Subtext

Subtext is the SMS platform big podcasts and newsrooms use when they want a direct, two-way text-message channel between hosts and an opted-in audience. The pitch is simple: SMS gets a 98% open rate, 90% of opens happen within three minutes, and unlike email or social there's no algorithm filtering messages out.

For a paid SMS tier (think "text the host" as a $5-10/month subscriber perk) or for breaking-news coverage where subscribers need to know the moment something happens, Subtext is the established enterprise option. The platform supports two-way conversation (replies route to the host or team inbox), media attachments (audio clips, images), scheduled sends, and segmentation by subscriber attributes.

The April 2026 platform expansion added more audience-management and campaign-customization controls. Pricing isn't published — you talk to sales — and historical data points have it starting around $300/mo for small lists and scaling from there.

That's enterprise pricing for what's effectively a glorified mailing list and it's hard to justify for indie shows. Where it makes sense: established podcasts with paying subscribers, news/talk shows where breaking-news SMS is a product, podcast networks running multiple shows. Where it doesn't: every indie podcast that should probably just use ConvertKit or Kit for email.