The Modern
Vonage Alternative
Modern API for SMS, WhatsApp, Voice, Email, Telegram, Instagram and Messenger. Simpler pricing, no Nexmo legacy. AI agents for text and voice included.
No credit card required. Start with $2 of credit included.
Feature Comparison
Unified messaging plus AI capabilities Vonage doesn't offer.
| Feature | Zavu | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| SMS API | ||
| WhatsApp Business API | ||
| Email API | — | |
| Voice API (TTS) | ||
| Voice AI agents that answer and place calls | ||
| Telegram and Instagram APIs | — | |
| RCS Messaging* | ||
| Viber* | ||
| Built-in AI Agents | — | |
| Knowledge Base (RAG) | — | |
| Visual Flow Builder | — | |
| Unlimited WhatsApp on paid plans | — | |
| US number included in plan | — |
* 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 $0.004 | $0.00809 |
| SMS to US (receive) | From $0.004 | $0.00649 |
| WhatsApp messages | Unlimited on paid plans | Meta fee + platform fee per msg |
| Vonage WhatsApp platform fee | $0 (no per-msg fee) | From $0.00015/msg |
| 100K WhatsApp messages | $20/mo (Pro plan) | Meta fees + $15+ platform fees |
| US Phone Number | Included in Pro, more from $1.25/mo | $0.90/mo |
| AI agents (text) | Included, bring your key with no markup | Not available |
| Voice AI agents | From $0.07/min all-in | AI Studio, priced separately |
See how much you'd save
Real costs at different volumes. WhatsApp messages are unlimited on paid Zavu plans.
Save 75% with Zavu ($324/mo)
Cost breakdown by channel
| Channel | Volume | Zavu | Vonage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60,000 | Included | $270 | |
| SMS | 20,000 | $80 | $162 |
| 20,000 | $8 | $0 | |
| Zavu Pro subscription | $20 | — | |
Based on US rates. SMS: Zavu $0.004/msg, Vonage $0.00809/msg (send). WhatsApp: Vonage charges Meta conversation fees + platform fee (from $0.00015/msg). Zavu WhatsApp messages are unlimited on paid plans. Zavu plan 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, Instagram, Messenger and Voice. One import, one dashboard. No Ericsson enterprise complexity.
AI Agents Out of the Box
Text agents on your channels and voice agents that answer the phone, in minutes. RAG, flow builder, tool calling. Vonage requires third-party integrations.
Start Free, Scale When Ready
Free tier with 2,000 messages, two channel connections and $2 of credit. Upgrade to Pro at $20/mo with $20 of monthly credit and a US number included.
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
“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 across seven channels in minutes. Free to start, migrate at your own pace.