WhatsApp and SMS

Z-API vs WhatsApp Cloud API vs Zenvia

Z-API, WhatsApp Cloud API, Zenvia side by side: price, free tier, who each one fits and when to skip it.

Item	Z-API	WhatsApp Cloud API	Zenvia
What it does	Brazilian REST API that connects a regular WhatsApp number to your app for a flat monthly fee, outside Meta's official API.	Meta's own API for sending and receiving WhatsApp messages from your app, hosted by Meta and billed per delivered message.	Brazilian customer messaging platform for SMS, official WhatsApp, RCS and email, with prepaid message packages in reais.
Best for	An early MVP that needs to send free-form WhatsApp messages today, with no template approval and no per-message cost.	A SaaS that sends login codes and billing reminders on WhatsApp and wants the lowest official rate with no middleman fee.	A B2B SaaS in Brazil that wants SMS and official WhatsApp billed in reais, with local support and a CNPJ-based contract.
Skip it if	WhatsApp is core to your product: it isn't Meta's official API, so the number can get banned and you lose the channel overnight.	You need to launch this week: every outbound template has to be approved by Meta and the business needs a verified Meta Business account.	You only send a few hundred WhatsApp alerts: R$0.47 to R$0.55 per template plus a R$649 activation fee costs far more than going straight to Meta.
Setup	Needs a developer. Same day: no business verification or template approval; the first message goes out in minutes.	Needs a developer. A first test message in an afternoon; plan 1 to 2 weeks for business verification and approved templates before real customers.	Needs a developer. SMS in a day or two; WhatsApp depends on Meta verifying the business and approving templates, so plan 1 to 2 weeks.
Price	R$99.99/month per instance (number); R$89.99 each from 10 instances.	Per delivered message to US numbers: $0.0034 for utility, authentication and service, $0.025 for marketing.	Packages from R$100/month: SMS R$0.10, WhatsApp template R$0.55; software plans from R$600/month.
What it costs in practice	One number for reminders and support: R$99.99/month whatever the volume, or R$1,079.89 paid yearly. A SaaS where 10 customers each connect a number pays 10 × R$89.99 = R$899.90/month, estimated.	SaaS with 500 US customers: 4 billing reminders each is 2,000 utility messages × $0.0034 = $6.80. Plus 1,500 support replies: 1,000 free, 500 × $0.0034 = $1.70. About $8.50/month, estimated.	SaaS sending 2,000 WhatsApp reminders: the R$1,000 package covers 2,041 templates at R$0.49, so R$1,000/month plus R$649 once to activate WhatsApp. Straight from Meta the same reminders cost about R$70. Estimated.
Free plan	2-day free trial with no credit card; then a monthly fee per number.	No monthly fee; 1,000 free service messages per number each month, then you pay per message.	The Starter software plan is free for 1 user, but sending needs a message package from R$100/month.
Price per message	No per-message fee; R$99.99/month per number	$0.0034 (utility) to $0.025 (marketing), US	WhatsApp R$0.55; SMS R$0.10 (R$100 pack)
Official WhatsApp API	No, unofficial alternative	Yes, it's Meta's own	Yes, official Meta partner
Channels	WhatsApp only	WhatsApp only	SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, email, Instagram
Open source	No: no	No: no	No: no
Before you build	WhatsApp's terms forbid using the service through automated or unauthorized means and allow WhatsApp to disable the account. A ban hits your number, not Z-API. Z-API's own docs say no practice is 100% effective at avoiding bans, and that messaging many different contacts in a short time raises the chance of being flagged as spam. Some blocks come with no appeal option at all; Z-API's docs say there is nothing they can do in that case. The QR code expires every 20 seconds and some phones ask for an extra passkey check, so letting your customers connect their own number needs a careful screen.	A new business can only start conversations with 250 different people in 24 hours. It rises to 2,000 only after Meta verifies your business or you send 2,000 good template messages in 30 days. Outside the 24-hour window after the customer's last message you can only send pre-approved templates. Free-form text is blocked. If Meta decides your 'utility' template is really marketing, it switches the category with one day's notice and you start paying the marketing rate, about 7 times more in the US. Since October 1, 2026, support replies beyond the 1,000 free per month and utility messages sent inside the 24-hour window are charged. Rates follow the recipient's country code, not where your company is: a marketing message costs $0.025 to a US number and $0.1365 to a German one.	Turning on WhatsApp or RCS costs R$649 in the first month on the Starter and Specialist plans, even though the Starter plan itself is free. A WhatsApp template costs R$0.47 to R$0.55 depending on the package, while Meta charges R$0.035 for a utility message sent directly. There's no lock-in, but you must cancel at least 20 days before your next invoice is issued, or you pay one more month. Even through Zenvia, a new business can only start WhatsApp conversations with 250 people a day until Meta verifies it.
Price checked	Checked on Oct 28, 2026 · official pricing	Checked on Oct 28, 2026 · official pricing	Checked on Oct 28, 2026 · official pricing

Prices are read from each official pricing page on the date shown and can change. Always confirm before signing up.

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