If you want the short version of GetThru ThruText vs CallHub for nonprofit texting, here it is. CallHub is cheaper per message and plays nicer with more CRMs, while ThruText is the safer pick for orgs already living inside the NGP VAN ecosystem and running big, deadline-driven outreach pushes. I spent time digging through both pricing pages and integration docs, and the gap is wider than most aggregator sites admit.
Below is the full breakdown. Real numbers, no hand-waving.
The pricing reality: ThruText vs CallHub per segment
Texting tools charge by the segment. A segment is roughly 160 characters of SMS. Write a long message and you might burn two or three segments per recipient, which is exactly where per-segment math starts to hurt at scale.
ThruText (the texting product from GetThru) lists 3.5 cents per outgoing SMS segment and 6 cents per MMS on its pay-as-you-go plan. There is a $300 one-time setup fee, though GetThru credits that back once your account crosses $5,000 in spend. Volume discounts kick in with a minimum commitment of $10,000.
CallHub comes in noticeably lower. Public pricing sits at 1.9 cents per SMS segment and 4.8 cents per MMS, with no setup fee. On voice dialing the two are basically tied, both landing around 4.5 cents per dial.
| Feature | GetThru ThruText | CallHub |
|---|---|---|
| SMS per segment | 3.5¢ | 1.9¢ |
| MMS per message | 6¢ | 4.8¢ |
| Voice dial | ~4.5¢/dial | ~4.5¢/dial |
| Setup fee | $300 (credited at $5k spend) | $0 |
| Volume discount floor | $10k commitment | Tiered, custom Scale plan |
| Native CRM integrations | NGP VAN + PDI | 10+ (VAN, NationBuilder, Salesforce, more) |
Run the math on a real campaign. Send 100,000 single-segment texts and ThruText costs you $3,500 before any negotiated discount. The same blast on CallHub is $1,900. That’s a $1,600 swing on one send. For a small advocacy org doing weekly pushes, the annual difference funds a part-time organizer.
Deliverability and 10DLC: where the cents stop mattering
Cheap texts that don’t arrive are worthless. This is the part nobody puts on a comparison table.
Both platforms run on 10DLC, the carrier registration framework that US wireless networks now require for application-to-person texting. Your brand and campaign have to be vetted before messages flow. ThruText built much of its reputation on high-volume progressive and election outreach, so its registration and throughput handling is battle-tested for the days when you need to move millions of messages fast. GetThru did stop accepting new election-related accounts after October 31 because 10DLC vetting timelines made approval unlikely past that window, which tells you how seriously the carriers police this lane.
CallHub carries the heavier compliance paperwork on paper. It publishes SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications alongside TCPA compliance and SHAKEN/STIR for caller authentication. ThruText is TCPA compliant but does not publicly document SOC 2 or ISO 27001. If your board or a grant funder asks for security attestations, that difference becomes a real procurement issue.
On the ground, deliverability comes down to how you register, how clean your list is, and whether you respect opt-outs. Both tools handle STOP requests automatically. Neither one will save you from a poorly vetted campaign brand or a list full of dead numbers.
CRM sync: the deciding factor for most teams
Here is where the two tools split hard, and where I’d tell most orgs to make the call.
ThruText syncs natively with the NGP VAN family, which includes EveryAction, VoteBuilder, SmartVAN, and TargetSmart, plus PDI. GetThru added self-serve VAN integration management so clients can run a two-way sync without filing a support ticket every time. If your contacts, activist codes, and survey questions already live in VAN, that two-way sync is genuinely excellent and tightly built.
The catch is the ceiling. ThruText’s native integration list is essentially VAN and PDI. That’s it.
CallHub casts a far wider net. Native connectors include NGP VAN, NationBuilder, Salesforce, Action Network, Blackbaud, and ActBlue, plus Zapier for thousands of other apps. For a nonprofit running donor management in Salesforce or Blackbaud rather than VAN, that’s the difference between a clean sync and a CSV export nightmare every single week.
- Live in NGP VAN or EveryAction? ThruText’s deep two-way sync is hard to beat, and CallHub still covers you.
- Run Salesforce, Blackbaud, or ActBlue? CallHub is the obvious pick, ThruText won’t connect natively.
- On NationBuilder? CallHub again, with a native connector ThruText lacks.
- Patchwork of niche tools? CallHub’s Zapier support bridges the gaps ThruText leaves open.
What each tool feels like to actually use
ThruText is focused. It does P2P texting and dialing, and it does them with a clean sender interface your volunteers can learn in about ten minutes. That narrowness is a feature for a GOTV-style operation where you want a roomful of people sending texts with zero confusion.
CallHub is a wider platform. Alongside P2P texting it bundles voice broadcasting, predictive and power dialing, email, workflow automation, and relational organizing. More power, slightly more to learn. If you want one tool that handles texts, calls, and email under a single login, that consolidation is real value. If you only need texting, some of it is weight you won’t touch.
My pick for GetThru ThruText vs CallHub for nonprofit texting
For most nonprofits I’d start with CallHub. The per-segment price is roughly half, there’s no setup fee, the CRM list is broad, and the security certifications hold up to funder scrutiny. That combination is hard to argue against when you’re stretching a small budget.
I’d choose ThruText in one clear scenario. Your data lives in NGP VAN or EveryAction, you run high-volume time-sensitive outreach, and you want a stripped-down sender tool that volunteers can’t fumble. In that lane ThruText’s VAN sync and proven throughput earn the premium.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CallHub or ThruText cheaper for nonprofit texting?
CallHub is cheaper on listed rates, at 1.9 cents per SMS segment versus ThruText’s 3.5 cents, with no setup fee against ThruText’s $300. Both negotiate volume discounts, so at very large scale the gap can narrow, but the published numbers favor CallHub.
Does ThruText integrate with Salesforce?
Not natively. ThruText’s native CRM integrations center on the NGP VAN ecosystem plus PDI. If you run Salesforce, Blackbaud, or NationBuilder, CallHub offers native connectors that ThruText does not, which usually makes CallHub the better fit for those stacks.
Are both tools compliant with 10DLC and TCPA?
Yes. Both register campaigns under 10DLC and handle automatic opt-out processing for TCPA compliance. CallHub additionally publishes SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications, while ThruText does not publicly document those, which can matter during grant or board review.
The takeaway
CallHub wins on raw price, CRM breadth, and security paperwork, which makes it my default recommendation for budget-conscious nonprofits. ThruText earns its spot when you’re deep in NGP VAN and need proven, high-volume texting with a dead-simple volunteer experience. Match the tool to where your data already lives, and the rest of the decision gets easy.