Comparison

    SleekFlow vs WATI vs Respond.io: a detailed comparison

    Three of the most compared messaging platforms, read from their own pricing pages and help centers: channels, inbox, automation builders, AI agents, broadcasts, CRM, integrations, commerce, reporting, support and security, and which kind of business each one suits.

    Start your free trialTalk to Volty

    Updated

    At a glance

    The short version, one row per area. Each section further down has the detail, the limits each vendor documents, and what it means when you choose.

    SleekFlow, WATI and Respond.io at a glance
    AreaSleekFlow logoSleekFlowWATI logoWATIRespond.io logoRespond.io
    Based inSingapore, launched 2019, offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil and the UAEHong Kong legal entity (Clare.Ai Limited), started in 2020 as a WhatsApp team inboxKuala Lumpur, founded in 2017 in Hong Kong as Rocketbots
    ChannelsWhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, LINE, WeChat, Viber, TikTok, SMS (US), email (beta), web chatWhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, web chat, RCS, SMS through your own Twilio accountWhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, LINE, WeChat, Viber, TikTok, SMS, email, web chat, VoIP, custom channels
    AutomationFlow Builder, a canvas of trigger, condition, action and delay nodesChatbot Builder, a map of nodes joined by arrows, started by rules and keywordsWorkflows, a canvas of one trigger and up to 100 steps
    AI agentAgentFlow, trained on files, web pages and custom answersAstra, a separate AI agent product connected to WATIAI Agents with skills, from templates or from scratch
    CRMContacts, lists, custom objects and lifecycle pipelinesContact attributes, segments and a lead stageContacts, segments and lifecycle stages, no sales pipeline
    IntegrationsShopify, Google Sheets, Zapier and Make; HubSpot and Zoho on Premium; Salesforce on EnterpriseA set number per plan: 2, then 5 with HubSpot, then unlimited with SalesforceHubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, Make and the API from Growth; much else through Zapier, Make or n8n
    SecuritySOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and ISO 42001, GDPRISO 27001 and GDPR; its pages disagree on SOC 2ISO 27001 and GDPR, SAML single sign-on on Advanced

    01 · Company

    Who makes each one

    All three grew up in Asia around WhatsApp and now sell worldwide. Each is a Meta Business Partner, which matters because WhatsApp's Cloud API reaches businesses through approved partners.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Launched in November 2019, headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil and the UAE.
    • Says it serves over 7,000 businesses in 70 countries.
    • Describes itself as a Meta Verified Partner and a WhatsApp BSP Select Tier partner.
    WATI logo
    • Started in 2020 as a WhatsApp team inbox. Its data processing agreement names Clare.Ai Limited, trading as Wati.io, at a Hong Kong address.
    • Says it serves over 16,000 customers in more than 190 countries.
    • Describes itself as a Premium Partner of Meta and Google.
    Respond.io logo
    • Founded in 2017 in Hong Kong as Rocketbots and moved to Kuala Lumpur in 2019.
    • Says it serves over 10,000 brands in more than 180 countries, and raised a Series B in June 2026.
    • Became a WhatsApp business solution provider with Meta in 2023, and a TikTok Marketing Partner in 2025.

    What this means

    None of the three is a small or unproven vendor. The differences that matter are in what each product does, which the rest of this guide covers.

    02 · Channels

    Which channels each one connects

    Channel coverage is the clearest difference between the three. Respond.io connects the most channels, SleekFlow adds the Asian messaging apps and a beta email inbox, and WATI concentrates on WhatsApp with Instagram, Messenger, TikTok and web chat alongside.

    All three support WhatsApp coexistence, which keeps your number working in the WhatsApp Business app on your phone while the platform receives the same messages. Each documents its own limits on it.

    SleekFlow logo
    • WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, LINE, WeChat, Viber, TikTok, web chat, SMS through Twilio in the US only, and email from Outlook or Gmail, which SleekFlow calls a beta.
    • Voice calling over Twilio is a limited release. WhatsApp Business Calling is not offered.
    • One LINE account and one WeChat service account. TikTok cannot start conversations or receive broadcasts.
    • Coexistence syncs six months of one-to-one chats and no group chats, and the phone app must stay active.
    WATI logo
    • WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, web chat and RCS. SMS works through your own Twilio account on the Business plan.
    • WhatsApp Business Calling on every plan, with an Astra voice agent available for calls.
    • One WhatsApp number on Growth and Pro; more numbers are a Business plan add-on. A second Instagram account or several Messenger Pages needs Business.
    • The multi-channel team inbox comes with Pro and Business. No email, Telegram, LINE, WeChat or Viber channel is listed.
    Respond.io logo
    • WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, LINE, WeChat, Viber, TikTok (open beta), email from any mailbox, web chat, SMS through Telnyx, Twilio, Vonage or Bird, and VoIP calling through Telnyx.
    • WhatsApp Business Calling, and custom channels for anything else on Advanced and Enterprise.
    • Up to 5 WhatsApp API channels per organization by default, which support can raise.
    • Coexistence imports no message or contact history, and the phone app must be opened at least every 14 days.

