Periskope vs WATI: WhatsApp groups, connection route and cost compared
Periskope links a number by QR and lists unlimited groups on every plan; WATI runs on Meta's Cloud API, with groups on its top plan only. Prices and limits.
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- By WavesFlo team
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Periskope and WATI start from different routes. Periskope links an existing number by QR code and lists unlimited WhatsApp groups and chats on every plan. WATI connects numbers through Meta's Cloud API, limits groups to its Business plan and to numbers with a verified badge, and caps outside participants at 7 per group.
How do Periskope and WATI compare?
| Compared on | Periskope | WATI |
|---|---|---|
| Connection route | QR scan; Cloud API numbers cannot be linked, per its docs | Cloud API; groups need a number with the verified business badge |
| Price | $25 per user a month or $35 per user a month, plus phones | ₹2,699, ₹5,799 or ₹16,799 a month, billed quarterly |
| Currency | US dollars | Indian rupees |
| Groups | Unlimited groups and chats on all plans | Business plan only; up to 1,000 groups per number; 7 outside participants a group |
| Campaign broadcasts into groups | Scheduling and group actions listed | Not supported for groups |
| Tickets | On all plans | Not named in the pages we read |
| Free trial | Not stated in the text we read | 7-day |
What is the real difference between Periskope and WATI?
- The route decides the group story. A number linked by QR keeps its existing groups, and Periskope syncs all chats and groups the number belongs to. WATI's groups are created from its inbox, are invite-only, and cap outside members at 7.
- Pricing is per user and phone in dollars for Periskope, and per plan in rupees with extra users and numbers for WATI.
- Periskope's docs add a practical requirement: bulk member actions need the connected number to be an admin of the group.
Which should you pick, Periskope or WATI?
Pick Periskope if:
- Your customers or dealers are already in WhatsApp groups and you support them there.
- You want groups on every plan.
- You want tickets and automation rules in one tool.
Pick WATI if:
- The work is one-to-one customer messaging with chatbots and broadcasts.
- You want rupee pricing and a published trial.
- The Cloud API route and its verified badge matter to you.
How do they fit three kinds of team?
| Team shape | Periskope | WATI |
|---|---|---|
| Support inside customer groups | Core, on every plan | Business plan only; at most 7 outside participants |
| 5 agents, 1 number | Starter $125 a month | Pro, ₹5,799 a month billed quarterly |
| 15 agents, 10 numbers | Starter $600 a month | Business, ₹61,280 a month |
What should you test in a trial or demo?
- Link a phone to Periskope and see which of its existing groups appear.
- Ask WATI for a Business trial and try to create a group; note what you cannot do in it.
- Check the cost of the fifteenth user in each.
- Ask each what the verified-badge requirement means for your number.
What are Periskope and WATI not built for?
Neither is shaped as an estate of store and branch numbers with one owner for every chat.
WavesFlo links numbers from their phones as Periskope does, and is built to run a whole estate of them through one inbox with an owner on each conversation. The single Enterprise plan is quoted on numbers and team members and billed annually, whatever the message volume.
Questions
Which supports WhatsApp groups better?
Periskope lists unlimited groups on every plan. WATI offers groups on Business only, on a verified number, with at most 7 outside participants.
Can WATI groups run on a number also used in the WhatsApp Business app?
WATI's groups article says coexistence numbers are not supported for groups, and the number needs the verified business badge.
Is Periskope cheaper than WATI?
They price differently. Periskope charges per user and phone; WATI per plan with users and numbers added. Total depends on your counts.
Which offers a free trial?
WATI lists 7 days. The Periskope pricing text we read did not state one.