Communication technology has evolved dramatically since Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989, around the same time as the creation of wireless phones. In the 2000s, these technologies were combined to bring us the smartphone, a powerful tool that 54% of the world's population can now access.
The smartphone goes way beyond being a mere communication device—it's used for web browsing, entertainment, shopping, banking, and more. When it comes to connecting with people, the smartphone offers several advanced methods of communication, from instant messaging and video calls to group chats.
Group communication is part of everyday messaging for both consumers and businesses. Consumers want this function to chat with friends and family, while businesses often need it to keep employees and teams informed and working towards the same goal.
Which is the best group texting app for consumers and also for businesses? This article highlights the top five for each audience to help you compare.
What are group messages and group chats?
Group SMS messages are text-based chats between multiple people, allowing each person to interact in real time. Each group chat member can see previous messages from others in the group. If you compose a text message and add multiple recipients, it'll automatically become a group chat. Different group text messaging apps have varying functionality. For example, some will let you send multimedia attachments and make group voice and video calls too.
Differences between group messaging apps
Group text messages can be sent via traditional SMS, a native application built into all Android mobile phones, even basic cell phones. They can also be sent via iMessage (iPhone's texting app) or third-party OTT messaging apps.
OTT stands for 'over-the-top', which refers to OTT messaging operating 'above' mobile networks. It uses an internet signal to send and receive messages instead of a cellular connection. (Examples of OTT messaging apps include WhatsApp and Messenger.) SMS, on the other hand, only transmits messages over a telecom carrier network.
Some OTT apps, like WhatsApp, require your phone number during signup but transmit messages through the app and WiFi. Others, like Snapchat, let you create an account with just your email address. Here are some other ways group text messaging apps differ:
Security: OTT messaging apps are deemed more secure than traditional SMS because the former uses end-to-end encryption, which makes messages difficult to hack.
Group chat formats: some apps are best suited to informal conversation streams with small groups of family and friends. Others offer open channels that anyone (sometimes thousands of people) can join, e.g. Telegram groups or Viber Communities.
Features: OTT apps typically offer read receipts and real-time typing indicators and support the transmission of multimedia files (photos, videos, documents, GIFs, and emojis). Some even provide hidden chats, pinned messages, sticker packs, bots, etc.
Personal vs business group texting apps
As suggested earlier, consumer-based text apps are ideal for personal messaging with close-knit groups of peers, friends, and family. They provide an informal yet structured environment for chatter and social planning. Business group chat apps are great for streamlined workplace communication and collaboration. They can also be used for forum-like customer conversations and marketing text alerts. Here are some of the standout differences between personal and business group texting apps.
Group management
Group management is simple in personal group messaging apps. Typically, the person who creates the group can add or remove members, see who's in the group, change the group's name, and add other group admins.
This feature is more sophisticated in business texting apps. In Slack, for instance, you can add and remove members and notify groups of people at once by mentioning the group's unique handle in a channel. You can also add group members to up to 100 channels (different topic threads).
Conversation management
Personal instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger hold all messages in one inbox in chronological order. As new conversations occur, group messages move down the inbox, much like emails. Users must scroll through the inbox to find the group chat unless another group member contributes to the conversation, in which case it'll appear at the top of the inbox again.
In business texting apps, however, conversations are organised more efficiently according to topics, and there's a search function, making it easier for all group members to find information.
Scheduling and automation
Personal group text apps allow you to chat on the go, but you can't schedule a message to be sent later – or send group messages automatically.
In contrast, some business messaging apps allow you to do precisely this. With Messente, for example, if you need to ensure a message is sent at 4pm on Friday to inform colleagues of an impromptu staff meeting on Monday morning, you can schedule this in advance.
The same applies to automated text messages, which are sent on autopilot in the background, allowing you to work on other tasks. Automated texts are handy for essential follow-up communications, such as staff meeting reminders or requesting customer reviews after they've purchased a product.
Group size
In business texting apps, you can add thousands of members to groups. But, personal chat apps with group messaging features have restrictions on group size. Messenger has one of the smallest limits, allowing for just 250 members. That said, personal users are unlikely to need a larger group size.
Messaging volume
Personal group messaging apps restrict the number of messages you can send simultaneously, whereas business messaging apps typically provide a mass texting solution.
