Best Federal Inmate Texting Services (2026)
Families have a few ways to text a federal inmate through the CorrLinks/TRULINCS system. This roundup compares four of them — ContactMeAsap, CorBot, EasyTextNow and InmateDB — using what each company publishes on its own site as of October 2026. They’re listed alphabetically, not ranked, because the best fit depends on what you value most: price, a free trial, extra features, or how you’re billed.
Disclosure: this page is published by ContactMeAsap, one of the four services below. Competitor details are summarized from their public websites and may change, so verify current pricing and terms with each company before you decide.
Start by finding your inmate
Free to search — no account needed. Enter a name or BOP register number.
Searches all federal BOP facilities · or add funds directly
Quick picks
- Pay-as-you-go:ContactMeAsap — add funds when you choose, plus photos, 24/7 support and an AI assistant on Premium.
- A tiered CorrLinks add-on:CorBot — four monthly plans from $10 to $40, layered on CorrLinks/TRULINCS.
- Lowest paid monthly price, plus a free trial:EasyTextNow — its Starter plan is listed at about $6.49 a month, with a 96-hour free trial and no credit card.
- A free tier and AI tools:InmateDB — a limited free tier, a 5-day trial for each new inmate, and AI added at its ~$14.99 tier.
At a glance
| Service | Billing | Published pricing | Trial / free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| ContactMeAsap | Pay-as-you-go — add funds to a balance when you choose | Basic $20 · Premium $30 per month of service, drawn from your balance | Free BOP search, no account (no service trial) |
| CorBot | Monthly subscription; annual billing is 15% off | Bronze $10 · Silver $20 · Gold $30 · Platinum $40 per month | Per their site |
| EasyTextNow | Monthly subscription that auto-refills credit each period | Starter ~$6.49 · Premium ~$18.49 · Boss ~$24.49 per month | 96-hour free trial, no credit card |
| InmateDB | Monthly subscription | ~$9.99 · ~$14.99 · ~$19.99 · ~$39.99 per month | 5-day free trial for each new inmate; limited free tier |
Competitor details are summarized from each company’s public website (sources linked below), accessed October 2026. “~” marks prices listed as approximate. Pricing and features can change — please verify current terms on each site. ContactMeAsap details reflect our published plans as of October 2026.
ContactMeAsap: best for pay-as-you-go texting
- Pay-as-you-go: add funds to a balance when you choose, and it is yours until you use it.
- Basic Federal Plan, $20 per month of service drawn from your balance: unlimited federal inmate text messages, US & Canada CorrLinks integration, pay-per-print photos, BOP-compliant messaging and email support.
- Premium Federal Plan, $30 per month of service: everything in Basic plus our “Diamond” AI assistant, Puerto Rico & Central/South America coverage, 25 free federal prison photos, priority CorrLinks processing and 24/7 support.
- Free BOP directory search with no account; live verification shows the inmate’s name and facility before you pay.
Learn more about federal inmate texting or add funds to get started.
CorBot: best for a tiered add-on layered on CorrLinks
- CorBot, by Open Efforts, is a monthly subscription layered on CorrLinks/TRULINCS: families text from a regular phone while the inmate still uses CorrLinks. Messages are BOP-monitored.
- Bronze $10, Silver $20, Gold $30 and Platinum $40 per month, with message and request caps that rise by plan. A personal texting number starts at Silver ($20).
- Annual billing is 15% off.
Source: openefforts.com, accessed October 2026. Pricing and features can change — verify current terms with the company.
Head to head: CorBot vs ContactMeAsap · CorBot alternative.
EasyTextNow: best for the lowest paid monthly price and a free trial
- Monthly subscription that auto-refills the inmate’s service credit each period; cancel anytime, and a yearly plan is two months free.
- Starter ~$6.49, Premium ~$18.49 and Boss ~$24.49 per month.
- 96-hour free trial with no credit card, and a permanent private number for each inmate.
- Photos on Premium and above (Boss adds one free photo order per cycle) and ChatGPT AI on Premium and above.
- US & Canada, federal BOP only, with delivery of about one hour each way.
Source: easytextnow.com, accessed October 2026. Pricing and features can change — verify current terms with the company.
Head to head: EasyTextNow vs ContactMeAsap · EasyTextNow alternative.
InmateDB: best for a free tier and AI tools
- Monthly subscription with a 5-day free trial for each new inmate. The free tier covers inmate search and about four texts a day.
- Paid tiers: ~$9.99 SMS through a shared/rotating number (the inmate must text you first); ~$14.99 with AI; ~$19.99 with an assigned personal number and direct two-way texting; ~$39.99 sports lines.
- Photos included. Delivery uses a Telegram integration, and messages go to the facility queue for staff approval, which can take hours to days.
- States about 93% federal facility coverage.
Source: inmatedb.com, accessed October 2026. Pricing and features can change — verify current terms with the company.
Head to head: InmateDB vs ContactMeAsap · InmateDB alternative.
How to choose
- Billing. Decide whether you want a monthly subscription or pay-as-you-go, where you add funds when you choose.
- What your tier includes. Features such as a personal number, photos or AI can depend on the plan, so compare the tier you would actually buy, not just the entry price.
- A trial or free tier.Some services offer one. We don’t advertise a ContactMeAsap service trial, but searching for your inmate is free.
- Facility coverage.Confirm your inmate’s facility is supported. With ContactMeAsap you can search the BOP directory free and see their name and facility before you pay.
- Current terms.Prices and features change, so check each company’s own site before you pay.
New to this? Start with our guide on how to text a federal inmate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best federal inmate texting service?
It depends on what matters most to you. Based on what each company publishes (October 2026): EasyTextNow lists the lowest paid monthly price and a 96-hour free trial; InmateDB offers a limited free tier and adds AI at a mid-priced tier; CorBot layers tiered monthly plans on top of CorrLinks; and ContactMeAsap is pay-as-you-go, so you add funds when you choose.
Do I need a monthly subscription to text a federal inmate?
Not always. According to their sites, EasyTextNow, InmateDB and CorBot sell monthly subscriptions (InmateDB also lists a limited free tier). ContactMeAsap is pay-as-you-go: you add funds to a balance when you choose, and your balance is yours until you use it.
How can I check an inmate before I pay?
With ContactMeAsap you can search the BOP directory for free, with no account, and see the person’s name and facility before you pay. For other services, check their sites for how they verify an inmate and which facilities they cover.
Find the person you want to contact
Free to search — no account needed. Enter a name or BOP register number.
Searches all federal BOP facilities · or add funds directly
ContactMeAsap is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) or CorrLinks/TRULINCS. Federal institutions may monitor or restrict inmate communications, and availability can vary by facility. Other services named on this page are independent companies; their names and trademarks belong to their respective owners, and we are not affiliated with them. Competitor details are summarized from each company’s public website and may change over time — check the relevant company’s own site for current pricing and terms before deciding.