The Modern
Vonage Alternative
Modern messaging API for SMS, WhatsApp, and Email. Simpler pricing, no Nexmo legacy. AI agents included.
No credit card required. First US phone number is free.
Feature Comparison
Unified messaging plus AI capabilities Vonage doesn't offer.
| Feature | Zavu | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| Free first US number | ||
| SMS API | ||
| WhatsApp Business API | ||
| Email API | ||
| Voice API (TTS) | ||
| RCS Messaging* | ||
| Viber* | ||
| Built-in AI Agents | ||
| Knowledge Base (RAG) | ||
| Visual Flow Builder | ||
| Per-contact pricing |
* RCS and Viber available on request. Setup takes up to 5 business days. Contact us to enable.
Pricing Comparison
Transparent pricing. No complex plans or surprise fees.
| Item | Zavu | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| SMS to US (send) | From $0.0044 | $0.00809 |
| SMS to US (receive) | From $0.0044 | $0.00649 |
| WhatsApp messages | Included in plan | Meta fee + platform fee per msg |
| Vonage WhatsApp platform fee | $0 (no per-msg fee) | From $0.00015/msg |
| 100K WhatsApp messages | $25/mo (Hobby plan) | Meta fees + $15+ platform fees |
| US Phone Number | 1 Free, then $1.15/mo | $0.90/mo |
| AI Agent (GPT-4o-mini) | Included | Not available |
See how much you'd save
Real costs at different volumes. WhatsApp messages are included in your Zavu plan.
Save 72% with Zavu ($313/mo)
Cost breakdown by channel
| Channel | Volume | Zavu | Vonage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60,000 | Included | $270 | |
| SMS | 20,000 | $88 | $162 |
| 20,000 | $6 | $0 | |
| Zavu Hobby subscription | $25 | — | |
Based on US rates. SMS: Zavu $0.0044/msg, Vonage $0.00809/msg (send). WhatsApp: Vonage charges Meta conversation fees + platform fee (from $0.00015/msg). Zavu includes WhatsApp messages in plan. Zavu tier subscription included in total.
Why Builders Choose Zavu
Ship in Minutes, Not Weeks
Clean REST API, no Nexmo legacy endpoints. npm install, send your first message. Most founders integrate in under an hour.
One API, All Channels
SMS, WhatsApp, Email, Telegram, Voice — one import, one dashboard. No Ericsson enterprise complexity.
AI Agents Out of the Box
Add a GPT-powered agent to your WhatsApp in 5 minutes. RAG, flow builder, tool calling — Vonage requires third-party integrations.
Start Free, Scale When Ready
Free tier with 2K messages and a US number. No credit card to start. Upgrade when you grow.
Know Your Costs Before You Ship
No platform fees, no complex tier structures. Your burn rate stays predictable from MVP to scale.
Built for Startups, Not Committees
Talk to engineers on Slack, not enterprise ticket queues. We ship features weekly.
Trusted by growing teams
Real results from real customers
“With Zavu's WhatsApp API we now reach 90% of our customers on the first attempt. Before, half our messages were lost to undelivered SMS.”
Alberto Valladares
CEO, Renee.cl
“We consolidated SMS, WhatsApp, and Email into one API. AI routing saved us 60% vs our previous provider stack.”
Nelyoly Alizo
CMO, Nely.ai
“Zavu unified WhatsApp, SMS, and AI agents into a single workflow. Response time dropped from hours to seconds.”
Ariel Vaisman
CEO, RendaloMAQ
Migration FAQ
Ready to Switch?
Start sending SMS, WhatsApp, and Email in minutes. Free to start, migrate at your own pace.