Messente's Head of Product, Harry Peek, explains more: "Businesses often require high messaging volumes (through-put) so they can inform all staff or their entire audience base about something at the same time. Some business messaging providers, like Messente, can meet this demand, allowing you to send a single text to hundreds of thousands of recipients in one go – reaching everyone virtually instantly."
Five best group texting apps for consumers
First, let's examine the most popular messaging apps for personal use. They all support group messaging but vary in terms of other features and pros and cons.
1. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is the most used cross-platform instant messaging app, with some two billion monthly active users. It lets people make voice and video calls or send texts, voice notes, photos, videos, GIFs, stickers and emojis at no cost.
WhatsApp's group texting features:
Private messages: end-to-end encryption (E2EE) means that WhatsApp or any other third party can't read the message content. WhatsApp also has good privacy controls, such as locked chats and disappearing messages.
Group size: up to 1,024 members can be added to a group.
Communities: bring up to 100 related groups together within a community, e.g., a workplace or neighbourhood. (This feature allows admins to manage multiple groups more efficiently and send announcements to all community members.)
Pros:
WhatsApp is a hugely popular group text app because it's free, easy to use and offers a wide range of messaging features. It was the first instant messaging app to gain mass traction, so it's familiar to most mobile phone users. WhatsApp is particularly strong in terms of security, with E2EE messages and privacy controls.
Cons:
WhatsApp is owned by Meta and relies on other Meta Companies to provide its services. This involves WhatsApp sharing the information it collects. Meta has come under fire over the years regarding the data it collects and shares with third parties, so this could be a potential downside for people worried about how their data is used.
2. Messenger
Facebook Messenger was launched in 2008 as an internal instant messaging service for people with a Facebook account. In 2011, it was released as a standalone iOS and Android app. Now called 'Messenger', it's used by over one billion people each month across desktop and mobile for free calls and texts with photos, emojis, videos, and other files.
Messenger's group texting features:
Group size: up to 250 members can connect in a single group.
Community chats: a feature within Facebook groups designed for real-time conversations with group members.
Watch Together: enables multiple people to watch videos together while on a group video call.
Animated effects: bring conversations to life with AR effects and selfie stickers.
Customisable chats: change themes and colours to make chats fun and personal.
Pros:
Messenger is seamlessly integrated into the Facebook ecosystem, making it easy to transition between Facebook's social media platform and messaging. It offers biometrics: iOS users can opt to open Messenger using facial or fingerprint recognition. Personal chats are also end-to-end encrypted.
Cons:
Getting set up on Messenger is a hassle if you don't want to use Facebook. That’s because signing up for a Facebook account is a prerequisite, as you'll need to use your Facebook password to log into Messenger. The small group size limit could be an issue for some.
3. Signal
Signal is a private messaging app that focuses on security and privacy. All calls and messages are end-to-end encrypted and powered by Signal's open-source protocol. Each one-to-one chat has a unique safety number, allowing you to verify that you're chatting with specific contacts. It has around 70 million active users. There are no adverts or tracking; development and maintenance for the app rely upon donations.
Signal's group texting features:
Group size: Signal's group messages have a limit of 1,000 members. Up to 40 members can participate in a group call.
Group chat privacy: create private groups where you can text, voice or video call that even Signal has no record of.
Phone number privacy: phone numbers are invisible to people who don't have your number saved in their phone (by default). You can allow people to find you by your username.
Text formatting: use bold, italics, strikethrough and more in text-based messages.
Pros:
Security is Signal's standout feature, with user privacy at the app's core. Signal's open-source technology has been evaluated by experts and has even been adopted by Meta and Google—a sure testament to its quality. The company behind Signal is an independent nonprofit with no ties to any of the major data-hungry tech firms, meaning your data is safe and won't be sold.
Cons:
You may see warnings that a contact's safety number has changed, meaning Signal has had to create a new cryptographic key for your conversation. This could be a sign that a hacker has tried intercepting your messages, but it most likely means your contact got a new phone. Another potential downside to Signal is that because it has a small user base compared to WhatsApp and Messenger, not all of your contacts may be using it.
