SmartChat vs. Respond.io
SmartChat vs. Respond.io.
The comparison of SmartChat and Respond.io shows the biggest differences in data information, price structure and cancellation. SmartChat states servers in Germany, prices in euros from €0 and cancellation at any time. Respond.io states prices in US dollars, broadcasts and workflows from the Growth plan, and in its terms subscriptions that run until the end of the term. The checked pages do not describe an automatic double opt-in for Respond.io. As of: 02.11.2026.
The comparison table at a glance.
The table only shows points that appear on public pages for both providers, and an x where Respond.io does not describe a SmartChat feature. The information about Respond.io comes from respond.io, retrieved on 02.11.2026. Literal quotes appear in quotation marks and in English.
| SmartChat | Respond.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy and server location | Server in Germany | Security page: "Respond.io is ISO 27001 certified." (self-declaration), no server region is stated there. Privacy policy: "Data may be transferred to and processed in the USA." |
| Automatic double opt-in | Confirmation on sign-up via landing page or popup, in every plan, including Free | x |
| Get contacts | Landing page, website popup, Click-to-WhatsApp button and QR code on every plan | A blog post names Click-to-WhatsApp ads, "QR codes and short links" and website widgets as entry points |
| WhatsApp newsletter and follow-ups | Included in every plan; messages are only sent to confirmed contacts | Broadcasts from Growth, excluded during the trial; the blog recommends automatic follow-ups |
| Automations | 1, 1, 3, unlimited (Free, Starter, Basic, Pro); in Basic and Pro, SmartChat builds your automation | Workflow automation from Growth, HTTP requests in workflows from Advanced; the page states no number |
| AI features | AI reply in every plan, including Free, in the contact's language; 500, 3,000, 6,000 and 12,000 credits | „Multilingual AI Agents handle ad enquiries, answer FAQs and route only serious buyers to your team.“ |
| Monthly price from | Free €0, then Starter €299, Basic €499, Pro €999 per month; 24% discount with 3 months, 37% with 12 months in advance | In USD: Starter 79, Growth 159, Advanced 279 per month with annual payment; the page's structured data states 99, 199 and 349 as the monthly price; tax not stated |
| Free access | Free with no time limit, no credit card, 100 messages one-time | "Enjoy a free 7-day trial" (7-day trial, no card) |
| Meta fees, add-ons, setup | You pay Meta fees directly to Meta, SmartChat adds no markup; no add-ons, no setup fee, no extra charge per message | "WhatsApp fees are not included in any respond.io subscription." |
| term and cancellation | No minimum term, no commitment; cancel at any time, with no notice period, up to 1 hour before the payment is taken; the time you paid for keeps running; no refund | Terms: “Subscriptions may not be terminated prematurely and shall run out upon expiration of the subscription term” |
| Limits | Unlimited contacts in every plan; messages 100 one-time, 3,000, 6,000 per month, Pro unlimited; team seats 1, 3, 6, 12 | Users per pricing page 5, 10, 10 and unlimited; plans start at 1,000 Monthly Active Contacts |
| Integrations | API, MCP (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) and webhook in every plan; Zapier, Make and n8n: Yes | Zapier, Make, n8n node, webhooks, MCP server and API; API from Growth, webhooks from Advanced |
| Source | SmartChat pricing and feature pages | Respond.io pricing, security, privacy, terms of use, integrations, blog |
x = not described on the provider's public pages, as of 02.11.2026
Who fits what.
The answer depends on how you use WhatsApp. The following points describe documented properties and do not rate them.
SmartChat features
- Data in Germany. SmartChat's servers are located in Germany.
- Sign-up and confirmation in one flow. Contacts sign up through a landing page, popup, Click-to-WhatsApp button or QR code and confirm in WhatsApp. SmartChat stores the date, time and route per contact and provides them as a PDF.
- Newsletter and follow-ups from Free. You do not need a higher plan for this. Sending costs no credits.
