Gloo Communications

Gloo Communications gives churches and ministries tools for email and text messaging, including visitor follow-ups, prayer requests, automated message series, and group broadcasts. Teams can personalize follow-ups for first-time visitors and use the Prayer Inbox to centralize requests and assign them to team members. Workflows can start message series when keywords are used, while broadcasts reach everyone or selected groups in real time. Messaging Analytics provides insight into message performance. Gloo lists connections with HubSpot, Planning Center, and Mailchimp. Its mobile app supports messaging, prayer requests, personal messages, broadcasts, and push notifications, but does not show group members. Video Messaging and Polls are Gloo+ features. The free plan includes 500 SMS credits and 500 email credits each month, three groups, and one workflow. Gloo+ costs $49 a month, billed monthly, and includes 5,000 SMS credits and 5,000 email credits per month, unlimited groups and workflows, and three subaccounts. Gloo says it encrypts data in transit and at rest using TLS 1.2+ and AES-256.

Gloo Communications combines messaging, prayer-request handling, workflows, and broadcasts for ministry teams. The free plan has defined credit and group limits, while Gloo+ adds capacity and features for $49 a month.

Gloo Communications suits church and ministry teams that need email and text outreach, prayer-request coordination, and automated messaging. The broader Gloo Workspace is designed for church leaders and combines Communications with other ministry tools.

Overview

Gloo Communications is a messaging and coordination service built for churches and ministries. It is best suited to teams that want visitor follow-up and prayer requests alongside email, text, and automated outreach. Its free tier makes a small-scale start possible, while the monthly Gloo+ plan raises the limits substantially.

Communications is part of Gloo Workspace, a wider set of ministry tools for church leaders. It runs on Android, iOS, and the web; the mobile app handles messages, prayer requests, personal messages, broadcasts, and push notifications, but cannot show group members.

Key features

Visitor follow-up and prayer requests

Teams can send personalized follow-ups to first-time visitors, making the service relevant to ministries that want to keep individual contact connected to their broader messaging. The Prayer Inbox gathers requests and lets staff assign team members to them. That shared workflow can help divide follow-up, though the mobile app’s lack of group-member viewing is a limitation for staff who need that context on the go.

Automated messages and broadcasts

Keyword-triggered workflows can send a series of messages, while broadcasts reach everyone or selected groups in real time. Two-way messaging, scheduled and recurring messages, and audience segmentation support both ongoing conversations and planned outreach. Messaging Analytics provides insight into message performance. These tools give a ministry several ways to manage communication, but the free plan’s single workflow and three-group cap constrain more complex or segmented programs.

Integrations, premium features, and security

Gloo says Communications connects with HubSpot, Planning Center, and Mailchimp. Gloo+ adds Video Messaging and Polls, extending the service beyond text and email. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest using TLS 1.2+ and AES-256. Gloo’s security program is designed with reference to the AICPA Trust Services Criteria, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, NIST AI Risk Management Framework 1.0, ISO/IEC 27001, and ISO 42001.

Pricing

Gloo Free costs nothing and includes 500 SMS credits and 500 email credits per month, three groups, and one workflow. It is a sensible starting point for a small ministry or a limited outreach program, but the credit quotas and workflow ceiling leave little room for higher-volume messaging or multiple automated paths.

Gloo+ costs $49 a month, billed monthly, and can be canceled anytime. It includes 5,000 SMS credits and 5,000 email credits per month, unlimited groups and workflows, three subaccounts, Video Messaging, and Polls. The extra capacity suits a team managing several audiences or message sequences; organizations with modest needs may find the free plan’s caps adequate instead. A free trial is offered.

Platforms

Gloo Communications is available on Android, iOS, and the web. The mobile app supports messaging, prayer requests, personal messages, broadcasts, and push notifications, but group members cannot be viewed there.

Who it's for

Church and ministry teams that want visitor follow-up, prayer-request assignment, and messaging in one service are the clearest fit. The free plan is more appropriate for modest volume and a few groups; teams that need more credits, multiple workflows, or premium video and poll features should consider Gloo+. It is less suitable for mobile-first staff who need to inspect group membership from the app.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Prayer requests can be centralized and assigned to team members, supporting shared follow-up.
• Keyword-triggered workflows, broadcasts, scheduling, recurring messages, and audience segmentation cover several ministry communication patterns.
• The free plan includes monthly SMS and email credits, making it possible to start without a subscription.
• Gloo+ has no group or workflow cap and includes three subaccounts.

Cons

• The free tier is limited to 500 SMS credits, 500 email credits, three groups, and one workflow per month.
• The mobile app does not show group members, limiting that task to another platform.
• Video Messaging and Polls require the paid plan.

Alternatives

Church Text Messaging Software is a broader directory for comparing church-focused texting tools.

Shepherding Connections is worth considering if a free plan with up to five user accounts matters more than SMS: its Free Forever plan has no SMS messaging, while Small Church costs 29.00.

Clearstream may suit teams looking for a paid messaging option with a 30-day trial: its trial includes 100 credits, 1,000 emails, and one local phone number, and its US $35 plan costs $35 a month with 1,000 credits.

Connect With My Church is another paid option, with its platform plan at $99 a month for up to 750 texts monthly and unlimited emails and push notifications.

DialMyCalls offers a free church trial with an automatic call to up to 25 church members, using a 30-second message once per week.

Text In Church is an alternative with a PLUS plan whose price is custom pricing.

Textline is an alternative with an Essentials plan whose price is custom pricing.

ChurchHarmony may appeal to churches seeking a wider platform: Full platform access is $80 a month and includes unlimited members, 24 modules, and 15,000 mass emails monthly.

Quick Send is an iOS-only alternative with a $49.99 a year Pro plan that includes unlimited messages and automatic sending via iOS Shortcut.

Verdict

Gloo Communications is a strong fit for ministry teams that want messaging tied to visitor follow-up and prayer coordination, with a free entry point and a clear capacity upgrade. Choose Gloo+ when its higher quotas, unlimited groups and workflows, or premium video and poll features matter. Look elsewhere if your staff must view group membership in the mobile app or the free-tier caps are too restrictive.