4. LINE
LINE goes way beyond a messaging app—it's used for entertainment, shopping, banking, accessing healthcare services, and free texting and calling. LINE is massively popular in Southeast Asia and Japan—the last reported number of monthly active users was 84 million in 2020.
LINE's group texting features:
Group size: the limit is 99 people if the 'Members Join Automatically' setting is switched on or 499 people if this setting is switched off.
Organised chats: group chats are automatically stored in the 'Groups' folder.
Group chat options: send pictures, notes, videos and text-based messages, record live videos and create events.
Niche groups: many LINE groups are based on niches, like gaming and anime. These are searchable on Facebook and Reddit forums, although you will need to receive an invitation to join one.
Pros:
LINE is a 'Super App' that connects people, services and information. It's more interactive than other social apps, enabling you to meet new people easily. For example, as well as group chats, you can use LINE's OpenChat feature to join chat rooms for knowledge sharing, reviews, Q&As and commerce.
Cons:
LINE is mainly used in Asian countries. It's not yet been widely adopted in the Americas or Europe, so if you're from these continents, not everyone in your contact list may use it. Regarding LINE group chats, there are no admin roles. This means anyone in a group can add or remove members – which could be a problem.
5. WeChat
WeChat is a Chinese 'Super App' used for everything from messaging and social media to video gaming and mobile payments. As of December 2023, WeChat had more than 1.3 billion monthly active users.
WeChat's group texting features:
Group size: up to 500 members can join a group.
Group notices: admins can send out a group announcement to everyone in the group.
Organised chats: with the Sticky on Top feature, group admins can stick up to five messages at the top of the chat thread.
Niche groups: like LINE, you can find all sorts of WeChat groups based on niches, but you'll need to receive an invitation to join one.
Pros:
WeChat is an all-in-one communication platform—almost like a mix of WhatsApp, Facebook, Google, and Apple Pay. Users can do everything they need without ever leaving the app. If you have WeChat already, it's a no-brainer to use the group messaging function.
Cons:
While WeChat is available in over 200 countries, most users are located in China. WeChat is less secure than the other consumer texting apps listed here because messages aren't entirely end-to-end encrypted. This means messages could be intercepted. WeChat is also monitored by the Chinese government, and images and comments are subject to censorship.
Five best group texting apps for businesses
Business texting apps offer more advanced features to aid team collaboration and workflows. Some, like Messente, offer exceptionally high messaging volumes for widespread customer communications.
1. Messente
Messente is a global text messaging platform mainly used for bulk SMS campaigns in the FinTech, banking, insurance, logistics and retail industries. It's ideal for sending promotional messages en masse, personalised transactional messages (e.g., order confirmations and delivery updates) or unique, automated one-time passwords during account verification.
Messentes group SMS features:
Group size: virtually unlimited.
Audience segmentation: every contact in your database can belong to different groups, making it easy to send targeted text messages.
Contact deduplication: when texting multiple groups that may contain the same contacts, Messente will only send one message to each contact to avoid duplication.
Delivery reports: easily see if messages are delivered to all group members.
Message scheduling: create texts in advance and send at the best time for the audience.
Message preview: double-check important messages before sending with Messente's message preview tool.
Pros:
Messente's has partnerships with hundreds of network carriers in over 190 countries, enabling you to reliably send group text messages almost anywhere in the world. Messages are transmitted via cellphone networks, not WiFi, so you can reach people even in remote areas if there's a phone signal. Prices are transparent; you simply pay for the messages you send. Messente also strongly focuses on anti-fraud and will proactively advise you on getting the best value from your campaigns.
Cons:
Messente's core service is traditional text messaging. It doesn't support MMS messages. However, you can send Viber messages with Messente if your audience uses this app.
2. Slack
Slack is a cloud-based team communication and productivity platform that transforms how teams work. All activity occurs in 'channels'—organised spaces where people, messages, tasks, and files are brought together. Slack also enables collaboration with external partners, moving siloed conversations into a central hub.
Slack's group texting features:
Group size: there's no limit to the number of people you can have in a channel. You can add up to 1,000 members at once.
Channel privacy: groups can be private or public (to any workspace member).
Direct group message chats: create a new message and tag up to nine contacts you want to chat with.