    What this means

    If you sell across borders on WeChat, LINE or Viber, SleekFlow and Respond.io both cover them and WATI does not. If WhatsApp is the whole business, all three cover it, and WATI is the one built around it.

    03 · Inbox

    The shared inbox and how teams work in it

    Each product gives your team one inbox for its channels, with assignment, internal notes and mobile apps. They differ in how routing works and in how much of the product the mobile app carries.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Assignment directly, to a team inbox, by team round robin or through a queue.
    • Internal notes, and an @mention gives a colleague 24 hours of access to reply.
    • Snooze a conversation until a set date.
    • Four default roles and up to 20 custom roles; role-based access control on Premium and Enterprise.
    • iOS and Android apps with the inbox, contacts and broadcasts. A ticketing module is in limited access.
    WATI logo
    • Routing by keyword, by last assignee or by chatbot; round robin is on the Business plan.
    • Teams: none on Growth, 10 on Pro, 20 on Business.
    • Ten fixed roles, such as Operator, Campaign Manager and Template Manager, with granular roles on Pro and Business.
    • WATI notes that a chat assigned to an offline operator stays with them until they come back online.
    • iOS and Android apps included with the subscription.
    Respond.io logo
    • Assignment through the Workflows Assign To step, by round robin or to whoever has the fewest open contacts, with online-only and capacity options.
    • Comments with @mentions, collaborators, snooze, and conversations that close on their own after a set time.
    • Up to 200 teams per workspace, and each user belongs to one team.
    • Owner, Manager and Agent roles. Agents see the inbox only.
    • The mobile app covers the inbox, calls and notifications; contacts, broadcasts, workflows and reports are on the web only.

    What this means

    All three handle a team of agents well. Respond.io's routing is the most configurable, SleekFlow's mobile app does the most, and WATI keeps round robin and larger team counts for its higher plans.

    04 · Automation

    How each one builds automations

    All three automate conversations in a visual builder: you place each trigger, condition and step and connect them by hand. Below is the same booking flow drawn in each one, using each vendor's own names for its nodes and buttons.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Flow Builder, a canvas of connected nodes: triggers, conditions, actions, time delays, wait-for-event and end or jump-to nodes.
    • Advanced Flow Builder adds triggers and actions for Shopify, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Google Sheets and VTEX, and an AgentFlow node that hands the conversation to an AI agent.
    • Flows are saved as drafts and published. Republishing either keeps enrolled contacts on their version or removes them, and older versions stay in the Flow Log.
    • Active flows are capped by plan, and the Send HTTP request node needs Premium or Enterprise.
    WATI logo
    • Chatbot Builder, a drag-and-drop map of nodes joined by arrows, started by a keyword, a rule or an action.
    • Every plan has Send a message, Ask a question and Set a condition; Pro and Business add nodes such as Set Tags, Assign Team, Time Delay, Webhook and Google Spreadsheet.
    • Rules run from the top of the list down, and only one chatbot or AI agent can take a conversation at a time.
    • Each plan has a monthly cap on automation triggers, and the Webhook node needs Pro or Business.
    Respond.io logo
    • Workflows, a drag-and-drop canvas where each workflow has exactly one trigger and up to 100 steps.
    • Steps include Send a Message, Ask a Question, Branch, Assign To, Wait, Jump To, Update Contact Field and HTTP Request.
    • A Test button runs the workflow on a channel you choose before you publish. A published workflow can only be edited once stopped, which removes every contact in it.
    • Workflows come with Growth, up to 150 per workspace; HTTP Request steps need Advanced.

    What this means

    The three builders work the same way at heart. The deciding details are the limits: SleekFlow's flow caps and HTTP gating, WATI's trigger caps and one-chatbot rule, and Respond.io's one-trigger rule and stop-to-edit behavior.

