heysteff vs. Whaticket: who pays for the AI.
heysteff is an AI platform for customer support and sales across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Gmail and Shopify; Steff is the AI agent that runs it. Whaticket is a messaging CRM with a multi-agent inbox, widely used across Latin America, with a low entry price. This comparison is for teams that have looked at both and need to know how they actually differ, beyond the first line of the pricing page.
◆ in one sentence
Whaticket gives you the inbox and you bring the AI; heysteff gives you the AI included and bills per resolved conversation, not per seat.
Two pricing models that behave differently depending on your team
Whaticket publishes a configurable plan starting at 49 USD a month, priced by users and WhatsApp connections, with a three-user minimum and additional connections from 20 USD a month. They are explicit that they don't charge per chat, and that is a real advantage: if a small team handles a high volume of conversations, the bill is the same whether it answers a thousand or ten thousand.
heysteff works the other way around: it bills per resolved conversation (one customer served within 24 hours, on any channel) and doesn't charge per user. That puts the cost on volume and frees up team size. With eight people answering a moderate volume, adding someone costs nothing; with tens of thousands of conversations handled by two agents, Whaticket's per-seat model will come out cheaper. There is no universal winner: it depends on the shape of your operation.
One detail on Whaticket's side that the headline price doesn't show: bulk messages sent through a QR-code connection consume credits sold separately, in packs starting at 25 USD for 1,000. Campaigns sent through the official API are exempt, per their pricing page.
The AI: included, or on your own account
Here the difference is one of kind, not degree. Whaticket states on its own pricing page that its AI requires OpenAI tokens that are not included in the plan, and its FAQ adds that you buy them directly on OpenAI's platform. That applies to its AI chatbot, its AI agent (Wäbot) and its AI-suggested replies. In practice it means opening an account with a model provider, topping it up and making sure it doesn't run dry.
In heysteff the agent is included and the conversation allowance already covers its usage. You don't manage a third-party balance, and you don't lose the bot on a Monday morning because a credit nobody was watching ran out. It's less flexible (you don't pick the model provider yourself) and simpler to run.
What each one does when the conversation has to get something done
By its own description, Whaticket is a messaging CRM with a multi-agent inbox: bring channels together, route chats between agents, tag them, measure them. It does that well, and it's what most teams need first.
heysteff starts there and keeps going: the agent uses tools to take actions against your systems (looking up an order, generating a payment link and waiting for the payment to be confirmed, booking an appointment, recovering an abandoned cart) inside the same conversation. Whaticket doesn't publish cart recovery or in-chat payments.
Where Whaticket is the better choice
If you sell on Mercado Libre, the decision is made: Whaticket publishes a native integration for answering listing questions, and heysteff doesn't have one. The same goes if your support runs through TikTok or Telegram: those are channels heysteff doesn't cover today.
If your team works in Portuguese, Whaticket has a Portuguese site with pricing in Brazilian reais, and heysteff's site is in Spanish and English. And if your priority is the lowest possible entry price to bring channels together with a small team, 49 USD a month is hard to argue with. heysteff has a real Free plan you can try without a card, but its paid plans start at 149 USD a month.
| Factor | heysteff | Whaticket |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Resolved conversation (1 customer in 24 h, any channel); users at no extra cost | Per user and per WhatsApp connection; 3-user minimum. They state they don't charge per chat |
| Entry price | Real Free plan: 50 conversations/month, 1 channel, no card. Starter from 149 USD/month | Configurable plan from 49 USD/month; 14-day free trial |
| Annual billing | 20% off (Starter at 119 USD/month billed yearly) | 20% off |
| AI agent | Included in the plan, no separate model-provider account | They state it requires OpenAI tokens not included in the plan |
| Bulk messages | Included in the plans that have campaigns | Extra credits for QR-code connections; API campaigns exempt |
| Channels | WhatsApp (official and unofficial), Instagram, Messenger, Gmail and Shopify | WhatsApp (QR, Business and official API), Instagram, Messenger, Web Chat, TikTok and Telegram |
| Email as a channel | Yes, Gmail in the same inbox | Not published as an inbox channel |
| Ecommerce | Native Shopify; WooCommerce, TiendaNube and others through the tool builder | They publish Mercado Libre and Shopify |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Native with Shopify, with reminders and purchase verification | Not published |
| In-chat payments | Payment link, with the flow waiting for confirmation | Not published |
| Appointment scheduling | Yes, synced with Google Calendar | Google Calendar integration |
| Product reviews | Yes, its own Shopify app that asks for them over WhatsApp | Not published |
| Setup fee | 0 USD | They state they don't charge for the integration |
| Site languages | Spanish and English | Spanish and Portuguese; no English version published |
Frequently asked questions
What's the real difference in pricing?
The billing model. Whaticket publishes a configurable plan from 49 USD a month, priced by users and WhatsApp connections, with a 3-user minimum and additional connections from 20 USD; they note they don't charge per chat. heysteff bills per resolved conversation (one customer served within 24 hours, on any channel) and doesn't charge per user. If a few agents handle a very large number of conversations, the per-user model can be cheaper; if a large team handles a moderate volume, the per-conversation model doesn't penalize you for adding people.
Is the AI included?
That's the most concrete difference between the two. Whaticket states on its pricing page that its AI requires OpenAI tokens that aren't included in the plan and are bought directly on OpenAI's platform. In heysteff the AI agent is included in the plan and the conversation allowance already covers its usage: you don't need to open an account with a model provider or manage a separate balance.
Which one fits if I sell on Mercado Libre?
Whaticket, plainly. They publish integrations with Mercado Libre and Shopify, and answering listing questions is a case they cover natively. heysteff has no Mercado Libre integration: it connects Shopify natively and any other system with an HTTP API or webhooks through the tool builder. If your operation lives on Mercado Libre, that difference outweighs the rest of this comparison.
Does Whaticket have an English version?
We didn't find one. Whaticket's site is published in Spanish and Portuguese; its English path shows the Spanish homepage. heysteff's site and product are available in Spanish and English, which matters if part of your team, or your management, works in English.
◆ next step
Try heysteff on the Free plan, no card required, and measure how many conversations it resolves on its own before you decide.
Also useful: compare heysteff with ManyChat, WATI and Tidio, or read about WhatsApp payments and automation flows.