This is what my family (and a few friends) use. We have been using it for a while now because it just works. Also, the kids have never complained about using Conversations, or about using it only for us (like if you have that one family member who won’t leave SMS behind - we’re that guy, I guess), and we can make as many channels as we need for the house, the kids, with each kid individually, for our MTG cards, with our couple of friends that use it, etc…
I don’t personally do the hosting, so I can’t speak to that. That’s the hubby’s thing
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PAX - before there was PAX Prime or PAX East.
<3