RainedOut
RainedOut is a web- and SMS-based mass notification platform that lets youth sports leagues, schools, churches, and community organizations send real-time alerts via text and email to members without requiring an app download.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLeesburg, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What RainedOut does
RainedOut, LLC is a privately held mass notification platform founded in 2004 and based in Leesburg, Virginia, that enables organizations to send time-sensitive alerts to members via SMS and email. The company originated by serving local youth sports teams and has expanded to serve a horizontal base of customers including youth sports leagues and recreation councils, schools and libraries, churches and community organizations, parks and arenas, and news or traffic organizations. The platform is positioned as a no-app, web- and SMS-based alternative to mobile-application-dependent group messaging tools, with keyword-based opt-in via short code 84483 as a primary subscriber acquisition mechanism.
The product architecture consists of an Admin Portal for organization-side management, a Mobile Portal for browser-based sending, and a Remote Messaging capability that allows administrators to send messages from any cell phone by texting a keyword to short code 84483. Core features include unlimited groups with multiple administrators, automatic cross-posting of notifications to Facebook, Twitter, and organization websites, SSL-encrypted data transmission, and a delivery time described as less than one second for most messages. The platform carries out branded product lines across the registered trademarks Amerilert, e2Campus, e2Safety, e2Alerts, and e2Wireless, indicating adjacent alerting verticals within the same corporate entity.
RainedOut operates a freemium business model in which account creation, email notifications, and account management are free, while SMS is monetized through two mutually exclusive per-account plans: a Sender Pays pay-as-you-go model at 4 cents per message (no expiration, recipient receives free), and a Recipient's Choice subscription at $7.30 per year per subscriber for unlimited inbound messages from unlimited RainedOut accounts. The company previously funded SMS costs through advertising and self-sourced capital before transitioning to direct paid plans in January 2020 (RainedOut v2). RainedOut is independently owned, has no disclosed venture or private equity backing, and operates exclusively within the United States, with international text messaging not supported.
RainedOut firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RainedOut
- Legal name
- RainedOut, LLC
- Website
- https://rainedout.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RainedOut is a web- and SMS-based mass notification platform that lets youth sports leagues, schools, churches, and community organizations send real-time alerts via text and email to members without requiring an app download.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RainedOut industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mass Notification Software
- NAICS
- Administrative and Support Services (561)
- SIC
- Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822), Radiotelephone Communications (4812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Emergency Notification, Communications & Public Warning Planning (EUAHALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fan Engagement & Onsite Technology (RFID, Cashless, Apps) (MPAGAAAL)
Keywords
Where RainedOut is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leesburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
RainedOut business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- SMS Text Messaging - Sender Plan: Organizations pre-pay for text messages at 4 cents per message on a pay-as-you-go basis. Messages do not expire. Recipients receive texts free. Used by organizations that send messages on an as-needed basis like game cancellations or snow days.
- SMS Text Messaging - Recipient Plan: Organizations opt to let recipients choose unlimited messaging via text or email. If recipients choose text, they pay $7.30/year. If they choose email, it's free. Organization pays nothing.
- Free Services: Account setup, sending/receiving email messages are free. This freemium-style approach drives user adoption while monetizing through SMS.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Sender Pays Plan - Pay As You Go |
| Subscription | Annual | Recipient Choice Plan - Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
RainedOut product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RainedOut provides a web-based mass notification platform that lets organizations send alerts to members via SMS (using short code 84483 with keyword opt-in) and email, without requiring recipients to install an app. The service includes an Admin Portal, Mobile Portal, Remote SMS Messaging, automatic cross-posting to Facebook, Twitter, and organization websites, and supports unlimited groups per account. Email notifications and account creation are free; SMS is offered via a usage-based Sender Pays plan (4 cents per message) or a Recipient's Choice subscription ($7.30/year).
Product overview
RainedOut is a single unified messaging platform for team and organizational notifications. The core platform enables mass SMS and email alerts with features including unlimited groups, keyword-based subscriber opt-in via short code 84483, Remote Messaging via SMS, and automatic cross-posting to Facebook, Twitter, and organization websites. The service operates on a freemium model: account creation and email messaging are free; SMS carries a fee via either the Sender Pays plan (organization pre-pays at 4 cents/message) or the Recipient's Choice plan (recipient pays $7.30/year). The Admin Portal and Mobile Portal provide account management and message-sending interfaces without requiring app downloads.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RainedOut Messaging Platform Web and mobile-based mass notification service that lets organizations, teams, clubs, and schools send alerts to members via SMS (short code 84483) and email, with keyword-based opt-in, group management, and automatic social media/website cross-posting.
