respond.io vs TimelinesAI: multichannel workflows or WhatsApp CRM sync
respond.io is a multichannel inbox priced by users and contacts; TimelinesAI is a WhatsApp inbox with six CRM syncs priced per seat. Both in dollars.
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- By WavesFlo team
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respond.io and TimelinesAI both price in dollars but sell different things. respond.io is a multichannel inbox with workflows, AI and a developer API, priced by plan, users and monthly active contacts. TimelinesAI is a WhatsApp-first inbox that syncs conversations to six CRMs, priced per seat with unlimited numbers that each take a seat.
How do respond.io and TimelinesAI compare?
| Compared on | respond.io | TimelinesAI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79, $159, $279 a month billed yearly | $35 or $49 a seat a month; $28 or $39 billed yearly |
| Unit | Plan, users, monthly active contacts | Seats; each number takes one |
| Channels | WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, email | |
| CRM | Zapier and Make; developer API from Growth | Six native syncs on every plan |
| Numbers | Not stated on the pricing page | Unlimited, each needing a seat |
| Groups | Not stated | Groups API not included on Starter or Pro; coming soon on Enterprise |
| Free trial | 7 days, Growth features, 5 users, no broadcasts | 10 days, up to 10 seats, tight limits |
| Automation | AI credits 5,000 to 20,000; AI agents from Growth | Workflow transactions 1,000 to 3,000 a month; automation credits 50 to 2,000 a seat |
What is the real difference between respond.io and TimelinesAI?
- Channel breadth versus CRM depth: respond.io when WhatsApp is one of several channels, TimelinesAI when it is the channel and the CRM is the destination.
- The bill scales on contacts at respond.io and seats at TimelinesAI.
- TimelinesAI's trial limits (20 automated messages) make automation hard to test; respond.io's trial excludes broadcasts.
How do they fit three kinds of team?
| Team shape | respond.io | TimelinesAI |
|---|---|---|
| 5 agents, 1 number | Starter, $79 billed yearly | Starter, $175 a month |
| 15 agents, 10 numbers | Growth, $259 billed yearly; numbers not priced | Starter, $525 to $875 a month |
| Reps living in HubSpot | Through Zapier, Make or the API | Native, on every plan |
Which should you pick, respond.io or TimelinesAI?
Pick respond.io if:
- You answer on several channels, not only WhatsApp.
- Workflows and AI agents are central.
- You can estimate monthly active contacts.
Pick TimelinesAI if:
- WhatsApp is the channel and the CRM is where the record lives.
- You want a native sync on the entry plan.
- Per-seat pricing suits your team.
What should you test in a trial or demo?
- Log one conversation to your CRM in each.
- Count how each counts a contact who writes on two channels or two numbers.
- Ask respond.io for your plan's contact allowance.
- Ask TimelinesAI how a number's seat is treated.
What are respond.io and TimelinesAI not built for?
Neither pricing page states a WhatsApp group feature, and neither prices an estate of numbers as a whole. In WavesFlo's inbox, groups sit beside direct chats from every linked number, and the annual quote covers the numbers and team members together rather than seat by seat.
Questions
Which has native CRM sync?
TimelinesAI, with six on every plan. respond.io offers Zapier, Make and a developer API on Growth upward.
Which supports more channels?
respond.io, which covers WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and email.
Which is cheaper?
At 5 users on one number, TimelinesAI Starter is $175 a month against respond.io Starter at $79 billed yearly, but the units differ.
Which has the longer trial?
TimelinesAI, 10 days against 7.