- One price per plan. Contacts are unlimited, there are no add-ons and no setup fee, and no markup per message either.
- Cancel without notice. You cancel at any time up to 1 hour before the payment is taken. There is no minimum term.
Features of Respond.io
- Inbox for teams. The homepage describes a team inbox with AI Agents and gives this self-declaration: "Trusted by 10,000+ B2C businesses to scale customer chats, calls & campaigns".
- Workflows for processes. Workflow automation is available from Growth. In workflows, HTTP requests can be used from Advanced.
- Many integrations. The integrations page states, among others: "Connect Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible AI assistant to respond.io". Zapier, Make, n8n and webhooks come on top.
- Plans based on active contacts. Plans start at 1,000 Monthly Active Contacts. Additional contacts cost 12 USD (Growth) or 15 USD (Advanced) per 100.
Prices and sample calculation.
Respond.io states prices in US dollars, SmartChat in euros. We do not convert, so we put the price lists side by side, without a total. All amounts are per month, as the providers state them.
Respond.io plans
| Starter | Growth | Advanced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month with yearly payment | 79 USD | 159 USD | 279 USD | |
| Amount per year | 948 USD | 1,908 USD | 3,348 USD | |
| Price per month according to the page's structured data | 99 USD | 199 USD | 349 USD | |
| Source | Respond.io pricing | Respond.io pricing | Respond.io pricing |
The pricing page says "Enjoy a free 7-day trial" and states savings of up to 20%. No information on taxes is given there. Because the pricing page and the structured data show two amounts per plan, check the price on Respond.io's page before you decide.
SmartChat plans
SmartChat has four plans with a fixed price. Paying 3 months in advance gets you a 24 % discount, 12 months in advance 37 %.
| Free | Starter | Basic | Pro | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month | 0 € | 299 € | 499 € | 999 € | |
| Price per month when paying 3 months in advance (24% off) | 0 € | 227 € | 379 € | 759 € | |
| Price per month when paying 12 months in advance (37% off) | 0 € | 188 € | 314 € | 629 € | |
| Contacts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Messages | 100 one-time | 3,000 per month | 6,000 per month | Unlimited | |
| team seats | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | |
| Automations | 1 | 1 | 3 | Unlimited | |
| Credits for SmartChat AI | 500 one-time | 3,000 per month | 6,000 per month | 12,000 per month | |
| Source | SmartChat pricing | SmartChat pricing | SmartChat pricing | SmartChat pricing |
What comes on top of the plan price
Respond.io says: "WhatsApp fees are not included in any respond.io subscription." With SmartChat you also pay the Meta fees directly to Meta through the payment method in your Meta account. SmartChat adds nothing on top and charges no add-ons and no setup fee.
Fits less well, when.
At SmartChat
- You want to send messages across multiple channels. SmartChat only sends via WhatsApp.
- You want to build a chatbot yourself. SmartChat does not have a chatbot builder. SmartChat AI answers messages, and from Basic SmartChat builds your automation.
- If you want to run several WhatsApp numbers in one account. One account has 1 WhatsApp number; for several numbers you need several accounts.
- You want to offer SmartChat under your own name. There is no white label.
- If you plan many of your own automations in the cheapest paid plan. Your own automations are available from Basic. In Starter, the fixed double opt-in automation runs.
With Respond.io
- You want an automatic double opt-in. The blog advises explicit consent: "Ensure customers have explicitly agreed to receive WhatsApp messages." The checked pages do not describe an automatic double opt-in.
- If you need broadcasts already in the smallest plan. According to the pricing page, broadcasts are available from Growth and not during the trial.
- You want prices in euros. Respond.io states prices in USD.
- If you need a cancellation that takes effect before the end of the term. The terms say: "Subscriptions may not be terminated prematurely and shall run out upon expiration of the subscription term".
- If you need a named server region for data protection. The checked security page states no region, and the privacy policy mentions a possible transfer to the USA.
