Shepherding Connections vs Unity Messaging

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.

Unity Messaging is a web platform for churches, religious groups, nonprofits, schools, property managers, HOAs, and community groups to coordinate email, text, and automated phone updates from one dashboard. Teams can add contacts manually or import spreadsheets, organize them into lists, and target selected groups. Messages can be sent immediately or scheduled across all three channels. Delivery reports show recipient-level status for messages and calls. Emails support attachments and replies, with responses routed to the organization. Admin and messenger roles let approved team members send without sharing one password, and the service describes support for users handling multiple organizations in one account. Church examples include service changes, weather closures, volunteer reminders, ministry notices, and member outreach. The free tier is free forever for up to 5 contacts, with all features and no credit card. Paid billing is $0.50 a month per contact or $4 a year per contact.