Thryv vs GoHighLevel: pricing, packages and which fits
Thryv fits an owner who wants help getting found online and doesn't want to configure much. GoHighLevel fits a business that wants texting, follow-ups and booking in one place and has someone who'll actually set it up. A lot of small businesses are better off with neither and a simpler setup.
GoHighLevel is one of the tools I see owners overpay for most, so here's how I'd think about it. Hope this helps.
Founder, Handled. Greenville, SC. Updated October 2026, 7 min read.
The short version
Same customers, different idea of who does the work.
| Category | Thryv | GoHighLevel |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Owners who want to get found online with less setup | Service businesses that want texting, follow-ups and booking under one bill |
| Price | Starter $99, Signature $399 a month. Custom is quoted | $97, $297 or $497 a month, plus usage fees |
| Setup fees | $250 onboarding, waived on Signature | No required fee |
| Who sets it up | More help from their team | Mostly you, or someone you hire |
| Learning curve | Gentler | Busy. A week or two to feel normal |
| My pick | You mostly need listings, reviews and a site | You'll really use the automations |
Prices checked October 2026 on each vendor's pricing page. Thryv offers 15% off for paying yearly. Both change their plans, so double-check before you sign.
Thryv: getting found, with more hand-holding
Built for owners who don't want to be software people.
Thryv's published plans center on getting your business found and keeping your reputation in shape: a website, your listings across directories, review management and trackable phone numbers.
Starter, $99 a month: an AI website builder, listings on 60+ directories, review management, trackable phone numbers, performance insights and 24/7 chat support.
Signature, $399 a month: everything in Starter plus social media management, a custom website built for search, advanced listings, competitor insights, and phone and email support.
Custom: quoted separately, with add-ons for ads, branding, search and social.
There's a $250 onboarding fee, waived on Signature, and 15% off if you pay yearly. Thryv also sells business tools like CRM, scheduling and invoicing, so ask exactly which pieces are in the package you're quoted.
- Listings and reviews in one place. If your Google and directory listings are a mess, that's what the plans are built around.
- Less to configure. Friendlier for an owner who doesn't want to learn a big system.
- Support included. Chat on Starter, phone and email on Signature.
- Big jump between plans. $99 to $399 is a lot if you only need one or two of the extras.
- Add-ons. The Custom plan is built from add-ons. Get every line in writing.
- Read the contract terms. Ask how long you're committing for and what it takes to leave.
GoHighLevel: everything in one place, if someone sets it up
Built by an agency owner who got tired of paying for ten tools.
GoHighLevel bundles your CRM, email, texting, funnels, calendar, review requests and website builder under one login. The price doesn't grow with your list: 100 contacts or 100,000, same plan.
Starter, $97 a month: the CRM and pipeline, email and texting, funnels, booking, a website builder, review requests and basic reporting.
Unlimited, $297 a month: everything above plus unlimited sub-accounts (handy for more than one location) and API access.
Agency Pro, $497 a month: mostly for agencies that want to resell it under their own name.
On top of the plan you pay usage for texts, calls, email and the AI features. That depends entirely on how much you send, so watch it the first couple of months.
- Follow-up automation. Texts and emails that go out on their own after a lead comes in or an appointment ends.
- The bill doesn't creep with contacts. Unlimited contacts on every plan.
- Published prices. You can see what it costs without a sales call.
- It's a lot. So many menus it can feel like a cockpit. Budget a week or two.
- Setup is on you. A lot of businesses buy it and never finish setting it up. That's the expensive version.
- Usage fees add up quietly. Heavy texting or AI use makes the flat price less flat.
Which one should you pick?
Before you sign with either one, here's how I'd decide.
Before you switch anything, make sure the tool you're on actually can't do it. A moving company I helped was convinced their software had run out of road and only a custom build would do. One plan upgrade and some time learning what they already had, and it did the job.
If you're on Thryv now, ask your rep which pieces of your package you aren't using yet. If you're on GoHighLevel, the snapshots and workflow templates are worth a look before you build from scratch.
- Thryv if your real problem is getting found and managing reviews, and you want more help doing it.
- GoHighLevel if you want follow-ups, texting and booking automated, and someone will own the setup.
- Neither if you only need one or two of these things. A single tool that does those well is usually cheaper.
If you're paying for ten tabs and using two, or learning the tool costs more than it saves, that's when a custom build makes sense. Plenty of owners never hear that's on the table.
You keep the parts of the all-in-one that work and build only the piece that keeps fighting you.
Questions people ask me
Got one that isn't here? Ask me on a free call →
Is Thryv or GoHighLevel better for small business?
If you want help getting found online (listings, reviews, a website) with less to set up yourself, Thryv. If you want a do-it-all system for texting, follow-ups, booking and a pipeline, and someone on your team will actually set it up, GoHighLevel. Plenty of small businesses need neither.
How much does Thryv cost per month?
Thryv's pricing page lists Starter at $99 a month and Signature at $399 a month, with 15% off if you pay yearly. There's a $250 onboarding fee, which Thryv waives on Signature. A Custom plan is quoted separately.
How much does GoHighLevel cost?
GoHighLevel is $97, $297 or $497 a month, with unlimited contacts. On top of that you pay usage for texts, calls, email and AI features, which depends on how much you send.
Can GoHighLevel replace Thryv?
For a lot of what Thryv does, yes: CRM, texting, booking, review requests and a website builder are all in GoHighLevel. The difference is who does the work. GoHighLevel is mostly self-serve, so you or someone you hire sets it up. Thryv leans more on its own team and bundles things like listings management.
Which one is easier to learn?
Thryv, for most owners. GoHighLevel crams a lot into one place and takes a week or two before it feels normal. Count that learning curve as part of the real cost of either one.
When you don't need me
If your all-in-one is set up and your team actually lives in it, keep it. Skip the call if one of these is you.
You're using most of what you pay for. If your team lives in the tool every day and it does the job, stay put.
You mostly need your Google listing and reviews sorted. Start there, on your own or with Thryv's Starter plan. You don't need a big system for that.
You bought GoHighLevel and haven't set it up. Set up one pipeline and one follow-up sequence and run real leads through them for a few weeks first. Their help docs and community are big.
What changed
- October 2026: Thryv's pricing page shows the $250 onboarding fee waived on Signature with no first-year limit, so that limit is gone.
- October 2026: rewritten top to bottom. Thryv now publishes prices (Starter $99, Signature $399, $250 onboarding), so the old $200 to $800 estimate is gone. Removed the made-up savings figures, the made-up example businesses, the per-text and per-minute GoHighLevel usage estimates, and the claim that GoHighLevel's AI features are included at no extra cost.
- April 2026: first published.
Sources
Every price and outside fact on this page comes from the sources below, checked October 12, 2026. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
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If you're not sure whether you need an all-in-one, a better setup on what you have, or something built for you, tell me which parts of Thryv or GoHighLevel your team opens every day. I'll tell you which way I'd go.
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