    05 · AI

    AI agents and AI help for your team

    Each vendor now offers an AI agent that answers customers from your knowledge and can take some actions, and AI tools that help your team write and summarize. They differ in how the agent is sold, what it can do on its own and what it can read.

    SleekFlow logo
    • AgentFlow: build an AI agent with a create, configure and test, deploy wizard, then place it in a flow.
    • Learns from files, up to 1,000 indexed web pages per scan, live web search and custom answers.
    • Can run Shopify commands, update labels and call integrations or custom APIs; agents with integrations need Premium.
    • Hands back to a person on a timeout, a request for a human or low confidence.
    • For agents: Smart Reply, a Writing Assistant with tones and translation, and Smart Summary.
    WATI logo
    • Astra, a separate AI agent product with its own plans, which replaced the older KnowBot.
    • Learns from your website, documents, question-and-answer pairs and WhatsApp conversations.
    • Can act through CRM, Slack, Google Sheets and REST API actions, and an Astra voice agent can take WhatsApp calls.
    • An Astra agent connects to one WhatsApp number at a time, and cannot handle video, documents, location or orders.
    • For agents: an AI editor that matches tone, fixes grammar and drafts replies.
    Respond.io logo
    • AI Agents built from Receptionist, Sales and Support templates or from scratch, on Growth and above.
    • Learns from websites up to 3 levels deep and up to 100 files per workspace.
    • Skills close, assign and update conversations and contacts and trigger workflows; HTTP request skills need Advanced.
    • The agent sees the most recent 20 messages and cannot read internal comments. An inbound AI voice agent is on Advanced.
    • For agents: AI Assist drafts, tone and translation prompts, summaries and sentiment.

    What this means

    In all three the AI agent sits inside the automation product: you build it, connect it to flows and keep its knowledge current. Watch the limits each vendor documents, such as WATI's one number per agent and Respond.io's 20-message memory.

    06 · Broadcasts

    Broadcasts and campaigns

    WhatsApp broadcasts send an approved template to a list of contacts. All three do it; they differ in scheduling, retargeting and which channels can broadcast at all.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Template broadcasts to lists or to contacts matching conditions, with non-subscribers filtered out.
    • Sends at around 200 messages a minute, within Meta's limits.
    • Tracks sent, delivered, read, replied and failed, exports to CSV, and can add contacts to a list by delivery status.
    • Drip sequences are built in Flow Builder. No broadcasts on TikTok or email.
    WATI logo
    • Campaigns on every plan, with scheduling on Pro and Business.
    • Retargeting by opened, replied, clicked or ignored, and link click tracking.
    • Drip campaigns on every plan and sequences on Pro and Business; WATI states recurring campaigns are not yet supported.
    • Retries failed messages, and Campaign Analytics is rolling out gradually.
    Respond.io logo
    • Broadcasts on Growth and above, with segmentation, an audience estimate and scheduling. Not on the free trial.
    • Tracks sent, delivered, read and failed for up to 30 days.
    • A broadcast can run for at most 7 days. No broadcasts on email, Instagram, WeChat or web chat.
    • Drips and sequences are built in Workflows.

    What this means

    If campaigns drive your business, WATI has the most built-in campaign tooling, SleekFlow the clearest tracking and export, and Respond.io keeps broadcasts to its paid plans and messaging channels.

    07 · CRM

    Contacts and CRM

    Each keeps a contact record beside every conversation. Only SleekFlow goes as far as custom objects and a lifecycle pipeline you can drag deals through; the other two keep stages on the contact.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Custom contact fields, static lists and custom objects.
    • Lifecycle pipelines with up to 20 stages, a kanban view with values, and AI rules that move contacts between stages, on Premium and Enterprise.
    • Import from CSV or Excel.
    WATI logo
    • Custom attributes, with a cap that rises by plan, plus tags and segments.
    • A lead stage on each contact, from new lead to deal won or lost, on Pro and Business.
    • A sales analytics pipeline chart, with a deal funnel listed as coming soon.
    Respond.io logo
    • Typed contact fields, tags, and segments that update themselves, up to 500 per workspace.
    • Five default lifecycle stages and up to 20 in total.
    • No separate deals or sales pipeline; contacts can be merged and unmerged, and imported from CSV.

    What this means

    If you want the messaging tool to double as a light sales CRM, SleekFlow comes closest. Teams on WATI or Respond.io usually connect HubSpot or Salesforce for deals.

