We get a lot of questions about the differences between TXT Signal and other text messaging services. Specifically, how our service is priced much more reasonable than other services.

First and foremost, TXT Signal wasn’t built to be a platform for two-way messaging. TXT Signal was built as a broadcast text messaging service. By definition, broadcasting is one-way…and TXT Signal serves the singular purpose of getting a message out.

Second, we don’t use pure SMS for TXT Signal because it can be very expensive. Please understand, we have a very wide variety of clients –from coaches of local youth athletic teams to large corporations. And though our firm does write custom applications that integrate pure SMS, including two-way messaging, campaigning, etc., we have designed the TXT Signal messaging platform to keep the price affordable for all our clients. Perhaps we could charge our larger clients more, but we have been very fair about our pricing and the features of each plan.

[Note: If you are interested in a pure SMS system, email us (support@txtsignal.com) and we can help you scope out what your requirements are and how we could help.]

Third, we have left it up to the user. You log in, you type the message you want, you decide who the message gets sent to and when it gets sent out.

With this flexibility, you can get the action you need. By simply including a call back number (e.g., 555-1212) in the body of the message, you can create an immediate”feedback loop”. Most phones allow the user to scroll to the number within the body of the message, press one button, and the call is connected. So a simple message like “I need some help from 4-10PM. Call me at 555-1212″ can be the most effective solution for a) getting the word out and b) getting action on what you want.

We are still working on some ways to deploy the Reply feature and other improvements that could mimic Pure SMS… without the cost. That will have to come in the future.