Best Group Messaging Apps

171+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.4 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated July 2026

GroupMe is the household name in group messaging, but it's far from the only option. We track 171+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Compare top Group Messaging Apps (July 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1GroupMeGroupMeFree4.7★ (1.6M)NoYesAug 2026
2BAND - App for all groupsBAND - App for all groupsFree4.7★ (59K)NoYesAug 2026
3Group Text | Mass MessageGroup Text | Mass MessageFree4.3★ (5.8K)NoYesAug 2026
4WhatsApp MessengerWhatsApp MessengerFree4.7★ (18M)YesYesAug 2026
5SendHype - Group textSendHype - Group textFree4.6★ (1.6K)NoYesAug 2026
6MessagesMessagesFree4.1★ (32K)NoNoAug 2026
7Google ChatGoogle ChatFree4.6★ (305K)NoNoAug 2026
8Group SMS+Group SMS+Free4.7★ (4.1K)YesYesAug 2026

Top Picks for Group Messaging

GroupMe#1

GroupMe by Skype Communications S.a.r.l

Group Chats, Events, Calling
Editor's Choice
🌐 Social Networking
4.7😐(1.6M ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#8in Social Networking
GroupMe screenshot 1
GroupMe screenshot 2
GroupMe screenshot 3
GroupMe screenshot 4
GroupMe screenshot 5
GroupMe screenshot 6

Connect with family, friends, and colleagues through group chats, direct messages, and shared media. Easily add members via phone number or email, control notifications, and express yourself with custom emojis and GIFs. Share photos and videos to relive memories later.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Excellent group communication
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 🚀 Reliable

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Syncing and loading issues
  • 🐛 Notification problems
BAND - App for all groups#2

BAND - App for all groups by NAVER Corp.

Build Your Team With One App
Strong Contender
🌐 Social Networking
4.7😐(59K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#9in Social Networking
BAND - App for all groups screenshot 1
BAND - App for all groups screenshot 2
BAND - App for all groups screenshot 3
BAND - App for all groups screenshot 4
BAND - App for all groups screenshot 5
BAND - App for all groups screenshot 6

This app helps groups of all kinds stay connected and organized. It offers features for communication, event planning, photo sharing, and task management to keep everyone in sync.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great for organizing groups
  • 💡 Useful features like calendar, polls, and file sharing
  • 👍 Helpful for communication and staying connected
  • 🔒 Controlled data and private groups

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Confusing navigation and UI
  • 💤 Slow video/content loading
Group Text | Mass Message#3

Group Text | Mass Message by Mass Text LLC

Bulk SMS - text2group
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.3😐(5.8K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Group Text | Mass Message screenshot 1
Group Text | Mass Message screenshot 2
Group Text | Mass Message screenshot 3
Group Text | Mass Message screenshot 4
Group Text | Mass Message screenshot 5
Group Text | Mass Message screenshot 6

Send individual text messages to multiple contacts simultaneously. Organize contacts into custom groups, utilize message templates for efficiency, and personalize messages with recipient details. Upgrade for unlimited groups and advanced features.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Convenient for group messaging
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 👍 Helpful for business/work

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with iOS updates
  • 🐛 Unreliable message delivery
  • 💰 Expensive subscription

More Group Messaging apps to explore

4
WhatsApp Messenger
WhatsApp Messenger
WhatsApp Messenger
Simple. Reliable. Private.
Free

Connect with friends and family globally through private messaging and high-quality calls. Share moments, documents, and stay in touch across devices, even on slow connections. Your conversations are secured with end-to-end encryption.

End-to-end encrypted messagingHigh-quality voice and video callsGroup chats and calls
🌐 Social Networking
(18M)
free with in-app purchases
5
SendHype - Group text
SendHype - Group text
SendHype - Group text
Mass text message | Text2group
Free

Easily send personalized text messages to multiple contacts individually, ensuring privacy. Create custom groups, use message templates with placeholders, and attach media. A free version is available with premium upgrade options.

Personalized text messagesCustom contact groupsMessage templates with placeholders
📊 Productivity
(1.6K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Messages
Messages
Messages
by Apple Inc.
Free

Communicate with contacts through unlimited texts, photos, videos, and documents. Supports iMessage for Apple devices and RCS, SMS, and MMS for others. Features include message editing, unsending, and scheduling.

Send unlimited texts, photos, videos, and documentsiMessage, RCS, SMS, and MMS supportEdit and unsend messages
🌐 Social Networking
(32K)
free
7
Google Chat
Google Chat
Google Chat
Efficient Team Communication
Free

Connect, collaborate, and accomplish tasks with AI-powered messaging. Streamline teamwork with integrations and smart features. Securely communicate with your team, whether in real-time or asynchronously.

AI-powered conversation summariesAutomatic message translationAI-powered search
💼 Business
(305K)
free with in-app purchases
8
Group SMS+
Group SMS+
Group SMS+
Send group text messages
Free

Send SMS messages to groups of any size with ease. This app allows for bulk messaging, batch sending, and contact import. Enhance your messages with photo attachments.

Bulk SMS sendingBatch messagingContact import
📊 Productivity
(4.1K)
free with in-app purchases
9
Telegram Messenger
Telegram Messenger
Telegram Messenger
Fast. Secure. Powerful.
Free

A fast, secure, and powerful instant messaging app synced across all devices. It offers unlimited media and file sharing, robust encryption, and extensive group chat capabilities. Enjoy a simple, private, and customizable communication experience.

