8 Best SMS Marketing Software for Restaurants in 2026

SimpleTexting suits a restaurant because the work fits between services. It starts at $39 a month for 500 credits with a local number included, and every feature ships on every plan: automations, API access, AI writing help and unlimited keywords. A keyword on a table tent or a menu can grow the list while staff serve tables, and three user seats are included so the manager and two staff can share the account.

The catch is the price for a small dining room. At $39 a month, it costs more than EZ Texting or SlickText for the same 500 messages, and extra credits cost 5.5 cents each. Carrier fees of about $0.0025 per message sit on top, plus a $4 one-time carrier registration fee. A restaurant sending under 300 texts a month pays more here than on a pay-as-you-go tool.

SlickText suits a restaurant with slow weeks and busy weekends. It starts at $29 a month for 500 credits, and unused credits roll over to the next month, so a quiet January banks credit for a packed Valentine's week. Every plan includes unlimited users, unlimited contacts, all automation features and every integration, so the whole team can run campaigns from one account.

The catch is that SlickText is SMS-only, with no email channel in the same account, and MMS costs 3 credits per message, so a photo of tonight's special burns credits fast. Carrier fees sit on top of the plan price. A restaurant that also sends a weekly email newsletter will need a second tool for that job.

EZ Texting is the cheapest monthly SMS plan for a restaurant. Launch costs $25 a month, or $20 a month billed annually, for 500 credits with a local number included. Setup is short, the interface is plain, and a keyword can sit on the menu from day one, so guests can join while they wait for a table.

The catch is the fees around the headline price. Launch adds a $5 a month telecom fee, so the real cost is $30 a month, MMS costs 3 credits per message, and extra users cost $10 a month each. A restaurant that sends food photos will burn through 500 credits fast. At $30 a month all-in, it ties SlickText at $29 a month, so compare the extras, not the headline.

Textedly suits a restaurant that texts daily specials and wants one flat price. Basic costs $29 a month for 500 messages, or 600 messages billed annually, and every plan includes all features: two-way texting, MMS, text-to-pay, review requests and AI writing help. A guest can pay a bill or leave a review from a text, and inbound messages are always free.

The catch is the surcharge. Every account pays an $8 a month telecom surcharge, so the real entry cost is $37 a month, not $29. Extra texts cost $30 for 500, and extra teammates cost $10 a month each. There is also no free plan, only a 14-day trial with 50 messages, so a restaurant cannot run a small list free here.

Klaviyo suits a restaurant that wants email and SMS from one guest list. The free plan covers 250 profiles, 500 emails and $5 of mobile messages a month, so a small dining room can run birthday texts and a monthly newsletter before paying anything. The paid Email plan starts at $20 a month for 251 to 500 profiles, and flows can switch between email and SMS based on what each guest opens.

The catch is the price curve and the setup time. Klaviyo charges by active profiles, so every new guest raises the price, and SMS credits cost extra on every tier. It also takes longer to set up than a pure SMS tool, since the list, segments and flows need building first. A restaurant that only wants texts will find it heavier than it needs.

Attentive suits a large restaurant group that wants SMS run for it, not by it. It pairs SMS and email with AI personalization, managed onboarding and deliverability support, and it serves brands sending 50,000 or more texts a month. Segments can be built from visit history and spend, so a group can text its regulars differently from first-time guests.

The catch is the price and the sales process. Attentive publishes no prices: you book a demo, get a custom quote, and sign a contract with quarterly minimums. Public contract data puts the median annual deal near $40,000. A single restaurant will pay far more here than on SimpleTexting or SlickText for the same messages.

Sakari suits a restaurant that already runs a CRM and wants texts tied to bookings and contacts. It starts at $25 a month with about $0.0304 per US segment, and it links natively to HubSpot, Pipedrive and ActiveCampaign, so a booking or a contact change can trigger a confirmation text without a third-party app. Unlimited users and contacts sit on every plan, and unused credits roll over for 90 days.

The catch is the per-segment rate. At about $0.0304 per segment, Sakari costs three to four times what Twilio charges per message, so a restaurant that texts its whole list weekly pays more here than on a flat plan. MMS costs $0.02 extra per message and works only in the US and Canada, so food photos cost more than plain texts.

TextMagic suits a restaurant that texts rarely, such as a monthly event notice or a holiday hours update. It charges $0.049 per SMS in the US on a pay-as-you-go basis, with credits that never expire, so a restaurant that sends 100 texts a month pays about $5. Two-way chat and scheduling are included, which covers replies to a special offer.

The catch is the number rent. A virtual number costs $10 a month, and 10DLC campaign registration costs another $10 a month, so the real floor is about $20 a month before you send a text. There are also few restaurant templates and no keyword tools built for table tents, so a restaurant that texts weekly will outgrow it fast.