Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · SMS Chatbot Software

AthenaText vs Gupshup

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score AthenaText #2 in SMS Chatbot Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit AthenaText
Gupshup #7 in SMS Chatbot Software 8.4/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 6 features Visit Gupshup

AthenaText leads on 1 check, Gupshup on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAthenaText · 9.1/10
  • Free planonly AthenaText
  • Most featuresAthenaText · 5 of 6

AthenaText scores higher on our rubric for sms chatbot software: 9.1 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.

AthenaText offers free plan; Gupshup doesn't.

AthenaText is the better fit for teams needing compliant AI SMS workflows. Gupshup is the better fit for large multichannel chatbot programs.

  • AthenaText fits best

    Teams needing compliant AI SMS workflows

  • Gupshup fits best

    Large multichannel chatbot programs

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature AthenaText 9.1/10 Visit ↗ Gupshup 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 8.4
Ranking #2 in SMS Chatbot Software #7 in SMS Chatbot Software
Best for Teams needing compliant AI SMS workflows Large multichannel chatbot programs
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $468/yr $0.001/unit usage-based
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Community, Docs Email, Docs
Compliance 2FA SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Integrations 9 integrations 500+ integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Mid-market, Enterprise
Features AthenaText 5/6 · Gupshup 0/6
AI responses ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Workflow builder ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Two-way SMS ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Interactive menus Not checked yet Not checked yet
MMS support ✓ (best) Not checked yet
API access ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Message limit 1000 messages/mo Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Multi-turn AI conversations qualify and route inbound leads.
  • Shared inbox supports human takeover and two-way team workflows.
  • TCPA controls, APIs, analytics, and broad integrations support operations.
  • Deploys across SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, RCS, and web or app channels
  • Combines visual flow building, AI agents, routing, and human escalation
  • Supports rich messages, event-triggered campaigns, and agent assistance
Cons
  • The Free plan includes no AI replies and 0 credits.
  • Core limits included usage to 1,000 credits per month.
  • Advanced dialing and higher-volume workflows require upper tiers.
  • Pricing is centered on pay-per-message WhatsApp API usage
  • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of single-channel teams
  • Implementation spans chatbot flows, integrations, routing, and live support
Our verdict

AthenaText is an SMS marketing and conversational AI platform for inbound, appointment-driven businesses. It is designed for teams in real estate, home services, professional services, and similar operations that need to qualify leads,…

Read the review →

Gupshup is a conversational AI and messaging platform for businesses building automated marketing, commerce, customer service, and support experiences. Its Bot Studio provides low-code and no-code flow building, while AI agents can handle…

Read the review →
  1. AthenaTextSMS Chatbot Software 9.1Free plan
  2. GupshupSMS Chatbot Software 8.4Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • AthenaText — where it wins

    • Multi-turn AI conversations qualify and route inbound leads.
    • Shared inbox supports human takeover and two-way team workflows.
    • TCPA controls, APIs, analytics, and broad integrations support operations.

    Where it doesn't

    • The Free plan includes no AI replies and 0 credits.
    • Core limits included usage to 1,000 credits per month.
    • Advanced dialing and higher-volume workflows require upper tiers.

  • Gupshup — where it wins

    • Deploys across SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, RCS, and web or app channels
    • Combines visual flow building, AI agents, routing, and human escalation
    • Supports rich messages, event-triggered campaigns, and agent assistance

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing is centered on pay-per-message WhatsApp API usage
    • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of single-channel teams
    • Implementation spans chatbot flows, integrations, routing, and live support

More comparisons

All SMS chatbot software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update