When comparing GroupMe vs Material Messaging, the Slant community recommends GroupMe for most people. In the question“What are the best messaging apps for Android?” GroupMe is ranked 23rd while Material Messaging is ranked 45th. The most important reason people chose GroupMe is:
GroupMe has a built in function to read receipts.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Reads receipts
GroupMe has a built in function to read receipts.
Pro Great web client
GroupMe has an excellent web client that can be used to send and receive messages and manage groups from the desktop.
Pro IFTTT Integration
Allows sending messages from web services via IFTTT.
Pro Integrated calendar
It's possible to add location and time with reminders directly in the GroupMe app.
Pro Makes it easy to silence 1 or all groups
GroupMe has settings that allow muting a single group or turn off all GroupMe notifications from within the app.
Pro Does not require everyone in the group to have a smartphone
GroupMe can set up a custom phone number which allows people without the App to send and receive messages. This makes it easy to add anyone to messaging.
Pro Dual SIM support
The app is designed from the ground up with support for 2 SIM cards in mind.
Pro Message scheduling
Allows the scheduling of messages in advance.
Pro Pushbullet integration
Pro Per-contact customization
Pro Very few bugs, good dev support
Pro Fast load times and transitions
Pro Great-looking material design
The app follows Material Design guidelines very closely.
Cons
Con Drains battery fast
GroupMe, in order to have a constant connection which allows for notifications drains the battery of a device quickly, which is not ideal for a messaging app that one needs on time notifications from.
Con Settings menu is barebones
In addition to visual customization the app allows turning sounds, notifications and vibrations on an off. That's about it.