Shepherding Connections
Shepherding Connections: A broad church texting toolkit with a free entry point and automation features. Ranked #3 of 25 in Church Text Messaging Software by our editors (9.1/10); pricing: Free plan; best for budget-conscious churches wanting automation.
At a glance
- Editor score9.1 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forBudget-conscious churches wanting automation
- Free planYes
- Paid from$290/yr
- Two-way messagingYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Two-way texting, sequences, keyword replies, and scheduled sends
- Visitor connect pages, segmentation, consent, and opt-out tools
- Web, iOS, Android, and integrations with church software
Where it doesn't
- Free Forever excludes SMS messaging
- Messaging is limited to United States and Canada numbers
- Connections is currently in beta
Our verdict on Shepherding Connections
Shepherding Connections is the SMS-focused application in Shepherding Tools, designed for pastors, elders, outreach teams, and churches managing announcements and follow-up. Its feature set covers SMS announcements, a two-way texting inbox, automated multi-step sequences, keyword auto-responses, visitor connect pages, welcome cards, targeted contact segments, scheduled announcements, repeating-cadence automations, and trackable shortened links. Churches can also manage SMS consent and opt-outs through a church phone number. The product is available on web, iOS, and Android.
Pricing is structured for churches at several sizes. Free Forever provides limited Connections access without SMS messaging and does not require a credit card. Small Church costs $29 per month or $290 per year and adds full SMS messaging through Connections plus priority email support. Medium Church costs $49 per month or $490 per year, with full access to every application and phone and email support. Large Church costs $99 per month or $990 per year and adds dedicated onboarding support. Unlimited costs $199 per month and includes full access to every application with custom onboarding and training.
The strongest fit is a church that wants more than one-off announcements: sequences, recurring messages, visitor follow-up, keyword replies, and audience segmentation support ongoing communication workflows. Planning Center People, Breeze ChMS, and other ChMS platforms with an open API provide integration options. The free tier is useful for exploring limited Connections access, but churches that need SMS must choose a paid plan. Connections is in beta, and messaging is currently limited to United States and Canada numbers, so churches outside those regions or seeking a non-beta messaging tool should consider an alternative.
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Shepherding Connections pricing
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Shepherding Connections fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $290/yr |
| Two-way messaging | Yes |
| Scheduled messages | Yes |
| Recurring messages | Yes |
| Audience segmentation | Yes |
| Included messages | Not verified |
| Church software integrations | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance & security | PCI DSS |
| Support | Email, Phone, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 3 integrations: Planning Center People, Breeze ChMS, Other ChMS platforms with an open API |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | shepherdingtools.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Shepherding Connections integrations
Shepherding Connections lists 3 integrations on its own site.
- Planning Center People
- Breeze ChMS
- Other ChMS platforms with an open API
Alternatives to Shepherding Connections
- ClearstreamA broad church messaging platform with automation, analytics, apps, and integrations.9.4
- Text In ChurchA workflow-focused church messaging platform with broad ChMS connectivity.9.3
- TextSpotA strong church texting option for multimedia messaging and broad integrations.8.9
See all Shepherding Connections alternatives →
Shepherding Connections vs the competition
- Shepherding Connections vs Clearstream
- Shepherding Connections vs Text In Church
- Shepherding Connections vs TextSpot
- Shepherding Connections vs Gloo Communications
- Shepherding Connections vs Evant
- Shepherding Connections vs Vesperbell
Compare Shepherding Connections with any tool side by side →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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