Wati vs Zoko (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 1.8.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Wati grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
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
Zoko
WhatsApp inbox, campaigns and AI agents for Shopify stores
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 Zoko if
- Fits if your customers are on WhatsApp and your store is on Shopify
- Works for stores that want broadcasts and click-to-WhatsApp ads
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your store isn't on Shopify
- Pricey if you add flows, Instagram or AI agents, which are all separate charges
- Watch out: WhatsApp message fees go to Meta and aren't in the plan price
- Tight if you want to try it for longer than 7 days
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAWatiFair | 1.8GPAZokoWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$49.99 a month, with per-conversation fees on top and WhatsApp fees paid to Meta. That sits in the dearer quarter ($49) of the category, not past it. |
| 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. | D7-day free trial with no contracts. The page doesn't say whether a card is needed, and there is no free plan. |
| 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. | CInbox, broadcasts, ad links and flows on every plan. But custom flows are $5.99 each a month, Instagram is $9.99, and AI agents are $24.99 plus per-resolution fees. |
| 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. A web dashboard tied to your Shopify store, with flows to build. |
| 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. | CWeb only, with Shopify and Judge.me. No separate apps, and the listing names just two integrations. |
| Best for | shops selling and answering customers on WhatsApp | WhatsApp for Shopify stores |
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 Zoko. 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. Zoko starts at $49.99 a month and scores 2.0.
Wati scores higher, and starts $9.01 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 14 score higher than Zoko 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
- Wati also covers marketing automation.
- Zoko also covers workflow automation, AI agents and online store.
At a glance
| Wati | Zoko | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $59 per month for up to 3 users, billed annually ($69 billed monthly) | $49.99 per month, plus WhatsApp fees paid to Meta |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial | 7-day free trial, no contracts |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Clare.ai Limited | Zoko |
| Price read from | wati.io | zoko.io |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Zoko
- WhatsApp message fees are paid directly to Meta at its rate card and are not in the Zoko plan prices.
- Instagram adds $9.99 a month, while Facebook Messenger has no platform fee.
- Custom flows cost $5.99 a month each, and AI agents cost $24.99 a month plus per-resolution fees, with the first 100 resolutions free.
- Zoko is built around Shopify, and the pages read show a web dashboard only, with no separate apps.
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.
Zoko
- Shared WhatsApp inbox
- A team inbox with auto-distributed chats, custom inboxes, quick replies, business hours and welcome and away messages.
- Broadcasts and ads
- Bulk WhatsApp broadcasts go to tagged customer segments, and click-to-WhatsApp ads send shoppers into a chat.
- Automation flows
- Eleven pre-built ecommerce flows, such as abandoned checkout recovery and COD confirmation, are free; custom flows cost $5.99 a month each.
- AI agents
- Optional agents answer FAQs, track orders from store data or take orders in chat, at $24.99 a month plus a per-resolution or per-order charge.
- Catalog, calling and API
- A Shopify catalog syncs into WhatsApp, WhatsApp calling is listed, and the API and webhooks come with every 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.
Zoko
Starter$49.99
per month, plus $0.015 per conversation
Unlimited agents with no agent fees. Every feature is included on every plan.
Plus$79.99
per month, with 5K conversations at no markup
Then $0.00199 per conversation. The first 5 agents are free, then $15 per agent.
Elite$139.99
per month, with 100K conversations at no markup
Then $0.00099 per conversation. The first 10 agents are free, then $12 per agent.
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.
Zoko
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Wati or Zoko?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Zoko is cheaper to start with: $49.99 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 Zoko starts at $49.99 per month, plus WhatsApp fees paid to Meta.
Which has a free plan, Wati or Zoko?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Wati nor Zoko has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Wati and Zoko run on?
As of Nov 12, 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.