Gloo Communications

Overview

Communications is part of Gloo Workspace, a broader collection of ministry tools for church leaders. It combines individual follow-up, team handling of prayer requests, automated message sequences, and real-time broadcasts, with analytics for message performance. The service is available on Android, iOS, and the web. Gloo was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.

Key features

Personal follow-up and prayer requests

Teams can send personalized follow-ups to first-time visitors, giving ministries a way to continue contact after an initial visit. The Prayer Inbox centralizes requests and lets staff assign team members to them, which is useful when responsibility for pastoral responses is shared.

Automated outreach and broadcasts

Keyword-triggered workflows send a series of messages automatically, while broadcasts reach everyone or selected groups in real time. Two-way messaging, scheduled and recurring messages, and audience segmentation support ongoing, more targeted communication. The free plan's single workflow is enough for one simple sequence, but restricts ministries that need separate paths for different audiences or purposes.

Analytics, integrations, and security

Messaging Analytics gives teams insight into message performance. Gloo says Communications connects with HubSpot, Planning Center, and Mailchimp. Gloo+ adds Video Messaging and Polls. 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.

The mobile app supports messaging, prayer requests, personal messages, broadcasts, and push notifications, but users cannot view group members in the app. That limitation matters for staff who need to check group rosters while working from a phone.

Pricing

Gloo Free costs 0.00 USD per free. It includes 500 SMS credits and 500 email credits per month, up to 3 groups, and 1 workflow. That makes it a useful no-cost option for a small ministry with modest monthly outreach, but the credit and group caps leave little room for larger or more segmented programs.

Gloo+ costs 49.00 USD per 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, and 3 subaccounts, as well as Video Messaging and Polls. It is the better fit for a ministry that needs several automated paths or more monthly capacity, though its 5,000-credit allowance for each channel still sets a ceiling.

The free plan and Gloo+ are the published options; paid pricing starts at $49/mo.

Platforms

Communications runs on Android, iOS, and the web. The mobile app covers core messaging and prayer-management tasks, but the inability to view group members makes roster-related work a desktop task.

Who it's for

Gloo Communications suits church leaders and ministry teams that want visitor follow-up, prayer-request coordination, and email and text outreach in one church-focused workspace. It is particularly compelling when keyword-triggered workflows, broadcasts, and integrations with HubSpot, Planning Center, or Mailchimp are useful. Ministries needing to inspect group membership from a mobile device should account for the app's limitation; those requiring more than the free plan's credits, groups, or workflow will need Gloo+.

Pros and cons

• Church-specific coordination: visitor follow-up and an assignable Prayer Inbox address distinct ministry communication needs.
• Flexible outreach: two-way, scheduled, recurring, segmented, and broadcast messaging cover both ongoing conversations and one-to-many updates.
• Useful free entry tier: monthly SMS and email credits let a small team start without paying, but 3 groups and 1 workflow constrain growth.
• Mobile roster gap: the app handles core communication but cannot show group members.
• Paid tier has meaningful headroom: Gloo+ removes group and workflow limits and raises channel credits, but costs 49.00 USD per month.

Alternatives

Church Text Messaging Software is a useful place to compare other church-focused messaging options.

• Shepherding Connections is worth considering if its free plan's up-to-5-user allowance and no-time-limit terms suit a small team; that tier excludes SMS messaging.
• Clearstream may suit organizations seeking a paid service with a free trial; its US $35 plan costs 35.00 USD per month and includes 1,000 credits.
• Flocknote is an option for churches with 40 or fewer members looking for a free-for-life plan with unlimited email.
• Connect With My Church may fit teams whose stated allowance of up to 750 texts per month, plus unlimited emails and push notifications, matches their needs at 99.00 USD per month.
• DialMyCalls offers a free church trial account for an automatic call to up to 25 members, with a 30-second message once per week.
• Text In Church is another church messaging option.
• Textiful is worth a look if a web-based option with an on-demand plan and message credits that never expire fits the use case.
• Vesperbell may suit a small team looking for a free plan with explicit contact, text, email, seat, phone-number, keyword, and workflow caps.

Verdict

Choose Gloo Communications if your ministry wants church-focused email and text outreach tied to visitor follow-up, prayer management, and automated communication. Its free plan is a credible starting point, and Gloo+ adds substantial workflow and group capacity with Video Messaging and Polls. Look elsewhere if mobile group rosters are essential or if the paid tier's monthly credit limits do not match your outreach needs.