Chatfuel vs Wati
We give Chatfuel a 2.6 GPA and Wati a 2.4, out of 4.0. Chatfuel grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Chatfuel
AI chatbots for WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook with a usage wallet
Wati
WhatsApp Business API inbox with broadcasts, chatbots and ad flows
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAChatfuelGood | 2.4GPAWatiFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBusiness is $18 a month billed yearly ($20 monthly), with unlimited contacts and teammates and $20 of credits a month for AI replies and WhatsApp messages. That's the cheaper quarter of this category. Meta's WhatsApp charges come out of the wallet at its own rates, and no US figure is given. | CGrowth is $59 a month billed yearly ($69 monthly) for 3 users and 15,000 broadcasts a month, plenty for 1,000 customers. Against its WhatsApp rivals, the fairer test here, that's mid-pack. Meta's per-message charges come on top, and the US rates sit in Wati's rate card, not on the listing. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 7-day trial with full access, $15 in credits and no credit card. Enough to set up the AI agent and watch it answer. | CNo free plan, only a 7-day free trial. That's short for something you have to hook up to the WhatsApp Business API before it does anything. |
| Features | BThe whole chat-marketing job: an AI agent that answers and qualifies leads, Instagram and Facebook comment auto-replies, WhatsApp broadcasts, bookings and payments in the chat, a shared inbox and a simple CRM. Business gives you 1 bot. | BThe whole WhatsApp marketing job: broadcasts, no-code chatbots, click-to-WhatsApp ads, Shopify catalog and cart messages, AI copilot credits and a team inbox that takes Instagram, Messenger and TikTok too. The Shopify tools need a $4.99 a month add-on. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. You'll connect each channel, feed the AI agent your knowledge base and keep an eye on the wallet, since heavy AI use can pause the bot. | CNo App Store rating on record. There's a WhatsApp Business API number to set up, templates to write, chatbots to build and an automation trigger allowance to keep an eye on. |
| Platforms and integrations | BRuns on the web, with Google Sheets, Stripe, Meta Pixel, a JSON API and an MCP server for AI assistants. Thin on ready-made integrations, though: the help center says Zapier isn't supported. No apps. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Shopify, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, WooCommerce, Klaviyo, Zapier and Make. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | AI chatbots for WhatsApp and Instagram on a budget | shops selling and answering customers on WhatsApp |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Chatfuel and Wati. How we grade
Price against what you get
Chatfuel starts at $18 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Wati starts at $59 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Chatfuel starts $41 a month lower. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Chatfuel for less, and none scores higher than Wati for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Chatfuel starts at $18 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly). Wati starts at $59 per month for up to 3 users, billed annually ($69 billed monthly).
- Only Wati lists iOS and Android apps.
- Chatfuel also covers live chat and AI support agent.
- Wati also covers shared inbox.
At a glance
| Chatfuel | Wati | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $18 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) | $59 per month for up to 3 users, billed annually ($69 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial with full access and $15 in credits, no credit card required | 7-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Chatfuel | Clare.ai Limited |
| Price read from | chatfuel.com | wati.io |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Chatfuel
- Small businesses answering Instagram and WhatsApp messages around the clock
- Agencies running chatbots for several clients from one wallet
- Shops turning ad clicks and comments into chats
Wati
- Online shops that sell and send order updates over WhatsApp
- Teams running click-to-WhatsApp ads on Facebook and Instagram
- Support and sales teams sharing one WhatsApp number
Worth knowing
Chatfuel
- Meta's WhatsApp charges, including service replies since 1 October 2026, come out of the wallet at Meta's rates by country; no US figure is given.
- Plan credits do not roll over, and messages stop when the wallet reaches zero unless auto top-up is on; heavy AI use can pause the bot until the limit resets.
- Refunds are given only if you cancel within 3 days on monthly billing or 30 days on annual billing.
- The pricing page names Zapier among integrations, but the help center says Zapier is not supported; other tools connect through the JSON API.
Wati
- WhatsApp messages are charged per message on top of the plan, by recipient country and template type; Wati's US rates are in its rate card and account wallet.
- Extra users cost $39 a month on Pro and $89 on Business; Growth is capped at 3 users.
- Extra automation triggers cost $40 per 1,000 and extra AI Co-pilot credits $30 per 1,000; past the trigger allowance, replies must be sent by hand.
- The pricing FAQ says payments for a subscription or credits are not refunded after you cancel.
Key features
Chatfuel
- AI agent
- Replies from your knowledge base and instructions, qualifies and scores leads, follows up and hands a chat to a person when needed.
- Instagram and Facebook automation
- Automatic replies to post and Reels comments, story replies and keyword triggers, which lead people into a chat.
- WhatsApp broadcasts
- Bulk WhatsApp campaigns to segments, with click-to-chat ads and conversions sent back to Meta Pixel.
- Bookings and sales in chat
- Books meetings inside WhatsApp, shows a product catalog, takes orders and collects payments in the conversation.
- Shared inbox and CRM
- Teammates take over live conversations, and leads are tracked in a built-in CRM with unlimited contacts.
- JSON API and MCP
- A JSON API plugin connects bots to outside systems, and an MCP server lets AI assistants such as Claude run your bots.
Wati
- Team inbox for several channels
- WhatsApp messages and WhatsApp Business calls sit beside Instagram, Messenger, TikTok and website widget chats, with assignment, tags, follow-ups and reports.
- Broadcast campaigns
- Template messages to segments of contacts: 15,000 a month on Growth and unlimited from Pro, with click tracking and engagement reports on Pro.
- No-code chatbots
- Flows that answer questions, collect details and send reminders. Each run counts as an automation trigger, with a monthly allowance per plan.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads
- Ads on Meta that open a WhatsApp chat, with lead capture on every plan and source tags and conversion tracking on Pro and Business.
- Shopify tools
- WhatsApp catalog, abandoned-cart and order-update templates, and campaigns built on buyer data, through a $4.99 a month Shopify add-on.
- AI copilot and agents
- Every plan gets monthly AI Co-pilot credits (250 to 1,500). Astra AI agents for web, WhatsApp and voice are a separately priced add-on from Pro.
Plans
Chatfuel
Business$18
per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
1 bot, every channel, unlimited contacts and teammates, and $20 of credits a month for AI replies and WhatsApp messages.
Agency S$90
per month for up to 3 companies, billed annually ($100 monthly)
$100 of credits a month, an agency dashboard and an account manager. Larger agency tiers in the help center run up to $2,050 a month.
Wati
Growth$59
per month for up to 3 users, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)
1 channel, 3 users with no extra seats, 15,000 broadcasts a month, 1,000 automation triggers, 2 commerce or CRM integrations and email support.
Pro$119
per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($149 billed monthly)
Unlimited broadcasts, advanced chatbots, teams and auto-routing, 2,000 automation triggers, 5 integrations including HubSpot, and 24x7 chat support.
Business$279
per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($349 billed monthly)
Multiple WhatsApp numbers, number masking, IP whitelisting, 5,000 automation triggers, Salesforce and other integrations, and a success manager.
Ways to pay less
Chatfuel
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
Chatfuel's pricing page takes 10% off for yearly billing: Business is $216 a year, against $20 a month billed monthly.
Wati
- Annual discount
Save up to 25% with yearly billing
Wati's pricing page says annual plans save up to about 25% and include free dedicated onboarding. Growth is $59 a month billed yearly against $69 monthly; Pro $119 against $149.
