respond.io vs WATI vs SleekFlow vs Nodi: UAE pricing compared
WATI is the cheapest entry point of the three big WhatsApp tools ($39 a month billed annually on its English page), respond.io is the strongest for large multi-channel teams (from $79 a month billed yearly), and SleekFlow ($49 a month) adds carts and Stripe payment links for Shopify stores. Nodi (AED 59 a month) is the one that also runs the order, stock, online store and POS, which suits UAE online sellers.
By Abdur Rouf Jibon, CEO & Founder, Nodi AI. Prices and features checked on on each vendor's own website.
Side by side
| respond.io | WATI | SleekFlow | Nodi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $79 / month yearly ($99 monthly) | $39 / month, annual | $49 / month + $15 number hosting | AED 59 / month |
| Top published plan | $279 / month yearly | $199 / month, annual | $279 / month | AED 389 / month |
| Currency | USD | USD | USD | AED (USD, BDT) |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days (Pro) | 30 days for AED 3 |
| Meta message fees | On top | On top | On top | Meta's rates, no markup |
| Instagram + Messenger | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Orders in the chat | Via Zapier | Shopify campaigns | Yes (carts) | Yes, taken by the AI |
| Payment links | Not native | Not described | Stripe, Shopify | Stripe |
| Stock and POS | Not listed | Not listed | Catalog sync, no POS | Yes, both |
| Arabic | Interface | Website, AI demo | Website | AI replies, Arabic stores |
Prices as each vendor's page showed them on 4 November 2026. WATI's Arabic pricing page showed higher prices ($119 / $179 / $423 a month billed annually), so check which apply to you. "Not listed" means we didn't find it on their published pages.
Each tool in detail
1. respond.io
Best for: Mid-size and large sales or support teams that need many channels with strong routing and workflows.
- Price
- Starter $79, Growth $159, Advanced $279 a month billed yearly ($99 / $199 / $349 billed monthly); Enterprise custom. Meta fees on top. (their pricing page)
- Free trial
- 7 days with Growth features, no card needed
Strengths
- Many channels, including WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and TikTok
- Strong workflows, routing and team features
- Arabic interface
- AI agents that can recommend products
Worth knowing
- No native order management (order updates via Zapier) on its published pages
- Shopify is a web-chat widget; WooCommerce via Zapier
- Priced per seat and monthly active contacts; prices in USD
2. WATI
Best for: Teams that want a well-known official WhatsApp inbox with broadcasts and Shopify flows.
- Price
- Growth $39, Pro $79, Business $199 a month, billed annually, on WATI's English pricing page (its Arabic pricing page showed $119 / $179 / $423). Meta fees on top. (their pricing page)
- Free trial
- 7 days
Strengths
- Official Meta Business Partner
- WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger channels
- Shopify (add-on, $4.99 a month) and WooCommerce integrations
- Arabic website and Arabic-speaking AI demo
Worth knowing
- Order taking is limited to Shopify cart and checkout campaigns on its published pages
- No inventory or POS on its published pages
- Prices in USD
3. SleekFlow
Best for: Shopify retailers who want an omnichannel inbox with Stripe payment links in the chat.
- Price
- Essential $49, Pro $109, Premium $279 a month; Enterprise custom. Plus $15 a month WhatsApp number hosting and Meta fees. (their pricing page)
- Free trial
- 7-day Pro trial
Strengths
- Carts, discounts and payment status in the chat
- Payment links through Stripe and Shopify
- Shopify integration (Pro and up) with catalog sync
- Arabic website; launched in the UAE in 2023
Worth knowing
- The UAE isn't in the payment-link supported countries listed on its page
- No POS on its published pages
- Prices in USD, per user and per contact
4. Nodi(our product)
Best for: UAE shops and online sellers who want the AI to take the order, not just answer, with stock, store and POS in the same system.
- Price
- AED 59 / 179 / 389 a month (Retail / Growth / Scale). WhatsApp messages at Meta's rates, no markup.
- Free trial
- 30 days of the full Scale plan for AED 3
Strengths
- AI employee answers in English or Arabic and takes orders in WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook chats
- Stripe payment links in the chat; cash-on-delivery confirmation and fake-order checks (Growth and up)
- One stock count across chats, an online store and a browser-based POS with UAE VAT invoices
- Prices published in AED; official Partner of WhatsApp
Worth knowing
- Built for ecommerce and retail: not a fit for restaurants
- Tabby and Tamara checkout aren't available yet
- Fewer marketing-automation integrations than the long-established inbox tools
Which one should you choose?
- respond.io if you're a larger team with many channels and need advanced routing, workflows and reporting.
- WATI if you want the lowest-priced, well-known WhatsApp inbox for broadcasts and Shopify flows.
- SleekFlow if you sell on Shopify outside the UAE and want carts and Stripe payment links in the chat.
- Nodi if you sell in the UAE and want an AI employee that takes the order, with payment, stock, online store and POS in the same system and prices in AED.
How we compared them
We checked each vendor's own pricing and product pages on 4 November 2026 and quoted prices exactly as shown. Monthly prices are per account before per-user or per-contact add-ons, which vary by plan; check each pricing page for the limits.
All four pass on Meta's WhatsApp fees. In the UAE, Meta charges AED 0.2115 per marketing message and AED 0.0576 per utility message (rates from 1 October 2026). Estimate your monthly bill with our WhatsApp API pricing calculator, or see more options in WATI alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Is respond.io better than WATI?
For large teams on many channels, respond.io's routing and workflows are stronger. For a smaller team mainly using WhatsApp broadcasts and Shopify flows, WATI costs less. Neither lists inventory or a POS on its published pages.
Is SleekFlow cheaper than respond.io?
SleekFlow's Essential plan is $49 a month (plus $15 for WhatsApp number hosting), against respond.io's Starter at $79 a month billed yearly. Both add per-user and per-contact charges.
Which is best for a UAE online store?
If you want the AI to take orders, send payment links and keep stock in sync, Nodi, which also publishes prices in AED. If you're on Shopify and only need an inbox with payment links, SleekFlow is an option, though its payment-link page doesn't list the UAE.
Do these tools charge Meta's WhatsApp fees?
Yes, all four pass on Meta's per-message fees. Use our calculator to estimate them for UAE or Saudi numbers.
Sources
- WATI pricing, checked 4 November 2026
- WATI Arabic pricing, checked 4 November 2026
- respond.io pricing, checked 4 November 2026
- respond.io integrations, checked 4 November 2026
- SleekFlow pricing, checked 4 November 2026
- SleekFlow payment links, checked 4 November 2026
- Meta WhatsApp Business Platform pricing, checked 4 November 2026
Nodi makes one of the products on this page. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the other companies named; their names and trademarks belong to them. Prices and features change: always check the vendor's own website before you buy, and tell us at [email protected] if anything here is out of date.