How Much Does TextRecruit Cost: Pricing and Feature Breakdown

TextRecruit is built for teams that already use iCIMS and want to add texting into the recruitment process. But the more your team scales or adds features, the more complex and expensive the pricing tends to become. 

Between contact credit limits, add-ons, and integration requirements, it’s hard to know what you're signing up for or how the final cost will compare to what you expected.

In this article, we’ll break down what we’ve found about TextRecruit’s pricing structure, what’s typically included, and what factors can drive up costs. We’ll also introduce you to a TextRecruit alternative that offers transparent pricing, faster setup, and broader integration options.

TL;DR

• TextRecruit pricing is not publicly listed and varies by company size, hiring volume, technical needs, and negotiated terms within the iCIMS Talent Cloud.
• TextRecruit plans include recruiting-focused features such as two-way SMS, multichannel messaging, automation, text-to-apply, interview scheduling, compliance controls, and full iCIMS ATS integration.
• Pricing can increase due to add-ons like monthly contact credits, multichannel messaging, AI assistants, advanced analytics, and setup or training services.
• While it offers value for iCIMS users, many hiring managers report challenges with unclear pricing, required bundles, and a user experience that feels outdated.
• TextUs is a great TextRecruit alternative, offering predictable pricing, faster setup, broader ATS/CRM integrations, and fewer barriers to scaling your recruiting process.

TextRecruit Pricing Overview

TextRecruit, now rebranded as iCIMS Text Engagement, is a text recruiting and candidate communication module within the iCIMS Talent Cloud. 

To get a closer estimate of your costs, iCIMS offers a value calculator that can help you understand potential return on investment.

Based on everything we’ve been able to gather from third-party sites and real user reviews, here’s what you can expect when budgeting for TextRecruit's feature:

It's worth noting that the actual pricing will depend on your business structure, negotiated terms, and the extent to which you use the iCIMS Talent Cloud platform.

These estimates are compiled from publicly available research and user feedback and should be treated as a general guide rather than fixed rates.

What Features Are Included With TextRecruit Plans?

TextRecruit’s key features focus on recruiting-specific texting workflows integrated into applicant tracking systems (ATSs). It's designed to help you connect with relevant candidates through real-time messaging. Here’s a closer look at what’s included:

Real-Time Candidate Messaging

Text Engagement provides two‑way SMS messaging that lets you text candidates directly within the iCIMS platform. Text messages are connected to candidate profiles, so communication history stays centralized.

The platform also supports multi-channel messaging, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat (depending on your setup). This helps you meet candidates where they are most responsive.

Campaign Messaging and Automation

TextRecruit allows you to build automated text recruiting campaigns that trigger based on hiring events. These include application confirmations, interview reminders, or status updates.

You can also schedule recurring outreach to stay engaged with multiple candidates over time. Workflow automation reduces manual follow-up and keeps conversations moving without extra workload.

Text-to-Apply Capabilities

With Text-to-Apply, job seekers can send a text to receive a job link or begin their application process through SMS keywords. This feature is suitable for attracting passive candidates from storefront signage, job ads, or events.

Interview Self-Scheduling

Candidates can choose and schedule interview times directly through a scheduling link sent by text. It integrates with tools like Google Calendar and Office 365. It simplifies coordination and reduces manual data entry for recruiters and candidates alike.

Compliance and Messaging Controls

Text Engagement provisions local phone numbers for messaging, which boosts deliverability and signals legitimacy to candidates. It also includes compliance features such as opt-out requests tracking and safeguards that meet carrier rules.

Integration With the iCIMS Platform

Since Text Engagement is embedded in iCIMS, all candidate communication is automatically linked to supported ATSs and customer relationship management (CRM) records.

It offers seamless integration within the iCIMS Talent Cloud but is not available as a standalone product for non-iCIMS ATS users.

Candidate tracking is improved by syncing communication history across hiring teams. It prevents duplicate messages and improves transparency when multiple recruiters engage with the same candidate.

Reporting and Insights

TextRecruit includes core features like reporting tools that show message volume, engagement activity, and campaign results. While it’s not a full analytics suite, the data helps teams refine outreach and rank candidates based on responsiveness.

