Quick summary
WATI and ManyChat take different approaches to business messaging and automation. WATI is built specifically around the WhatsApp Business API, making it a strong fit if WhatsApp is your primary customer communication channel. In contrast, ManyChat is a multi-channel automation platform, with WhatsApp offered as an add-on rather than the core focus.
That said, for growing businesses, both tools can be expensive to scale due to added markups on WhatsApp API charges, and they may feel limiting due to the lack of hands-on support and feature restrictions in lower-tier plans.
That’s where WANotifier comes into play. It offers an all-in-one marketing and automation solution designed specifically for WhatsApp, with transparent pricing, 0% markup on API charges, personalized support at every stage, and everything your business needs to run high-performing WhatsApp campaigns available from the start.
Want to give WANotifier a try? Start your 7-day free trial today!
Wati
Wati is a go-to platform for businesses that want to scale customer conversations on WhatsApp. With tools like bulk broadcasts, Click-to-WhatsApp ads, chatbots, WhatsApp Flows, and an AI-powered support agent, Wati helps brands deliver timely and personalized messages while streamlining customer support.
ManyChat
ManyChat is a popular chat marketing platform that helps businesses automate conversations across multiple channels, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok. It’s widely used for building chatbots and managing multi-channel engagement, but when it comes to WhatsApp marketing, it can feel somewhat limiting and expensive (especially if you’re a growing team).
Core differentiators
Wati core differentiators
Key features
- Broadcast campaigns
- Easy-to-use chatbot builder
- WhatsApp Flows and retargeting automations
- WhatsApp payments
- AI-powered support agent
Pros
- Powerful automation features, including an AI support agent and a no-code chatbot builder
- Integrates easily with popular CRM, ecommerce, and other third-party platforms
- Offers email support across all plans
Cons
- Adds a 60% markup on marketing messages ($0.01712 per message vs. the official $0.0107 rate)
- Requires users to pre-purchase messaging credits
- Maximum no. of users capped at 5 (even in the highest tier); additional seats cost $39 to $89 per user
- Broadcast scheduling and analytics not included in the base plan
- No free onboarding support for Growth or Pro plan users
Supported integrations
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zapier
- Zoho CRM
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
…and more
Best for
Mid- to large-sized businesses that want a scalable WhatsApp automation solution and can absorb higher messaging costs.
ManyChat core differentiators
Key features
- WhatsApp broadcast campaigns
- Visual flow builder for automations and chatbots
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads trigger (for chatbots)
- Shared inbox (can be purchased separately)
Pros
- Easy-to-use interface, great for beginners
- Supports WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and other channels
- Powerful automations tools (including chatbots and auto-replies)
Cons
- Charges a 15% markup on WhatsApp’s official messaging rates ($0.0123 per marketing message vs. the official $0.0107 rate)
- No WhatsApp-only plan (users may end up paying for channels they’ll never use)
- Expensive to scale; Pro plan starts at $15/month, but only includes 500 contacts
- Customer support response times can be slow
Supported integrations
- Google Sheets
- HubSpot
- MailChimp
- Zapier
… and more
Best for
Businesses seeking a dedicated automation tool to boost engagement across multiple channels, including WhatsApp.
Pricing
Wati pricing
(Messaging charges include a markup and are billed separately)
Free Trial: Yes (7-day free trial)
Subscription Options: Monthly and yearly billing
Plans:
- Growth: $69 / ₹2,499 per month
- Pro: $149 / ₹5,999 per month
- Business: $349 / ₹16,999 per month
Pay-as-you-go Plan:
- ₹999 (includes 500 WhatsApp messages, valid for 3 months)
ManyChat pricing
(Messaging charges include a markup and are billed separately)
Free Trial: Yes (ManyChat offers a Free plan)
Subscription Options: Monthly
Plans:
- Free Plan: $0/month (WhatsApp not included)
- Pro Plan: Starts at $15/month (includes 500 contacts)
- Elite Plan: Custom pricing on request
Support
Wati support options
Customer support
- Support documentation
- Email support (for all paid users)
- Chat support (only for Pro and Business users)
- Priority support (only for Business users)
- Dedicated customer success manager (only for Business users)
Onboarding
Wati does not include onboarding support for Growth or Pro plan users. However, you can purchase it as a paid add-on for these subscriptions. Custom onboarding and setup are also offered as a paid add-on.
ManyChat support options
Customer support
- Help center
- ManyChat community (for all users)
- Email support (for Pro and Elite users)
- Customer success manager (only for Elite users)
Onboarding
ManyChat offers self-serve onboarding through its help center guides and free video course. Dedicated onboarding support is available only for Elite plan users.