As you already know, Zipwhip is shutting down. Twilio has acquired Zipwhip and shut down Zipwhip business almost completely. There is no way to know the reason, but rest assured, we will help you decide on your future platform.
Zipwhip has set some benchmarks in the industry. With quality software and features, a good contender should have some basic capabilities to even qualify as a Zipwhip alternative. This, in turn, will help you in choosing your future platform.
Now, let’s look at some of the basic features we expect in a good texting platform:
Group Texting
Unlimited contacts
Contacts synchronization
Shared Inbox
Auto Replies
Now that we are aware of the benchmark Zipwhip set for the industry, let’s start with the alternatives suggested by our own Zipwhip.
If you look for Zipwhip alternatives, there is a fair chance of you ending up on Twilio’s Shutdown Resource Guide. Zipwhip suggests three ‘out-of-the-box' alternatives: Podium, Voxie, and Text Request (These are just Twilio-sponsored suggestions of their partners).
We are not here to tell you that these are not the alternatives you are looking for. Okay, maybe we are. But hear us out. Below, we give you a glimpse of the Pros and Cons of the above three alternatives. And then, it’s up to you to decide whether they are right for you or not.
Podium provides the customers a platform to interact with local businesses: from ‘collecting reviews, text enabling the website with chat via text’ to ‘managing all your customer queries/texts’.
Pros:
Mass texting
Lead development
Personalization
Automated emails
Cons:
Overpriced. (Basic Plan at $289 and Standard at $449. I mean, 400-500% premium? Really?)
Customer Service is a real problem.
Text Request is a business texting platform focused on customer engagement by crafting messaging solution for everyday communication problems.
Pros:
Mass texting
Messages scheduling
Auto replies
File Sharing
Cons:
Pricing is costly. (Basic plan at $59 and Starter at $139. Pricing is not aligned with the features, according to market standards.)
Group Texting: takes a lot of time, no personalization available.
Poor customer service.
Voxie is the conversational AI text marketing app that helps retail, service, and restaurant passion brands connect with and learn from their customers to drive more revenue.
Pros:
Mass texting
Messages scheduling
Auto replies
MMS Marketing
Cons:
No information about pricing.
Takes time to understand, not for small teams.
CONCLUSION
So, we compared the three alternatives, where Podium stands as a qualified alternative with many advanced features. But the Podium’s pricing can be an issue for many. If you can do without the advanced SMS Marketing features, you need to get out of the Podium boat.
Text Request is a good platform, but it misses some of the essential features. So, it can’t really be counted as a qualified alternative. While Voxie is an advanced texting option, nobody knows Voxie’s pricing unless you manage to get in touch with their sales team. We can only assume what an advanced AI texting platform can cost. (Some reviews suggest premium-level pricing.)
As extensive users of texting, we feel the texting software needs to meet our requirements AND have pricing that aligns with the features. Ideally, we should be looking for something that can provide us with the essential features at an affordable price. For an advanced scenario, you can contact any of these companies and get more information.
However, if you are looking for an alternative that satisfies your basic texting needs as well as provides you with advanced features on top (at no extra ‘overwhelming’ cost), you can check out Falkon SMS or just talk to us.
Comentarios