TextRecruit Add-Ons That May Affect Pricing

Because pricing is quote‑based rather than set by basic plans, it’s important to understand which add-ons can increase cost during negotiations.

Here are the key add‑on areas that commonly affect pricing:

Monthly Contact Credits for Messaging Volume

Rather than metering strictly by individual messages, TextRecruit uses monthly contact credits. It represents how many new candidates or employees you can initiate conversations with in a billing cycle.

Every time you message someone new, a contact is deducted. If your recruitment efforts target a large audience or involve volume hiring, you may need to purchase more credits to avoid limitations as your usage grows.

Multi‑Channel Messaging Support

The platform supports multiple channels such as SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat.

These options expand your reach and allow candidates to communicate on the channel they prefer. Supporting candidate preferences can improve response rates, but channel usage and configuration can affect pricing because some integrations require additional setup or carrier arrangements.

Phone Number Provisioning

To send messages, Text Engagement assigns a local phone number to your account. 

The availability of specific area codes, international numbers, or additional numbers for multiple teams can carry separate provisioning costs, depending on your region and carrier requirements.

Calendar and Scheduling Features

While basic scheduling support is part of the messaging workflow, advanced event orchestration and deeper calendar management may be tied to higher tiers. It may also require additional configuration through your broader iCIMS Hire solution.

AI‑Powered Engagement

iCIMS offers an AI‑driven Digital Assistant that can automate repetitive engagement tasks, including scheduling, candidate qualification, job matching, and intelligent follow‑ups.

This tool can be used to send personalized messages and surface qualified candidates automatically. It enhances productivity, but it’s typically treated as an optional component that requires separate licensing.

Advanced Analytics and Reporting

Text Engagement provides basic engagement reporting by default. But some organizations choose to invest in more detailed analytics or custom dashboarding to track campaign performance or automated workflow outcomes.

These richer insights are often part of enhanced analytics modules within the broader iCIMS suite and may affect costs if added.

Implementation, Training, and Customization Services

Professional services such as onboarding support, custom configuration, workflow design, and team training are not inherent to the software itself, but are often part of enterprise installations.

Organizations frequently choose these services to accelerate adoption and tailor the product to complex needs. Because these services are quoted separately, they can add a significant amount to your total cost of ownership.

Is TextRecruit the Right Platform for Your Recruiting Team?

Opinions are mixed on the value for money of TextRecruit. Many recruiters appreciate the effectiveness of recruiting with SMS for candidate response rates. But some feel TextRecruit’s price is steep relative to its benefits.

If you're already using iCIMS, the integration capabilities offer convenience. All candidate data is accessible in one place, and you can reach candidates instantly from the ATS. Centralized access supports faster decision-making and more consistent engagement across hiring teams.

Still, some users express frustration over rising costs, limited flexibility, and the bundling of features they didn’t ask for. 

Others noted that after iCIMS acquired TextRecruit, the subscription model became harder to navigate, especially for teams that didn’t need the entire suite.

Other users find the user interface clunky when creating message templates or building campaigns. The platform has been noted to carry a steep learning curve, and setup of automations or links often takes more effort than expected.

In summary, TextRecruit may be a good fit for large enterprises already embedded in iCIMS, especially those managing high-volume pipelines. 

But the lack of price transparency, the steep fees to standalone texting tools, and some usability pain points leave a number of customers feeling that TextRecruit isn’t quite worth what it costs.

Why TextUs Is the Best SMS Platform for Dynamic Hiring Teams

When it comes to SMS recruiting, TextUs stands in a league of its own. Built specifically for high‑performance staffing firms, this text recruiting tool goes far beyond basic business texting.

TextUs offers a modern alternative that works across recruiting workflows without locking you into a single system or forcing you into complex enterprise pricing models. 

Below are the key reasons why you should choose TextUs over TextRecruit.

Works With Applicant Tracking Systems

TextUs integrates with a wide range of systems, including major CRM and ATS platforms like Salesforce, Bullhorn, Greenhouse, Workday, Oracle Fusion, ADP Workforce Now, and JobDiva.

