WATI is a hosted WhatsApp inbox with plans from €69 a month (EU pricing) and WhatsApp calls in the inbox. If you don't want to use Alpha software, it serves you well. The-Y CRM is for teams that don't want to pay per head and want WhatsApp, phone and email with a CRM of its own in one tool – hosted in Austria for €20 a month, unlimited users included.
With WATI you need a bigger plan from the 4th user and pay per head from the 6th, and according to WATI's rate card Meta's prices for marketing messages go up by 60%. With The-Y CRM you pay €20 a month for all users with Cloud Pro, and Meta bills you directly – with no markup.
I'm Thomas Nuri Yilmaz, Head of IT at Dove Touristik and founder of The-Y. In 2024 I faced exactly this question: I was looking for a ticketing system, tested osTicket, then Zammad, and found Chatwoot while searching for a respond.io alternative. I ran Zammad, Chatwoot and n8n myself. What I was missing was everything in one place: WhatsApp, phone and email in one inbox, with a phone system of its own. Today we at The-Y no longer work with any of these tools – we work with The-Y CRM.
WATI according to its official pricing page (EU view, accessed from Austria) and the WATI rate card for WhatsApp fees linked there, accessed 15 Oct 2026 (sources below). Prices vary by region · as of 15 Oct 2026 · no guarantee. WATI shows prices by location: from Austria in euros, from the US in dollars and with different extra-user prices (Pro +$24, Business +$69); we could not see WATI's UK prices. WATI prices exclude WhatsApp fees; we did not check whether they are net or gross. We calculated the markup ourselves from WATI's and Meta's rate cards; it is unambiguous for marketing messages, so that's the only one we state. "Not checked" means we didn't look it up for this comparison. Details on The-Y CRM as of version 1.1.37 (15 Oct 2026).
Platform fees only, excluding WhatsApp fees; WATI prices in the EU view, as of 15 Oct 2026, no guarantee. The pound amount for The-Y depends on the exchange rate. An example of the markup: 1,000 marketing messages to UK numbers cost $101.60 on WATI's rate card and $63.50 on Meta's. Since 1 Oct 2026 Meta also charges for replies within the 24-hour window; the first 1,000 per number per month are free. Those 1,000 are Meta's free allowance – not to be confused with the limit of The-Y Free (1,000 outgoing messages per month across all channels). All the details, with a calculator for every country: What The-Y CRM really costs. For up to 3 people, The-Y Free (€0) is enough – in our cloud or self-hosted with a free key.
We host The-Y CRM for you – unlimited users included, as many brands as you like, 10 GB storage, updates and backups, servers in Austria (Vienna data centre). No volume limit from The-Y on messages and call minutes: WhatsApp, SMS, phone and AI run on your own accounts, and Meta and your providers bill you directly – with no markup; Meta's fees and messaging limits apply.
€20 a month during Alpha and Beta – the price stays as long as your subscription runs without interruption; €40 from the Live release. Or €240 a year (€480 from Live). Incl. VAT, businesses only, cancel any time, effective at the end of the paid period.
How it works: create a free account, then book Cloud Pro in the app under Settings → License. You can take your data to your own server any time – it's the same software. Extra storage (+10 GB for €3 a month) and automation packs (€5 a month) can be added; custom quotas and prices on request: sales@the-y.at.
Like it? Then stay in our cloud and book Cloud Pro in the app for your whole team – or move to your own server: free with a free key (same limits as Free) or without limits with the self-hosting licence (guide, server requirements).
Yes, with Docker on your own server – in two ways: free with a free key (created in the app after sign-up; the same limits as Free: 3 users, 1,000 outgoing messages across all channels and 200 outgoing call minutes per month, 2 GB; no support, feedback during the Alpha is welcome) or without usage limits with the self-hosting licence for €10 a month or €240 one-time (during Alpha and Beta; from the Live release €20 or €480). The €10 and the €240 get you the same licence – one as a subscription, the other perpetual.
Yes, with Cloud Pro: we host The-Y CRM for you in Austria (Vienna data centre) – unlimited users and brands included, 10 GB storage, updates and backups. It costs €20 a month during Alpha and Beta (the price stays as long as your subscription runs without interruption; €40 from the Live release) or €240 a year – incl. VAT, businesses only. The-Y sets no volume limit on messages and call minutes, because WhatsApp, SMS, phone and AI run on your own accounts; Meta's fees and messaging limits apply. Free in the cloud covers up to 3 users (1,000 outgoing messages across all channels and 200 outgoing call minutes per month, 2 GB storage). You book Cloud Pro in the app under Settings → License; custom quotas on request at sales@the-y.at.
WATI bills WhatsApp messages from its own rate card ("Growth/Pro Plan, USD, October 1, 2026", linked on the WATI pricing page). A marketing message to a UK number costs $0.1016 there and $0.0635 on Meta's rate card – 60% more. Germany and the rest of Western Europe (which includes Ireland and Austria) show the same markup. We calculated this ourselves from both rate cards on 15 Oct 2026; for the Business plan WATI mentions an additional discount. With The-Y CRM you pay the fees directly to Meta, through your own WhatsApp Business account, with no markup.
From the Growth plan, WATI offers WhatsApp calls in the inbox (WhatsApp Business Calling); WATI bills the minutes from its own rate card (UK $0.0134 per minute). According to WATI, business-initiated calls are not available in the US, Canada, Egypt, Turkey, Nigeria and Vietnam. We found no phone system for regular phone numbers (landline or SIP) at WATI. In The-Y CRM the phone system is built in: IVR, queues, voicemail, click-to-call and analytics. All you need is a phone number from a telephony provider – currently sipgate, Zadarma or Twilio, more to follow. The-Y CRM can't make WhatsApp calls yet.
The-Y charges nothing extra. You pay Meta's fees directly to Meta. Since 1 Oct 2026 Meta also charges for replies within the 24-hour window; the first 1,000 per number per month are free. Add a payment method to your WhatsApp Business account – without one, Meta stops delivering your replies after those 1,000. Those 1,000 are Meta's free allowance – not to be confused with the limit of The-Y Free (1,000 outgoing messages per month across all channels). Details on the costs page.
Yes. If you already use the WhatsApp Business app, you can keep it once Meta has approved our app (until then you connect WhatsApp with your own Meta app, see Known Issues): The-Y CRM connects the number via Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform as well, replies you send from your phone also appear in the CRM, and up to 180 days of history are imported. If the number runs in the personal WhatsApp app, you first switch it to the WhatsApp Business app or release it from WhatsApp – that's Meta's rule for the Business Platform and applies with every provider. The number stays yours.
Then all self-hosted installations – with a free key, a monthly licence or a lifetime licence – first get a final update that removes the licence check and all usage limits. After that they keep running for free, without limits and indefinitely; your data is on your server anyway. This is also in our Terms of Use. If you use Free or Cloud Pro in our cloud, you can export your data at any time.
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WATI is a trademark of its respective owner. This comparison is independent and made to the best of our knowledge; please report errors to office@the-y.at and we'll correct them right away.