respond.io vs Wati: which WhatsApp inbox should you choose in 2026?
respond.io is a multi-channel inbox with Telegram and email; Wati is a WhatsApp-first inbox with cheaper plans. Pricing, broadcasts and bots compared.
Published 20 October 2026. Prices and features from each vendor's own pages.
The short answer
respond.ioPaid from $79/workspaceChoose it if you need Telegram or email in the same inbox as WhatsApp.
WatiPaid from $39/workspaceChoose it if you want the lowest price to start, from $39 a month.
PromptLabIn the CRM from $11.99/seatChoose it if your buyers message on WhatsApp and Telegram as well as email.
respond.io and Wati both sell a team inbox for WhatsApp and other messaging apps. respond.io spreads across many messaging channels and email. Wati starts from WhatsApp and adds Instagram, Messenger and TikTok.
Below, the two are compared on price, users, channels, broadcasts, chatbots and CRM links. Every figure comes from the vendors' own pricing and product pages; prices are per workspace a month, billed annually, unless we say otherwise.
respond.io vs Wati at a glance
With PromptLab in the third column: the same job done inside a CRM.
| Checked on 20 October 2026 | respond.io | Wati | PromptLab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | |||
| Free plan | |||
| Paid plans, a month | $79 – $279per workspace | $39 – $199per workspace | $11.99per seat on Basic |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days | |
| Billing | Billed annually | Billed annually | Billed monthly |
| WhatsApp inbox | |||
| Telegram | |||
| Email in the same inbox | |||
| Instagram and Messenger | |||
| WhatsApp broadcasts | From$159/month | ||
| Chatbots and auto-replies | From$159/month | ||
| CRM integrations | From$159/month | HubSpot, Salesforce | Built in |
Pricing: $79 to $279 against $39 to $199
Wati is cheaper at every step. Growth is $39 a month, Pro $79 and Business $199. respond.io has Starter at $79, Growth at $159 and Advanced at $279, shown for 1,000 monthly active contacts, with Enterprise on quote. Both offer a 7-day trial and neither lists a free plan.
Users work differently. Wati's Growth includes 3 users and cannot add more. Pro and Business include 5, with extras at $24 and $59 a month. respond.io includes 5 users on Starter and 10 on Growth and Advanced, with extras at $12, $20 and $24.
What sits on top of the subscription
Both leave WhatsApp message fees outside the plan. respond.io says Meta charges its fees by usage, and you can top up WhatsApp credit on the platform. Wati bills per message by its rate card, and the price varies with the recipient's country and the template type. Wati has no setup fee for the WhatsApp API.
respond.io's price also rises with monthly active contacts, which the page offers in tiers of 1,000, 2,500, 5,000 and 10,000. Wati adds cost through extras: 1,000 more automation triggers are $25 a month, and each extra WhatsApp number is $29 a month.
Channels, Telegram and email
respond.io is broader. Every plan includes the Telegram bot, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, Viber, LINE and WeChat, plus Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft 365, Yahoo and custom SMTP email.
Wati covers WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and a website widget, and SMS on Business. Its pricing and comparison pages list no Telegram or email channel, so a team that needs either should check with Wati first.
Broadcasts, chatbots and AI
Wati puts broadcasts in its cheapest plan: Growth includes 15,000 broadcasts a month, and Pro and Business are unlimited. respond.io keeps broadcasts and its workflow builder for Growth at $159 and above.
On chatbots, Wati's Growth has 1,000 automation triggers a month, while advanced chatbots and routing start on Pro, and its Astra AI Agents are a separately priced add-on. respond.io's AI Agents start on Growth, with AI Assist and chat summaries on Starter.
CRM links
Wati's Growth has 2 CRM or commerce integrations. Pro has 5 including HubSpot, and Business is unlimited including Salesforce.
respond.io links to HubSpot from Growth and to Salesforce from Advanced. Its integrations page also lists Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign and Zendesk, and an MCP server for connecting Claude or ChatGPT.
We make PromptLab, so here is where it fits.
Or run WhatsApp from inside your CRM
PromptLab's inbox puts WhatsApp, Telegram and email threads in one place, each linked to its contact and deal. Connect a WhatsApp Business number, or a personal WhatsApp or Telegram account by scanning a QR code.
Assign a conversation to a teammate and leave internal notes on the thread. There are no chatbots or broadcasts, so it suits teams that sell one conversation at a time rather than run support at volume.
Which should you choose?
Choose respond.io if…
- You need Telegram or email in the same inbox as WhatsApp.
- You want Viber, LINE or WeChat as well.
- You want AI agents and a workflow builder from one plan.
Choose Wati if…
- You want the lowest price to start, from $39 a month.
- Your team lives mainly on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
- You want broadcasts from the cheapest plan, with 15,000 a month included.
Choose PromptLab if…
- Your buyers message on WhatsApp and Telegram as well as email.
- You want every chat on the contact and deal it belongs to.
- You want the inbox, quotes and orders in one CRM, priced per user.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wati cheaper than respond.io?
Yes. Wati runs from $39 to $199 a month billed annually, against $79 to $279 for respond.io. Wati's message fees and extras come on top, and respond.io's price rises with its contact tiers.
Does Wati support Telegram or email?
Wati's pricing and plan comparison pages list WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and RCS, with SMS on Business, and no Telegram or email. respond.io includes the Telegram bot and email on every plan.
Do they offer a free plan or trial?
Neither lists a free plan. Both offer a 7-day trial.
Which one includes more users?
respond.io includes 5 users on Starter and 10 on Growth and Advanced. Wati includes 3 on Growth and 5 on Pro and Business, and Growth cannot add more.
Can I send WhatsApp broadcasts on both?
Yes. Wati includes 15,000 broadcasts a month on Growth at $39, and unlimited on Pro and Business. On respond.io, broadcasts start on Growth at $159 a month.
Is there a CRM with a WhatsApp inbox built in?
Yes. PromptLab's shared inbox handles WhatsApp, Telegram and email on every plan, from $11.99 a user a month, with each conversation linked to its contact and deal and a 14-day free trial.
Sources
- respond.io, checked on 20 October 2026: respond.io pricing, respond.io integrations
- Wati, checked on 20 October 2026: Wati pricing, Wati plan comparison
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