Cliengo vs respond.io (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, respond.io grades higher than Cliengo: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
respond.io grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cliengo
AI chatbots and a shared inbox for WhatsApp, web and Instagram
respond.io
Team inbox for WhatsApp, social chats, email and calls with AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick Cliengo if
- Fits if you sell to Spanish-speaking customers on WhatsApp and the web
- Works for lead capture that hands leads to a CRM
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are one person: Premium is $119 for 3 users
- Tight on limits: 2,000 AI conversations on Premium, 4,000 on Business
- Watch out: Meta's WhatsApp message and template fees are not in the plan
- Watch out: WhatsApp API access costs extra on Premium, and the site is in Spanish
Pick respond.io if
- Fits if most of your customers reach you on WhatsApp, Instagram or TikTok
- Works for teams who answer chats and calls from their phones as well as the web
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want automations on the cheapest plan, as workflows, broadcasts and AI agents begin on Growth at $159
- Pricey if you're on your own, as Starter's $79 a month is priced for up to 5 users
- Tight if your contact count jumps, as contacts past the tier cost $12 per 100 on Growth and $15 on Advanced
- Watch out: Meta charges WhatsApp fees on top, SMS and calls are billed at provider rates, and extra AI credits are $15 per 1,000
- Watch out: the trial lasts 7 days, and extra users cost $12 to $24 a month each billed yearly
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACliengoFair | 2.6GPArespond.ioGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$119 a month for 3 users on monthly billing, at the dearest tenth of customer-support tools ($110), and a single person still pays it. | BStarter is $79 a month for up to 5 users billed annually ($99 monthly), so a team of five pays a price per head inside the cheaper quarter of help desks. One person pays the whole $79. Workflows, AI agents and the API start on Growth at $159, and Meta's WhatsApp fees come on top. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day trial with full access and no card. There is no free plan. | CNo free plan, but a 7-day free trial of Growth for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, with no credit card needed. A week is short, but it's enough to plug in WhatsApp and see how the inbox feels. |
| Features | CAI agents, a shared inbox, Copilot, campaigns and CRM links. The listing shows caps on AI conversations and WhatsApp API access as an extra on Premium. | BThe whole job, with more channels than most: WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, Viber, LINE, WeChat, chat, email and SMS in one inbox, calls in the same thread, AI agents, workflows, broadcasts and lifecycle stages. Starter leaves the automation out. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You train agents on your content and connect your channels. | CNo App Store rating on record. Each channel needs connecting, WhatsApp included, then there are workflows, AI agents and lifecycle stages to set up, and a contact tier to keep an eye on. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Google Ads and Analytics, and WordPress connections. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with the full inbox on every plan, plus HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Shopify, Zapier, Make, Calendly and Google Sheets, and a developer API from Growth. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | AI chatbots for WhatsApp and web in Spanish | support and sales over WhatsApp and social chat |
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: Cliengo and respond.io. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cliengo starts at $119 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. respond.io starts at $79 a month and scores 2.7.
respond.io scores higher and starts $40 a month lower. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, 32 score higher than Cliengo for less, and 5 score higher than respond.io 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
- Cliengo also covers whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- respond.io also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Cliengo | respond.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $119 per month for 3 users, billed monthly | $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with full access to the chosen plan, no card required | 7-day free trial of Growth for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, no credit card needed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cliengo | Rocketbots Limited (respond.io) |
| Price read from | cliengo.com | respond.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cliengo
- Plans cap AI conversations (2,000 or 4,000 a month); a conversation counts as a 24-hour session across all channels.
- WhatsApp message and template costs charged by Meta are not included in the plan prices.
- WhatsApp API access is an extra-cost item on Premium; Business includes one line.
- The pricing page and site are in Spanish; payments are processed in US dollars.
respond.io
- WhatsApp fees are charged by Meta on top of the plan, and SMS and VoIP are billed at the provider's rates.
- Contacts past the tier cost $12 per 100 on Growth and $15 per 100 on Advanced; extra AI credits are $15 per 1,000.
- Extra users cost $12, $20 and $24 a month on Starter, Growth and Advanced billed yearly ($15, $25 and $30 monthly).
- Starter has no broadcasts, workflows, AI agents or developer API; those start on Growth.
Key features
Cliengo
- Multichannel inbox
- Messages from the website, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp arrive in one inbox with each customer's history.
- AI agents trained on your content
- The AI learns from a website, PDFs and FAQs, answers around the clock, qualifies leads and hands them to a person.
- Copilot
- Summarizes conversations, flags objections and reports response times and volume for the team.
- WhatsApp campaigns
- Bulk or segmented WhatsApp messages can be sent from the platform, with conversions tracked through to the sale.
- CRM and ad integrations
- Leads go to the CRM chosen for each chatbot, and Google Ads, Analytics 4 and Tag Manager track results; webhooks and an API cover the rest.
respond.io
- One inbox for messaging channels
- WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, Viber, LINE, WeChat, a website chat widget, email (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, SMTP) and SMS through providers, in one shared inbox.
- Calls in the same thread
- WhatsApp Business calls, Messenger calls and VoIP calls sit beside the chats with that contact; recording, transcripts and summaries come from Growth.
- AI agents
- From Growth, AI agents answer questions, qualify leads, follow up and route conversations to people, drawing on AI credits that grow with the contact tier.
- Workflows and broadcasts
- Automations for routing, assignment and follow-ups, and bulk messages to segments of contacts, both from the Growth plan.
- Lifecycle stages and CRM sync
- Track each contact through lifecycle stages; HubSpot sync starts on Growth and Salesforce on Advanced.
- Native mobile apps
- iOS and Android apps with the full inbox, calls, assignments and team activity, included on every plan.
Plans
Cliengo
Premium$119
per month for 3 users, billed monthly
3 operators, 10 AI agents, 2,000 AI conversations a month, Copilot, tagging and Google Ads integration.
Business$259
per month for 5 users, billed monthly
5 operators, up to 20 AI agents, 4,000 AI conversations a month, outbound messages and one WhatsApp API line.
CorporateCustom
Users, AI agents and conversations sized to the operation, with custom integrations and development.
respond.io
Starter$79
per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Team and custom inboxes, mobile app, AI Assist and prompts, basic reports and 2FA. The comparison table shows unlimited monthly active contacts and 5,000 AI credits.
Growth$159
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually ($199 monthly)
10 users. Adds broadcasts, workflows, AI agents, advanced reports, Zapier and Make, and the developer API. The price rises with the contact tier you pick.
Advanced$279
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually ($349 monthly)
10 users. Adds masked phone numbers and emails, multiple workspaces, webhooks, HTTP requests, SSO and custom channels. Sold through sales; price rises with contacts.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users, more workspaces, higher API rate limits and a custom contact allowance. Priced on request.
Ways to pay less
Cliengo
No public discounts listed.
respond.io
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with yearly billing
respond.io's pricing page says yearly billing saves up to 20%: Starter is $948 a year against $1,188 billed monthly, Growth $1,908 against $2,388.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cliengo or respond.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, respond.io is cheaper to start with: $79 a month, against $119 a month for Cliengo. Cliengo starts at $119 per month for 3 users, billed monthly, and respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Cliengo or respond.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Cliengo nor respond.io has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Cliengo and respond.io run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only respond.io lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.