Pearl vs. TextMyGuests.

Let's be fair to them first: TextMyGuests is not a one-way blast tool, and the comparison is more interesting than that. It schedules texts, broadcasts on-the-fly updates, sorts guests into groups, takes a CSV import, and collects guest replies and photos into one private stream. Guests can text back, and you can chat one-on-one. Nothing on their site answers a guest for you: their own words for the reply stream are that you "review them all later or in real-time". Pearl is the concierge half: each guest texts their own question and gets an instant, personal answer from the details you gave Pearl once, and Pearl asks you about a new question a single time, then knows it for everyone after.

TextMyGuests prices per event by message count: $34 for 400 messages, $59 for 800, $119 for 2,000, $229 for 4,000, plus $2 for each month your event runs. There is a free 30-day trial and no credit card to start it. Their entry sits under Pearl's $49, so if you only need a few sends to a short list, it is the cheaper choice and we would rather say so. The catch is the unit. A bundle counts messages, and announcements are cheap in messages: four updates to a hundred guests is 400. Answering questions one guest at a time spends them faster, because every reply you send is one more message from the bundle. Pearl prices by guest count instead, and no Pearl plan bills per message.

If your plan is to push announcements, split guests into groups like the wedding party and the vendors, and gather everyone's photos and well-wishes into one stream, it does that well, it has years of events behind it, and it starts cheaper than Pearl. It also handles festivals and conferences, which Pearl does not target. Pick Pearl for the opposite problem: you do not want to be the person answering the questions at all.

Is TextMyGuests a wedding concierge?

No, it's a group-messaging platform for events. It schedules texts, broadcasts updates, sorts guests into groups, and gathers their replies into one stream for you to read. Reading and answering that stream is still your job. Pearl is the concierge: it answers each guest itself.

What's the difference between Pearl and TextMyGuests?

Who writes the answer. Both are two-way, so guests can text back on either one. TextMyGuests collects those replies and waits for you; Pearl reads each question and answers it in seconds from the details you gave it once, and asks you only about something it has not seen before.

Does TextMyGuests answer guest questions automatically?

Not that their site describes. It has two-way replies and one-on-one chat, which is more than a pure broadcast tool, and the replies land in a stream for you to review. If forty guests ask about the shuttle, you answer forty times or write a broadcast. Pearl answers all forty and remembers the answer for the next guest.

How much does TextMyGuests cost?

It sells message bundles per event: Standard $34 for 400 messages, $59 for 800, Economy $119 for 2,000, and Deluxe $229 for 4,000, plus $2 per month for each month your event runs. There's a free 30-day trial with no credit card. Its entry price is under Pearl's $49, so if 400 messages is genuinely all you need, it is cheaper.

Is a message bundle enough for guest questions?

That depends on whether guests reply. A bundle counts messages, and 400 covers a few announcements to a small list. Answering questions spends them faster, because every reply you send is one more message from the bundle. Pearl charges by guest count instead, and no plan bills per message.

When should I pick TextMyGuests instead?

If your plan is to send announcements, sort guests into groups, and collect photos and well-wishes into a stream, and you're happy to answer the questions yourself, it does that well and starts cheaper. Pick Pearl when you don't want to be the one answering.

More: Pearl vs. Text My Wedding · Pearl vs. AskVino · Pearl vs. WedLoop · the whole field, side by side.

TextMyGuests pricing and features as published on textmyguests.com, September 2026; comparison reflects each service's standard offering. Check each provider's site for current details.