FAQ about SmartChat and Respond.io.
Where does SmartChat store data, and what does Respond.io state?
SmartChat states servers in Germany. On its security page, Respond.io gives the self-declaration "Respond.io is ISO 27001 certified." and no server region there. The privacy policy says: "Data may be transferred to and processed in the USA." As of: 02.11.2026.
How much does Respond.io cost?
Respond.io states prices in US dollars: Starter 79, Growth 159 and Advanced 279 per month with annual payment. The page's structured data states 99, 199 and 349 as the monthly price. No tax information is given. As of: 02.11.2026.
What does SmartChat cost compared to Respond.io?
SmartChat costs are in euros: Free €0, Starter €299, Basic €499 and Pro €999 per month. When you pay 12 months in advance, the price drops by 37%, to €188, €314 and €629 per month. We do not convert between USD and euros.
Are WhatsApp fees included in the plan?
With neither of them. Respond.io writes: "WhatsApp fees are not included in any respond.io subscription." With SmartChat you pay the Meta fees directly to Meta, SmartChat adds nothing on top and charges no markup per message.
How do you cancel at SmartChat and at Respond.io?
At SmartChat you cancel at any time, with no notice period, up to 1 hour before the payment is taken, and the time you paid for keeps running. Nothing is refunded. Respond.io's terms say subscriptions may not be ended early and run until the end of the term.
From which plan does Respond.io offer broadcasts and workflows?
Respond.io states broadcasts from Growth, and they are excluded during the trial. Workflow automation is also available from Growth, HTTP requests in workflows from Advanced. At SmartChat, newsletter and follow-ups are included in every plan.
How many automations does SmartChat include?
Free has 1, Starter 1, Basic 3 and Pro unlimited automations. The one automation in Starter is the fixed double opt-in automation, your own automations come from Basic. In Basic and Pro, SmartChat builds them for you on request. Respond.io states no number on its pricing page.
Which AI features do both offer?
SmartChat AI replies in the contact's language, in every plan, and an AI reply costs 20 credits, for example. Respond.io describes AI Agents that answer inquiries from ads and FAQs and only pass serious prospects on to your team.
How many users and contacts are included?
SmartChat: unlimited contacts in every plan, team seats 1, 3, 6 and 12. Respond.io states 5, 10, 10 and unlimited users on its pricing page and starts at 1,000 Monthly Active Contacts. Additional contacts cost 12 USD (Growth) or 15 USD (Advanced) per 100.
How do you get consent at SmartChat, and how at Respond.io?
After sign-up, SmartChat sends a confirmation in WhatsApp, and the double opt-in runs automatically. Date, time and route are available per contact as a PDF. In its blog, Respond.io advises explicit consent and does not describe an automatic double opt-in.
Which integrations are there at SmartChat and Respond.io?
SmartChat offers API, MCP for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, and webhook in every plan, plus Zapier, Make and n8n. Respond.io states Zapier, Make, n8n, webhooks, an MCP server and an API. There, the API is available from Growth, webhooks from Advanced.
What does No with an x in the table mean?
The x appears for features that SmartChat has and that are not described on the provider's public pages, as of 02.11.2026. It does not mean the feature is missing, but that we did not find it there.
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Sources and date. All information about Respond.io comes from the provider's public pages, retrieved on 02.11.2026. Prices and features may change. SmartChat is the provider of this page. This comparison comes from SmartChat and is not legal advice.
Respond.io: Respond.io pricing · Respond.io security · Respond.io privacy policy · Respond.io data processing · Respond.io terms of use · Respond.io integrations · Respond.io blog on WhatsApp lead management · Respond.io homepage
SmartChat: SmartChat pricing · Landing page · Website popup · Click-to-WhatsApp button · Double opt-in · proof of consent · API · MCP
Respond.io is a trademark of its respective owners. Found an incorrect statement? Please report it via Contact.
Last updated: By SmartChat Team