    08 · Integrations

    Integrations and the API

    All three connect to common business systems, gate some of those connections by plan, and send the rest through automation services such as Zapier, Make, Pabbly or n8n, which are separate products with their own accounts and plans.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Shopify, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make and Facebook Lead Ads from Pro; HubSpot and Zoho from Premium; Salesforce on Enterprise.
    • API access from Pro, with a monthly cap on calls that SleekFlow's API, Zapier and Make share.
    • HTTP request and webhook steps in flows on Premium and Enterprise.
    WATI logo
    • A set number of integrations per plan: 2 on Growth, 5 on Pro with HubSpot, unlimited on Business with Salesforce. Shopify is a paid add-on.
    • API calls capped each month by plan, with webhooks limited below Business.
    • WATI's help center sends systems such as Zendesk, Pipedrive and Calendly through Pabbly or Zapier.
    Respond.io logo
    • HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, Make and the developer API from Growth; none on Starter.
    • Respond.io's own integrations page sends Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign, WooCommerce and Magento through Zapier, and Zendesk through Make, n8n or Zapier.
    • HTTP requests and incoming and outgoing webhooks on Advanced.

    What this means

    Whichever you pick, plan for the systems you need on day one: check which plan unlocks them, and whether the rest will run through a separate Zapier or Make account your team manages.

    09 · Commerce

    Selling on WhatsApp: catalogs, carts and payments

    For online shops the questions are whether the catalog shows in chat, whether abandoned carts can be followed up, and whether customers can pay without leaving the conversation.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Shopify sync of customers, orders, abandoned carts and products, across several stores, with the catalog in the inbox.
    • Payment links through Shopify checkout or Stripe.
    • Abandoned cart triggers in Flow Builder. The AgentFlow Shopify article describes catalog access and add to cart.
    WATI logo
    • Shopify as a paid add-on, with catalog, abandoned cart and order templates.
    • WhatsApp catalog and order management on every plan, on the default number only.
    • Payment gateways on Pro and Business, and WhatsApp Pay in India on Business.
    Respond.io logo
    • Send a single product, up to 30 products or the whole Meta catalog on every plan.
    • The native Shopify integration adds the chat widget to your store; order and cart messages go through Zapier, Make or n8n.

    What this means

    Shopify stores get the most from SleekFlow's native sync. WATI covers catalogs and carts for one main number, and Respond.io leans on third-party tools for store events.

    10 · Reporting

    Reporting and analytics

    All three report on conversations, agents and campaigns. The differences are depth, how fresh the numbers are and who can see them.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Conversation, conversion and campaign dashboards for admins, with filters by agent and by whether a person, the AI or the API replied.
    • Refreshes three times a day with 12 months of history; advanced analytics on Premium.
    • CSV export.
    WATI logo
    • Team inbox analytics on every plan: first and average response time and missed chats per operator.
    • Weekly scheduled CSV reports and sales analytics on Pro and Business.
    • Inbox analytics leave out Facebook and Instagram messages.
    Respond.io logo
    • A dashboard and eleven report tabs, including responses, assignments, a leaderboard and broadcasts.
    • Export as SVG, PNG or CSV, and data export over up to a year.
    • Reports are for Owners and Managers only.

    What this means

    Respond.io has the most report types, SleekFlow separates human, AI and API replies, and WATI covers the basics with scheduled reports on its higher plans.

    11 · Pricing model

    How each one charges

    We leave the figures out because they change often; each vendor's current prices are on its pricing page. What matters for a budget is what each one measures, because that is what grows your bill.

    SleekFlow logo
    • Plans include a number of users and monthly active contacts; more contacts are bought in blocks of 100.
    • Each WhatsApp number carries a hosting fee, and WhatsApp messages are billed on top.
    • Prices and plans vary by country, and yearly billing costs less than monthly.
    WATI logo
    • Plans include a number of users; more users cost extra on Pro and Business.
    • AI credits, automation triggers and the Shopify integration are sold as add-ons, and Astra has its own plans.
    • Prices are set by region, and WhatsApp messages are billed on top.
    Respond.io logo
    • Plans are priced by monthly active contacts, with users included; more users and contacts cost extra.
    • AI credits come with each plan and can be topped up, to a hard cap of twice the allowance.
    • WhatsApp fees are billed by Meta on top.

