Surveys: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- Texts from a business number, registered with the carriers.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Salesforce, HubSpot and Zendesk among them, and has an API.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: HIPAA.
What this rests on. Textline’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Quo, JustCall, Aircall, Dialpad and KrispCall
The 5 tools Textline is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Quo
Free trial · from $15/mo
Business phone app for calls and texts on shared team numbers.
- Only Textline lists a browser extension.
- Only Quo lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Textline also covers surveys and live chat.
- 2.4GPA
JustCall
Free trial · from $29/mo
Cloud phone and SMS system for sales and support teams.
- Only Textline lists a browser extension.
- Only JustCall lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Textline also covers shared inbox, surveys and live chat.
- 2.6GPA
Aircall
Free trial · from $30/mo
Cloud phone system for sales and support teams, with AI voice agents.
- Only Aircall lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Textline also covers surveys and live chat.
- Aircall also covers transcription, AI support agent and business phone line.
- 2.8GPA
Dialpad
Free trial · from $15/mo
AI business phone with live call transcripts and call summaries.
- Only Dialpad lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Textline also covers shared inbox, surveys and live chat.
- Dialpad also covers transcription, team chat, video calls and business phone line.
- 2.0GPA
KrispCall
From $12/mo
Cloud phone system with bundled minutes and texts per user.
- Textline also covers shared inbox, surveys and live chat.
- KrispCall also covers business phone line.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Textline free?
No, Textline is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required to sign up.
What platforms does Textline work on?
Textline is available on Web, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does Textline have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Textline is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Textline have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Textline is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Textline open source?
Textline is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Textline have an API?
Yes. Textline offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Textline integrate with?
Textline's listing names Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Slack, Pipedrive, Zapier and Aircall.
Who makes Textline?
Textline is made by Textline, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Textline?
The closest alternatives to Textline in our directory are Quo, JustCall, Aircall, Dialpad and KrispCall.
How does Textline compare with other business phone systems?
Textline's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 19 other business phone systems we grade, and level with 3.
Could I make my own version of Textline?
To replace Textline you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Textline’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Textline's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Textline, Inc. Prices change, so check textline.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Textline, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/textline
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Textline: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/textline
Know someone choosing between business phone systems?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/textline/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded business phone systems after Textline, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Business Phone Systems Insider's GuideEvery one of the 20 business phone systems we grade, compared
- Grasshopper Insider's GuideVirtual business number on your own phone, priced per account3.0 GPA
- RingCentral Insider's GuideCloud phone system with texting, fax, video meetings and team chat3.0 GPA
- Dialpad Insider's GuideAI business phone with live call transcripts and call summaries2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Textline’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Textline is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Textline, Inc. Prices and plans change: check textline.com before you buy.