Quantifiable outcome
- Most messages are delivered in less than a second
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use RainedOut
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
RainedOut technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
RainedOut partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
RainedOut competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GroupMe: Microsoft-owned group chat app widely used by sports teams, clubs, and community groups. Directly comparable use case (group SMS/chat communication for organizations) but a consumer-first rather than organization-administered model.
- TeamSnap: Dominant team management platform for youth and recreational sports leagues with built-in group messaging. Overlaps RainedOut in sports communication and arguably extends beyond it into scheduling, payments, and roster management.
- Remind: Group messaging platform explicitly built for schools, sports leagues, and youth organizations. Closest direct competitor, also leveraging SMS keyword opt-in and freemium pricing though with a stronger teacher-classroom focus than sports.
- SchoolMessenger: K-12 mass notification and parent communication platform (now Intrado/Iconic). Directly comparable notification functionality for schools and districts, including snow-day and emergency alerts — a core RainedOut use case.
- Band: Group communication app for clubs, teams, and communities with SMS/email fan-out. Similar horizontal positioning across sports, schools, and community groups, though heavier on app-based UX than RainedOut's no-app-required stance.
Broad incumbents
- Everbridge: Public critical-event management and mass-notification vendor serving enterprises, governments, and universities. RainedOut already competes with Everbridge through its e2Campus emergency-alert offering for higher education.
- SportsEngine (NBC Sports Next): End-to-end sports organization platform (registration, scheduling, communication) used by thousands of youth sports leagues. A potential both competitor and partner — overlapping in sports-communication but much broader in scope.
- Active Network: Activity and recreation management platform serving parks, rec councils, and sports leagues — a primary RainedOut customer segment. Provides messaging as part of a broader registration/payments platform.
- Motorola Solutions (Rave Mobile Safety): Motorola Solutions acquired Rave Mobile Safety, one of the largest K-12 and 9-1-1 emergency-notification platforms in the US. Overlaps with RainedOut across schools and university emergency alerting at much larger scale.
- SwiftReach Solutions: Emergency notification and mass-communication vendor serving schools, municipalities, and healthcare. Comparable notification infrastructure and emergency-alert use cases, positioned higher upmarket than RainedOut.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RainedOut social profiles
Digital presenceRainedOut compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
RainedOut financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RainedOut leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
RainedOut funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RainedOut M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RainedOut
What does RainedOut do?
RainedOut provides a web-based mass notification platform that lets organizations send alerts to members via SMS (using short code 84483 with keyword opt-in) and email, without requiring recipients to install an app. The service includes an Admin Portal, Mobile Portal, Remote SMS Messaging, automatic cross-posting to Facebook, Twitter, and organization websites, and supports unlimited groups per account. Email notifications and account creation are free; SMS is offered via a usage-based Sender Pays plan (4 cents per message) or a Recipient's Choice subscription ($7.30/year).
Is RainedOut a public or private company?
RainedOut is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RainedOut founded?
RainedOut was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RainedOut based?
RainedOut is headquartered in Leesburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does RainedOut make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. SMS Text Messaging - Sender Plan is the primary driver. The others are SMS Text Messaging - Recipient Plan and free Services.
Who are RainedOut's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GroupMe, TeamSnap, Remind, SchoolMessenger and Band. Broad incumbents are Everbridge, SportsEngine (NBC Sports Next), Active Network, Motorola Solutions (Rave Mobile Safety) and SwiftReach Solutions.
Does RainedOut have an API?
No public API is recorded for RainedOut.
What industry is RainedOut in?
RainedOut's product category is Mass Notification Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHALAG, Emergency Notification, Communications & Public Warning Planning, with a secondary code of MPAGAAAL, Fan Engagement & Onsite Technology (RFID, Cashless, Apps). Its NAICS code is 561 and its SIC code is 4822.