    What this means

    Model your next twelve months, not your first: how many people will be in the inbox, how many customers you will talk to each month, how much the AI will answer, and which add-ons you will need.

    12 · Support

    Trial, onboarding and support

    Each offers a 7-day free trial with no card. The trials differ in what you can do in them, and support depends on the plan.

    SleekFlow logo
    • A 7-day Pro trial with no credit card.
    • Group onboarding on Pro, 60 days of dedicated onboarding on Premium, and a customer success manager on Enterprise.
    • Round-the-clock AI chat support, with human chat on weekdays from Premium.
    WATI logo
    • A 7-day trial with no card, in which you can only message your own number and cannot submit templates or save automations.
    • Paid one-time onboarding.
    • Support hours and published response-time targets that improve by plan, from 24x5 on Growth to priority support on Business.
    Respond.io logo
    • A 7-day trial of the Growth plan for 5 users, with no broadcasts.
    • Onboarding in the platform on every plan, and a 30-day onboarding program as an add-on.
    • 24/5 live support and 24/7 AI support.

    What this means

    Try each with your own real conversations if you can. WATI's trial cannot send templates or save automations, and Respond.io's trial has no broadcasts, so plan what you want to test.

    13 · Security

    Security and compliance

    All three state GDPR compliance and ISO 27001 certification. Ask each for its current reports, because what their pages say is not always consistent.

    SleekFlow logo
    • SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 42001:2023, with audit reports on request.
    • Data hosting in Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, the US or the UAE for Enterprise customers.
    • Two-factor sign-in, and personal data masking on Enterprise.
    WATI logo
    • ISO 27001, GDPR and CCPA.
    • Its homepage says SOC 2 Type II certified, while a July 2026 blog post describes the audit as underway, so ask for the report.
    • Data on Google Cloud in Singapore and Belgium, with dedicated hosting as a Business add-on, and IP allow-listing on Business.
    Respond.io logo
    • ISO 27001 and GDPR, with encryption at rest and in transit.
    • SAML single sign-on on Advanced and above, and two-factor sign-in you can enforce.
    • Hosted on AWS; we found no choice of region.

    What this means

    If you need to choose where your data lives, SleekFlow Enterprise and WATI's dedicated hosting offer that. If you need single sign-on, Respond.io documents it on Advanced.

    Which one to choose

    SleekFlow logo

    Choose SleekFlow if

    • You sell across borders on WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE and Viber from one inbox.
    • You run a Shopify store and want orders, carts and the catalog synced into chat.
    • You want lifecycle pipelines and custom objects without a separate CRM.
    • You need SOC 2 Type II or a choice of data region on Enterprise.
    WATI logo

    Choose WATI if

    • WhatsApp is your main channel and campaigns drive your sales.
    • You want retargeting, drip campaigns and click tracking built in.
    • You want WhatsApp calling with an AI voice agent.
    • A small team on one number, with integrations added as you grow.
    Respond.io logo

    Choose Respond.io if

    • You need the widest channel list, including SMS, VoIP, email and custom channels.
    • You want detailed routing, many teams and the most report types.
    • You already run HubSpot or Salesforce for deals.
    • You need SAML single sign-on.

    Where Volty fits

    If you would rather not build and maintain flows at all

    All three are platforms your team configures: you draw the flows, train the AI agent and connect the integrations, then keep them current as the business changes. Volty works the other way round. It is an AI helpdesk builder with WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email and web chat in one inbox, an AI agent that interviews your team and configures itself, and automations and mini apps you describe in chat or build with Claude Code, each approved by an admin before it runs.

    Volty does not cover WeChat, LINE, Viber, Telegram or SMS today. If those are your channels, one of the three above is the better fit.

    Volty vs SleekFlowVolty vs WATIVolty vs Respond.io

    Frequently asked questions

    Sources24 vendor pages, read on November 2 and 3, 2026

    Every fact on this page comes from the vendor's own website, pricing page or help center, read on November 2 and 3, 2026. Prices are left out because they change often; each vendor's current prices are on its pricing page. Where a vendor's own pages disagree, we say so.

    SleekFlow logo
    WATI logo
    Respond.io logo

    Sign up for our 7-day trial. No credit card needed.

    Not convinced? Hear more from our CEO and Volty

    The Leonard and Volty Show · October 8, 2026

    Meta now charges for WhatsApp replies

    Meta now charges for WhatsApp replies. Here's what it means for your business, October 8, 2026