These SMS integration capabilities allow you to bring texting into your existing hiring or sales workflows without replacing systems.

While TextRecruit can work well for teams embedded in the iCIMS ecosystem, it can feel restrictive if you want a faster, more adaptable solution.

Because TextUs is not tied to any one ATS, it gives you more control over how you scale or transition between systems. If you're managing multiple job boards or expect to shift tech stacks, this flexibility supports long-term planning.

Built for Usability From Day One

TextUs’s biggest advantages are its fast setup and user-friendly interface designed for real-time team communication.

The platform supports two‑way SMS, bulk messaging, shared inboxes, templates, and marketing automation features that simplify candidate outreach and collaboration.

With TextUs, you can manage one-to-one texts and team messaging from a shared inbox, while advanced features like scheduled replies and conversation triggers help speed up your outreach.

Transparent Pricing With Room to Grow

One of the most decisive advantages TextUs holds over TextRecruit is pricing transparency.

The platform has a base subscription of $499 per month, with additional plans (Essential and Plus) available as your team or feature requirements expand.

This pricing approach stands in contrast to TextRecruit, which requires a custom quote and bundles messaging as part of a larger iCIMS platform. Budgeting becomes much simpler because teams know what they are paying for.

Book a demo with TextUs today!

More Features, Fewer Limitations

TextUs delivers the full suite of messaging features recruiters expect. It supports mass texting and SMS campaign scheduling. It also includes capabilities that TextRecruit currently lacks.

For example, TextUs supports MMS for rich media sharing, which is great for job flyers, onboarding forms, and company promos. It also offers detailed analytics on message deliverability, engagement, opt-outs, and response timing.

Another standout feature is the built-in message quality checker, which warns users if a bulk text may be too long or appear spammy. This helps improve deliverability and candidate experience.

Choose a Platform That Matches Your Hiring Process—Try TextUs!

If you’re evaluating the cost of TextRecruit, pricing complexity is often the first roadblock.

Quote-only contracts, bundled features, and usage limits can make it difficult to understand what you’re paying for or how the platform will scale as your needs grow.

TextUs gives your recruiting teams a faster way to enhance candidate engagement without enterprise lock-in. 

Whether you’re managing high-volume hiring, communicating across multiple languages, or coordinating outreach across teams, this recruitment software keeps everything organized.

You can access complete candidate information, review full interaction history, and collaborate in real time so everyone stays on the same page. 

The TextUs Chrome extension lets you access the platform’s messaging tools right from your CRM, ATS, or any website you open in your Google Chrome browser.

If rising costs or unclear pricing are making you rethink TextRecruit, TextUs offers a better alternative. See how this text recruiting platform compares and decide with confidence. 

Book a demo with TextUs today and experience a smarter way to connect with candidates!

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FAQs About How Much TextRecruit Costs

What is TextRecruit?

TextRecruit (now called iCIMS Text Engagement) is recruiting software that helps you text with candidates. It’s part of the larger iCIMS hiring platform.

It includes talent management and team collaboration features like two-way SMS, automated message campaigns, virtual career fairs, and interview scheduling. 

These tools help teams reach candidates instantly, manage candidate data, and reduce administrative tasks tied to manual outreach.

What is a typical recruiter fee?

A recruiter fee is what companies pay to a staffing agency when they hire a candidate. It usually ranges from 15% to 25% of the new hire’s first-year salary. 

This cost is completely separate from using a platform like TextRecruit and is not tied to your hiring strategy or internal human resources tools.

How much does a text request cost with TextRecruit?

TextRecruit doesn’t charge per message. Instead, it uses monthly contact credits. You use one credit each time you start a new text conversation with a candidate.

Once you go over your monthly limit, you can buy more credits. Pricing depends on your subscription model, usage volume, and company size.

If your team reaches out to a high volume of new applicants from career sites or job descriptions, you may need to increase your plan to avoid hitting usage limits.

How much do automated texts cost?

The cost of automated texts depends on the platform you use. Most texting solutions include automated messages as part of their overall messaging volume or monthly plan. 

In some cases, automated SMS messages are counted the same as standard outgoing messages, especially if they start a new conversation or reconnect with a contact after a period of inactivity.