SMS vs WhatsApp vs RCS: which one for what
An honest comparison from a company that sells all three
We sell all three, so there is no channel we need to push you towards. The honest answer is that they are good at different things and the cost comparison changes completely depending on the country and on whether the customer answers.
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Starting at ₹9,999 + GST
Chat on WhatsApp- ✓ Free consultation & fixed quote
- ✓ Dedicated project manager
- ✓ GST invoice · secure payment
Quick answer
Use SMS for one-time passwords and one-way alerts: it reaches every handset, needs no app and no opt-in for transactional traffic, and costs from ₹0.12 in India. Use WhatsApp where the customer replies: one 24-hour conversation covers the whole exchange for ₹1.04 in India, but it needs opt-in and template approval. Use RCS for branded campaigns where your logo and rich cards matter, from ₹0.18 in India, with automatic SMS fallback for handsets that cannot receive it.
The single biggest mistake we see is paying WhatsApp conversation prices for one-way alerts that SMS would deliver for a fifth of the cost, usually because someone decided "WhatsApp is cheaper" from an article written about a different market.
₹9,999
Starting price
The numbers
| Destination | Typical route | Indicative rate |
|---|---|---|
| One-time passwords | SMS | Reaches every handset, no opt-in, cheapest |
| Order and delivery updates | SMS or WhatsApp utility | WhatsApp if they reply, SMS if not |
| Two-way support | One conversation covers 24 hours | |
| Catalogue and checkout in chat | Buttons, lists and flows | |
| Branded promotional campaign | RCS, SMS fallback | Your logo and name on the message |
| Reaching feature phones | SMS only | Nothing else gets there |
| Markets where WhatsApp is minority | SMS or RCS | US, Canada, Australia, Philippines |
Per-country rates are on the pricing pages for each channel. Which channel wins on cost depends heavily on the country: in Kenya WhatsApp is cheaper than SMS outright, in India SMS is a fifth of the price.
Get in Touch
Ready to start your sms vs whatsapp vs rcs project? Contact us today!
AdelSocial Technologies (OPC) Private Limited
115/3 Gautam Nagar, New Delhi 110049, India
Email: info@adelsocial.com
Phone: +91 97739 26687
WhatsApp: Chat with us
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
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Learn More →Rates, regulations and operator details on this page were last reviewed on . Regulations change — if something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
