respond.io and Stitch both give businesses a shared inbox for WhatsApp. respond.io is a global omnichannel platform covering WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and more. Stitch is a UK WhatsApp Business Platform provider focused on making WhatsApp work as a company channel, connected to the CRM your team already uses.

For a UK SME, the decision usually comes down to three things: how you are billed, which CRMs you need, and how much hands-on help you want. If you want to talk it through with our team, book a demo.

How is respond.io priced?

respond.io prices its plans on Monthly Active Contacts, known as MACs. As of October 2026, published comparisons list four plans, all starting at 1,000 MACs and billed yearly:

• Starter: $79 a month, five users included.
• Growth: $159 a month, ten users, with overage at $12 per 100 MACs.
• Advanced: $279 a month, ten users, with overage at $15 per 100 MACs.
• Enterprise: custom pricing.

WhatsApp message fees from Meta are billed on top. Check respond.io's live pricing page before you decide, because plans change.

Why does MAC billing matter?

MAC billing counts each contact who has a conversation in a month. That suits businesses with a steady, predictable audience. It can surprise businesses with spiky volumes, such as estate agents during a busy spring market or recruiters running a large campaign, because every new contact who replies counts towards the limit.

Before you sign with any platform, take three months of enquiry data and estimate how many unique people you speak to each month. Our guide to WhatsApp Business API costs in 2026 explains the Meta side of the bill.

How do they compare on CRM integration?

respond.io offers integrations through Zapier, Make and its developer API on higher plans, plus native connectors for several popular CRMs. That flexibility suits businesses with a technical team.

Stitch connects WhatsApp directly to the CRMs UK SMEs in our core sectors use, including Reapit, Alto, Rex and Street for property, Bullhorn for recruitment, and HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics for sales teams. Where no native API exists, the Chrome extension overlays the inbox on the CRM page. Read how that works in syncing WhatsApp into any CRM with a browser extension.

Which is better for omnichannel?

If your customers are spread evenly across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email and web chat, an omnichannel platform like respond.io is designed for that. If most of your customer conversations already happen on WhatsApp, and phone calls are the main other channel, Stitch is the more focused option, including Voice to WhatsApp call deflection for missed calls. See the best tools for routing WhatsApp, SMS and calls.

What about support and onboarding?

respond.io serves a global customer base with documentation, onboarding programmes and support tiers that vary by plan.

Stitch onboards UK businesses directly, including WhatsApp Business Account setup, Meta verification, template creation and CRM connection. For SMEs without an in-house technical lead, that hands-on help often decides the choice.

Which should a UK SME choose?

Choose respond.io if you need many channels in one place, have a predictable contact base and are comfortable configuring workflows yourself.

Choose Stitch if WhatsApp is your main customer channel, you want it linked to a UK property, recruitment or sales CRM, and you want UK-based onboarding. Our guide for small UK businesses choosing a WhatsApp Business API platform has a wider checklist.

Want to compare on your own numbers? Book a demo and bring your contact volumes.