Yapper as a WATI alternative
WATI is a WhatsApp Business API platform for marketing, sales and support teams: a shared inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and a website widget, broadcast campaigns, chatbots and e-commerce tools. Its Pro plan adds AI lead qualification, and Astra AI Agents are a separately priced add-on.
Yapper is an AI assistant for service businesses on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and their website. The assistant answers every conversation in your voice, follows your phases and business rules, and hands the conversation to your team when it needs a person, all on one published monthly plan with unlimited teammates.
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WATI and Yapper compared
| Topic | WATI | Yapper |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Marketing, sales and support teams running WhatsApp campaigns and a shared inbox, in e-commerce, e-learning, healthcare and agencies. | Service businesses that answer customers on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and their website. |
| Pricing | Growth $59/mo (3 users, no extra users), Pro $119/mo (5 users, extra $39 each) and Business $279/mo (5 users, extra $89 each), billed annually. Messages are charged on top. | $399/mo. One plan with unlimited teammates, senders and customers. |
| Add-ons | Extra automation triggers $40/mo, Wati AI credits $30/mo, Shopify $4.99/mo and extra WhatsApp numbers $29/mo each. Astra AI Agents are priced separately. | No feature add-ons: every feature is on the one plan. |
| AI | Pro adds AI lead qualification and advanced chatbots. Astra AI Agents for web, WhatsApp and voice are an add-on. | The assistant is the product: it answers, follows your phases, escalates and follows up. |
| Before you pay | A 7-day trial, no credit card. | Text a draft of your assistant from your phone. No card needed until you activate your plan. |
| Channels | WhatsApp messages and calls, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and a website widget in one inbox. | WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and comments, Facebook Messenger and a website chat widget. |
| WhatsApp message fees | Charged per message on top of the plan, by country and template category, per WATI's rate card. | Charged by Meta; you add a payment method in Meta's Billing Hub. |
| Broadcasts and follow-ups | 15k broadcasts a month on Growth, unlimited from Pro; click-to-WhatsApp ad tools and follow-up automations. | WhatsApp templates sent now or on a schedule to all customers, a phase or a picked list, and follow-ups written from each conversation when a customer goes quiet. |
| Setup | Zero-fee WhatsApp API setup. Dedicated onboarding for a one-time fee, included with annual plans. | A setup assistant builds your assistant with you in a chat, from your website, documents, a voice note or typed answers, and fills your Handbook of business facts. |
| Human handoff | Astra AI Agents hand off with the full thread; Pro adds teams, auto routing and operator reports. | Escalates when a customer asks for a person or it cannot help: it stops replying, alerts your team and tells the customer someone will follow up. You can also take over any conversation. |
Checked . Details about WATI come only from its public pages:
When WATI is the better pick
- You run high-volume WhatsApp campaigns and want click-to-WhatsApp ad tracking, carousel templates or WhatsApp Pay.
- You sell on Shopify and want abandoned-cart and order messages.
- Your team answers the chats and you want a low entry price for a WhatsApp inbox: Growth is $59/mo billed annually.
- You need several WhatsApp numbers with round-robin assignment and a dedicated customer success manager (Business plan).
- You want AI agents that also take voice calls (Astra add-on).
Switching from WATI to Yapper
- Build your Yapper assistant: share your website, documents, a voice note or typed answers, and paste in the chatbot answers and quick replies you use in WATI. Text the draft from your phone before you pay.
- Activate your plan and finish the setup chat. The setup assistant fills your Handbook and your business rules with you.
- Disconnect your WhatsApp number from WATI so each customer gets one answer, then connect it in Yapper under Settings, Senders. If Meta reports that the number's two-step verification PIN does not match, reset the PIN in WhatsApp Manager and connect again.
- Recreate the WhatsApp templates you use for campaigns in Yapper: you write them in the dashboard and Yapper submits them to Meta for approval.
Frequently asked questions
Is Yapper a WhatsApp Business API inbox like WATI?
Yapper connects to the official WhatsApp Business Platform and gives your team an Inbox. The difference is who answers: in Yapper, an assistant replies to every customer and hands conversations to your team when it needs a person.
Who charges for WhatsApp messages?
Meta charges WhatsApp message fees to your WhatsApp Business Account, and you add the payment method in Meta's Billing Hub.
Can I send broadcasts with Yapper?
Yes. You send approved WhatsApp templates now or on a schedule to all customers, a phase or a picked list, and your assistant answers the replies.
Can I keep my WhatsApp number?
Yes. You connect your own number through Meta. A number you use in the WhatsApp Business app keeps working there, and Yapper imports its contacts and chat history.
Does Yapper reply in Spanish and Portuguese?
Yes. It replies in the language each customer writes in, and the dashboard and setup assistant work in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Monthly plan
$399 /mo
Unlimited teammates, senders and customers.
Plus applicable tax. Checkout shows the final total for your billing address before payment.Tax included. Checkout shows the final total for your billing address before payment.
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