SonarSonar vs Wati
Both send WhatsApp messages through Meta's official API. Here is what each costs a South African business, from Wati's published prices and Meta's 1 October 2026 rate card.
Prices checked 12 October 2026. Dollar prices converted at today's rate of R16.43 to the dollar*.
At a glance
| Sonar | Wati | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan that sends broadcasts | Starter, R349 a month | Growth, $69 a month (≈ R1,134*) |
| Billed in | Rand | US dollars |
| Added to Meta's rate per marketing message | Nothing within your plan's messages | ≈ R0.37* |
| Added per update or login-code message | Nothing within your plan's messages | ≈ R0.12* |
| Added per reply after the free 1,000 | Nothing within your plan's messages | ≈ R0.03* |
| Team members included | Unlimited | 3 on Growth (no extra users), 5 on Pro and Business, then $39 (Pro) or $89 (Business) a month each |
| Discount for paying yearly | None | Up to 20% off |
| Free option | Free trial: 50 contacts and 250 messages, with replies you type free | 7-day free trial |
| Broadcasts on the cheapest plan | Up to 10,000 messages a month on Starter | 15,000 a month on Growth |
Meta's own per-message charge is the same on both, and is not included above. In South Africa it is about R0.62 per marketing message and R0.16 per update or login-code message. See WhatsApp pricing in South Africa.
What a month costs
Each total is the cheapest plan that covers the month on each platform, plus Meta's charges, for messages to South African numbers. Monthly billing on both.
| Example month | Meta's charges | Sonar total | Wati total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small club or shop1,000 marketing and 200 update messages to 500 people | R654 | R1,003Starter | ≈ R2,186*Growth |
| Growing retailer4,000 marketing and 1,000 update messages to 2,000 people | R2,647 | R2,996Starter | ≈ R5,399*Growth |
| Busy online store10,000 marketing and 3,000 update messages to 5,000 people | R6,697 | R8,196Plus | ≈ R11,936*Growth |
| High volume20,000 marketing and 5,000 update messages to 10,000 people | R13,237 | R14,736Plus | ≈ R23,772*Pro |
Sonar costs less in all 4 examples.
Sonar's Starter plan covers up to 10,000 messages a month; above that you need Plus at R1,499 a month.
Where Wati is the better choice
- One inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and a website chat widget on the Growth plan.
- Instagram comment and DM automation, and Shopify abandoned-cart messages.
- Up to 20% off if you pay for a year up front. Sonar has no annual discount.
Where Sonar is the better choice
- Sonar's plan is billed in rand, so that part of your bill doesn't move with the dollar.
- Unlimited team members on every plan.
- POPIA consent tools on every plan: opt-in and opt-out keywords are handled for you, each contact has a consent record, and messages to anyone without consent are blocked.
- Scheduled broadcasts, templates and the team inbox from R349 a month.
Switching from Wati? We'll move your contacts and templates to Sonar for you, free. How switching works
More comparisons
More guides
- WhatsApp pricing in South Africa
- POPIA and WhatsApp marketing
- Event invites with one-tap RSVPs
- AI Agent and Copilot: a WhatsApp chatbot in your voice
- Use Sonar with the WhatsApp Business app
- Import your contacts
- Order and booking updates from your other systems
- Connect a client's WhatsApp number
- WhatsApp API providers in South Africa, compared
- Switching to Sonar
- WhatsApp RSVPs for events
- Competitions and prize draws
Sources
- Wati pricing
- Wati rate card for Growth and Pro, 1 October 2026
- Meta: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing and rate cards
* Wati's prices are in US dollars, so rand figures are estimates at today's exchange rate. Paying for a year up front lowers Wati's plan prices (up to 20% off); both sides here use monthly billing. Prices change, so check Wati's own pricing page before you decide. Spotted something out of date? Email support@whats-hub.co.za and we'll fix it.