Wati vs YCloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Wati: it is third in our ranking of SMS and chat marketing tools, and it grades higher too, 2.4 against 2.2.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Wati grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, 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.
Wati
WhatsApp Business API inbox with broadcasts, chatbots and ad flows
YCloud
WhatsApp API platform with campaigns, inbox, AI agents and a free plan
Which one is for you
Pick Wati if
- Fits if you sell online and send order updates and cart reminders over WhatsApp
- Works for a small team sharing one WhatsApp number
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your team grows, as Growth stops at 3 users and extra seats on Pro cost $39 a month
- Pricey if you lean on bots, as each extra 1,000 automation triggers costs $40, and past the allowance replies go by hand
- Skip it if you might want your money back, as payments aren't refunded after you cancel
- Tight if you want to test it properly, as the trial is 7 days and needs the WhatsApp API hooked up first
- Watch out: Meta's per-message charges come on top, with US rates only in Wati's rate card and wallet
Pick YCloud if
- Fits if you run WhatsApp campaigns and want a shared inbox
- Works for a solo user trying the platform free
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as that is 1 team member, 2 channels and AI-only ticket support
- Watch out: WhatsApp's per-message fees are billed on top, with 1,000 free service messages a number
- Pricey if you grow: extra team members are $10 each and extra channels $5 each a month
- Watch out: monthly-billed prices are not shown, with yearly saving up to 25%
- Watch out: extra AI credits cost $10 per 5M
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAWatiFair | 2.2GPAYCloudFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$39 a month, shown as the yearly-billed equivalent, just above the $36 middle of chat tools. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CFree plan: 1 team member, 2 channels and 500K AI credits, but add-ons cannot be bought on it. |
| Features | 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. | CWhatsApp API, campaigns, shared inbox, AI agents and click-to-WhatsApp ads. The free plan has AI-only support. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You connect numbers, channels and agents. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Shopify, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, WooCommerce, Klaviyo, Zapier and Make. No desktop app, which an A needs. | BWeb with HubSpot, Zapier, Shopify and Freshdesk. No apps are listed. |
| Best for | shops selling and answering customers on WhatsApp | WhatsApp campaigns and a shared inbox |
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: Wati and YCloud. How we grade
Price against what you get
Wati starts at $59 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. YCloud starts at $39 a month and scores 2.3.
Wati scores higher, and starts $20 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Wati for less, and 4 score higher than YCloud 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
At a glance
| Wati | YCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $59 per month for up to 3 users, billed annually ($69 billed monthly) | $39 per month, shown as the yearly-billed monthly equivalent ($468 billed yearly) |
| Free plan | None | 1 team member, 2 channels, 500K AI credits a month, unlimited contacts and AI-only ticket support. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Clare.ai Limited | YCloud |
| Price read from | wati.io | ycloud.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
YCloud
- WhatsApp's per-message fees are billed on top of the plan at Meta's published rates; the first 1,000 service messages per number each month are free.
- The page shows the monthly equivalent of yearly billing; the monthly-billed prices are not displayed in the page text, though the page says yearly saves up to 25%.
- Extra team members cost $10 a month each and extra channels $5 a month each, and add-ons are only sold on paid plans.
- Extra generative AI credits cost $10 per 5M and translation costs $10 per 150K characters beyond the plan allowance.
Key features
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.
YCloud
- WhatsApp API and coexistence
- Launch a WhatsApp API account under your own brand, or connect an existing WhatsApp Business App number alongside the platform.
- Campaigns and journeys
- Send marketing template messages to contact lists and trigger automated follow-ups based on customer behavior.
- Shared inbox
- A live chat inbox for teams to answer WhatsApp conversations, with roles and, on Pro and above, custom roles.
- AI agents
- Three types of AI chatbot answer customers; usage draws on a monthly pool of AI credits that differs by plan.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads and shop
- Tools for ads that open a WhatsApp chat on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Google, and for a WhatsApp shop.
- WhatsApp calling
- Make and receive WhatsApp calls from the same platform; calls are billed per minute separately from the plan.
Plans
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.
YCloud
Free$0
1 team member, 2 channels, 500K AI credits a month, unlimited contacts, system roles and help docs. Add-ons cannot be bought on it.
Growth$39
per month, billed yearly ($468 a year)
Adds adjustable team members and channels, 5M AI credits a month and ticket support answered by a person.
Pro$89
per month, billed yearly ($1,068 a year)
20M AI credits a month, custom roles, a dedicated account manager and assisted onboarding.
Enterprise$399
per month, billed yearly ($4,788 a year)
100M AI credits a month, a customer success expert, priority support, onboarding training and one AI agent implementation.
Ways to pay less
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.
YCloud
- Annual discount
Yearly billing saves up to 25%
The pricing page has a Monthly/Yearly switch labeled with a saving of up to 25% for yearly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Wati or YCloud?
As of Nov 13, 2026, YCloud is cheaper to start with: $39 a month, against $59 a month for Wati. Wati starts at $59 per month for up to 3 users, billed annually ($69 billed monthly), and YCloud starts at $39 per month, shown as the yearly-billed monthly equivalent ($468 billed yearly).
Which has a free plan, Wati or YCloud?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only YCloud has a free plan. Wati does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Wati and YCloud run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Wati 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.