Cross-device synchronizationUnlimited file and media sharingEnd-to-end encrypted secret chats
🌐 Social Networking
(276K)
free with in-app purchases
10
Fext - Group Text Messaging
Fext - Group Text Messaging
Fext - Group Text Messaging
Bulk SMS - Private Texting
Free

Send a single message to multiple recipients, with each person receiving it as a private, one-on-one SMS. This app offers a simple, fast, and organized way to conduct group texting without the clutter of traditional group chats. It's designed for personal outreach and clear communication.

Private one-on-one SMS deliveryNo noisy group threadsCreate flexible groups
📊 Productivity
(551)
subscription
11
LINE
LINE
LINE
by LINE Corporation
Free

Connect with friends and family through free voice and video calls, messages, and a wide array of stickers and themes. This communication platform offers a seamless experience across mobile, desktop, and smartwatches, with enhanced privacy features and content discovery options.

Free voice and video callsMessagingStickers and emojis
🌐 Social Networking
(18K)
free with in-app purchases
12
Reach: Fast SMS Text and Email
Reach: Fast SMS Text and Email
Reach: Fast SMS Text and Email
Send Messages to Large Groups
Free

Easily send personalized messages to large groups via SMS, email, and more. Recipients receive individual messages, maintaining privacy like a BCC. Supports group creation, message templates, and CSV importing.

Set up distribution groupsSend personalized messages individuallySync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
📊 Productivity
(7.4K)
free with in-app purchases
13
Group RCS SMS and Email
Group RCS SMS and Email
Group RCS SMS and Email
Send text with smart templates
Free

Easily manage your contacts and send bulk SMS or emails to groups with smart templates. Organize your address book into unlimited groups and smart groups based on criteria like upcoming birthdays or missing phone numbers.

Import contactsSend group SMS and emailMessage templates and signatures
📊 Productivity
(1K)
free with in-app purchases
14
Groups
Groups
Groups
Your Personal Social Network ▶
Free

This app transforms your phone's contacts into a private social network. Organize people, share updates, and stay connected without sharing your data with large tech companies. It offers features for communication, event planning, and contact management.

Organize contacts into custom groupsSet reminders to reach outSend personalized group messages
📊 Productivity
(4.9K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Signal - Private Messenger
Signal - Private Messenger
Signal - Private Messenger
Say “hello” to privacy.
Free

This messaging app prioritizes your privacy with strong end-to-end encryption for all communications. It offers free text, voice, and video messaging, including group chats and disappearing stories, all without collecting your data.

End-to-end encrypted messagingFree voice and video callsGroup chats up to 1000 people
🌐 Social Networking
(1.1M)
free with in-app purchases
16
Slack
Slack
Slack
Business Communication
Free

This app streamlines business communication by bringing together coworkers, customers, and contractors in a secure, unified workspace. It offers AI-powered search and summarization, automation tools, and integrations with over 2,600 apps to reduce busywork and improve collaboration.

Unified workspace for teams and external partnersAI-powered search and conversation summarizationVideo conferencing with screen sharing
💼 Business
(49K)
freemium
17
Flare - For Groups
Flare - For Groups
Flare - For Groups
The all-in-one for groups
Free

This app streamlines group management by consolidating communication, event planning, and engagement tools. It offers features like group chats, event RSVPs, attendance tracking, photo albums, and payment collection, making it ideal for various organizations.

Group chats and announcementsEvent creation and attendance trackingPhoto albums and highlights
🌐 Social Networking
(5.9K)
free
18
Wire • Secure Messenger
Wire • Secure Messenger
Wire • Secure Messenger
Secure Business Collaboration
Free

Securely communicate and collaborate with end-to-end encryption. This app offers a unified platform for calls, chats, file sharing, and video conferences, designed for both small teams and large organizations. It prioritizes privacy with features like self-deleting messages and guest links.

End-to-end encryptionSecure calls and video conferencesFile and document sharing
💼 Business
(916)
free
19
Loop Messenger
Loop Messenger
Loop Messenger
Best group messaging and chat
Free

Organize your group conversations with this secure and spam-free messaging app. It offers streamlined chat, direct messaging within groups, and extensive customization options. Ideal for various communities seeking efficient and private communication.

Streamlined group messagingDirect messaging in groupsCustomizable chat experience
🌐 Social Networking
(40)
free
20
Pronto Team Communication
Pronto Team Communication
Pronto Team Communication
Group Text & Video Chat
Free

This app facilitates efficient team communication with real-time messaging, video chat, and task management. It offers secure private channels, instant language translation, and read receipts to ensure messages are seen and understood. It also includes features like announcements and GIF support for enhanced team interaction.

Real-time messagingVideo chatTask management
📚 Education
(20K)
free

FAQ about Group Messaging

What are the best group messaging apps for iPhone?
GroupMe tops our group messaging apps ranking as of July 2026, with a 4.7-star average from 1.6M App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top group messaging apps we rank are free to download, including GroupMe and BAND - App for all groups.
GroupMe has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of July 2026.
We track 171+ group messaging apps on the iOS App Store as of July 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
This app provides a free and simple platform for staying in touch with groups of people. It allows for group chats, direct messages, and sharing of photos, videos, and GIFs. You can easily add members and control your notification settings.
Key features include the ability to create group chats and send direct messages, express yourself with exclusive emoji and GIFs, share photos and videos that are saved in a gallery, and control notifications for specific chats or the entire app. It also offers web access.

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