Searchable files: any file up to 1GB (ten at a time) can be added to a Slack channel or direct message group chat. These are searchable and shareable across Slack.
Pros:
Slack offers multiple built-in communication tools that allow teams to work together effectively. The interface is logical and customisable to each user. Slack integrates with over 2,500 other apps to make work tasks even easier, and there's a free plan available too.
Cons:
If you don't upgrade to a paid plan, you'll have limited features and won't be able to see messages older than 90 days. Paid plans can be costly as they're priced per person, per month - and all the members in a workspace must upgrade. The cheapest paid plan costs £7 per person, per month.
3. MS Teams
Microsoft Teams is a messaging app and workspace for organisations that enables real-time communication and collaboration. It allows users to organise and hold video meetings, share files, and sync with other Office apps like OneDrive and OneNote.
MS Team's group texting features:
Group size: up to 25,000 members per team, 5,000 members in a shared channel, and 250 people in a group chat or private channel.
Channels: a single place for teams to collaborate and share tools, messages and files.
Group video and audio calls: allows for up to 20 people.
Group chats: shared files are stored in a 'Files' tab, making them easy to find later. You can pin up to 15 frequently used group chats to the top of the chat inbox and choose how much chat history to include when adding new participants.
Pros:
MS Teams offers a decent free version suitable for small businesses and nonprofits. This includes up to 5GB of file storage and 60-minute group meetings for up to 100 users. MS Teams deeply integrates with the Microsoft ecosystem, so it's ideal for people already using Word, Excel, Outlook, and OneDrive.
Cons:
MS Teams uses a lot of resources, which can slow down systems and impact multitasking. iOS users may find MS Teams challenging to work with.
4. Meta Workplace
Workplace from Meta is a communications tool that connects all employees, even if they work remotely. It offers familiar features like news feeds, messaging, group chats, and live video broadcasting. Think Facebook, but for companies! (Although Workplace accounts are entirely separate from Facebook accounts.)
Meta Workplace's group messaging features:
Workplace Groups: use different post types, including scheduled posts, to communicate with specific teams or the entire company. Share files from OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive and Dropbox.
Workplace Bots: these can help create tasks, book meetings, set up video calls, give feedback, and more.
Group chat size: up to 250 coworkers in a Workplace Chat (instant messaging with video calling).
Chat formatting: highlight important text with italics, bold, strikethrough, etc.
Other chat options: active status (which shows coworkers when you're online), pinned chats and file sharing (videos and images up to 75MB).
Pros:
The interface is similar to other Meta software, so it's easy to learn. There's one straightforward core pricing plan at $4 per person monthly with optional add-ons for enhanced support and video streaming.
Cons:
Meta Workplace will be made redundant in June 2026, so it won't work as a long-term group messaging solution.
5. Google Chat
Google Chat is a feature of Google Workspace. Made for modern messaging and powered by AI, it helps teams connect and collaborate to get things done.
Google Chat's group messaging features:
Group size: group chats can have up to 400 members, while Spaces can have 8,000 members.
Spaces: places to chat about particular topics, projects or shared interests. Spaces are searchable within your organisation.
Google Chat options: pin Spaces or conversations, send and react with emojis, and set up webhooks in messages.
Customisable: switch from light to dark in Google Chats to make it easier to check conversations.
Accessible: Google Chat can be used with a screen reader.
Pros:
Google Chat is included with Google Workspace at no additional cost. It integrates with other Google tools like Calendar, Gmail, Drive and Meet. It offers the same built-in security as Gmail, which protects users from 99.9% of malicious content and spam. The interface is very similar to Gmail too.
Cons:
Google Chat isn't heavy on features, but it'll do the job if you only need a simple business messaging solution. Apps like Slack and MS Teams have better collaboration tools. There is limited support for third-party integrations.
What app is best for group messaging?
The best group messaging app depends on whether you're texting for personal or business reasons and the types of features you need. WhatsApp is the most popular group text messaging app for consumers based on the number of users it has. However, you may prefer to use one of the other apps mentioned in this article for more advanced features and better security.
As a business owner, your choice will be dictated by your workforce size and collaboration requirements - or whether you need a text blast tool for customer communications.
Discover how Messente's business messaging service can help with marketing text blasts and other mass communications.
