Clearstream vs Shepherding Connections

Clearstream is a church texting and email service for communicating with members and following up with visitors. Churches can send or schedule text announcements containing links, pictures, and videos. Text-to-join keywords can add people to a list, send an automatic response, and start a workflow of scheduled texts. A texting inbox supports replies and one-to-one conversations, while the email builder covers newsletters, event calendars, and volunteer reminders. Church features include subaccounts for ministries or campuses, branded microsites, QR codes, and branded link tracking. Listed integrations include Planning Center, Rock RMS, CCB/Pushpay, Breeze, Slack, Mailchimp, Zapier, Simple, X, and Facebook; a REST API and webhooks are available for custom integrations. Native iOS and Android apps support messaging, inbox management, notifications, and scheduling. Plans start at $35/mo, and a 30-day trial is available; there is no free plan. Monthly credits do not roll over, incoming texts are free, and longer texts or those with emojis or pictures may use more credits. Every plan includes live chat, email, phone, and Zoom support.

Shepherding Connections is a messaging tool for following up with visitors and others outside a church’s rolls. It supports SMS announcements, two-way texting, automated welcome sequences, call forwarding, and keyword responses. Public connect pages collect visitor details and can trigger follow-up, and digital visitor welcome cards are also described. Automations can send texts or email, create tasks, assign team members, branch on replies, and repeat on a cadence. Contacts can be grouped into segments, while links in messages can be shortened and tracked. The product requires recorded consent for announcements and automated messages and handles STOP, START, and HELP keywords. Phone numbers and texting are not included in the free plan; paid Tracker plans enable them. Messaging is limited to United States and Canada numbers. Connections is labeled Beta, and delivery confirmation is unavailable: a sent status means the carrier accepted a message, not that it reached a handset. The free plan allows up to five accounts. Paid plans start at $29 a month for Small Church, which includes SMS messaging.