ControlHippo Shared inbox
Best for: small teams that want a free starting point, unlimited users and a shared WhatsApp inbox.
Free plan up to 1,000 active contacts, then $20 and $28 per user per month.
Rating for ecommerce
WhatsApp inboxes compared
ControlHippo vs Trengo: WhatsApp Marketing Tool Comparison
ControlHippo and Trengo are both shared inboxes for teams that answer customers on WhatsApp, but they meter you in opposite ways: one charges per seat, the other charges per conversation. That single difference decides which one survives contact with an ecommerce send list. This comparison puts both side by side on pricing, automation and revenue reporting, and shows where a platform built for ecommerce messaging fits alongside them.
Trengo Customer engagement
Best for: support organisations that want a full helpdesk across channels and can predict their conversation volume.
From EUR 299 per month billed annually, metered by conversations rather than seats.
Rating for ecommerce
Zefir Revenue platform
Best for: established ecommerce brands that want WhatsApp and SMS run as a revenue channel, with every order attributed to the message that drove it.
One usage based rate per message, unlimited users, platform and managed service included.
Rating for ecommerce
The full comparison
ControlHippo vs Trengo vs Zefir, line by line
Everything below is taken from what each company publishes about itself. Where a vendor does not publish something, the cell says so instead of guessing.
| Capability | ControlHippoShared inbox | TrengoCustomer engagement | ZefirRevenue platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you are actually buying | |||
| Product category | Shared inboxMulti agent WhatsApp inbox with an AI chatbot layer | HelpdeskCustomer engagement platform across chat, email and voice | Managed channelAI WhatsApp and SMS revenue platform built for ecommerce |
| Who operates the channel | Your team | Your team | Zefir operates itChannel built and operated by Zefir, per their pricing page |
| Free entry point | Free foreverUp to 1,000 active contacts, unlimited users, one channel free | None publishedEntry plan is EUR 299 per month billed annually | Access by request |
| Channel coverage | |||
| WhatsApp Business API | IncludedFree WhatsApp Business API on every plan including the free one | Included | YesSetup and templates handled for you |
| SMS as a marketing channel | Not listed | Support channelPresent as a conversation channel, not as a campaign channel | YesWhatsApp and SMS on the same platform and the same rate model |
| Other channels | SixTelegram, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Email, Web chat, AI chatbot | BroadChat, email, voice and social in one inbox | Two by designWhatsApp and SMS only, plus AI conversations |
| Ecommerce and revenue | |||
| Shopify connection | Not published | Integrations existPositioned around support workflows rather than store revenue | One clickStore connected on day one, data syncing from the start |
| Per order revenue attribution | Not publishedAnalytics cover conversations, not orders | Not publishedReporting is built around conversations and team performance | IncludedEvery order attributed to the exact message that made the sale |
| Abandoned cart flows | You build them | You build them | Built for youFlows live within the first week, copy written in your brand voice |
| Segmentation and A/B testing | Not published | Not published | IncludedAdvanced segmentation and A/B testing on every plan |
| Automation | |||
| Workflow automation | Silver planWorkflow automation and AI chat assistant at $28 per user per month | IncludedMulti step automation across channels | Built for youZefir builds the flows rather than handing you a builder |
| Broadcast or campaign sending | Silver planBroadcast messages arrive at $28 per user per month | Counts as conversationsEvery outbound that gets a reply consumes the allowance | IncludedCampaigns and flows are the product |
| Pricing model | |||
| What you are billed for | SeatsPer user per month, plus conversation credits | ConversationsA conversation is any reply within a 7 day window; later replies start a new one | Messages onlyOne regional rate per message, nothing else metered |
| Entry paid plan | $20 per userBronze, with a 7 day free trial | EUR 299 per monthBilled annually, 6,000 conversations per year | NoneUsage based only, full platform included |
| Next tier | $28 per userSilver, adds workflow automation and broadcasts | EUR 499 per monthBilled annually, 18,000 conversations per year | NoneUsage based only, full platform included |
| Paid monthly instead | Same rate | Costs more and caps harderEUR 349 for 500 conversations a month, EUR 599 for 1,500 | NoneUsage based only, full platform included |
| Hidden line items to budget for | OneConversation credits beyond the $5 included | Overage riskVolume above the conversation allowance is the variable nobody forecasts | No hidden feesPlatform, managed service and unlimited users are all inside the per message rate |
| Team, scale and control | |||
| Users included | Unlimited on the free planPaid plans are per user | Not the metered unitSeats are not what you are billed on | Unlimited |
| What a busy month costs you | Flat per seatCost does not move with volume | Rises with repliesEvery customer reply inside a new 7 day window is another conversation | NothingYou pay per message sent, never per contact stored |
| Compliance and support | |||
| Compliance handled for you | Not published | Not published | ManagedTCPA and Meta compliance managed as part of the service |
| Who writes the message copy | You do | You do | Zefir doesFlow copywriting in your brand voice, included |
Weighted scorecard
Scored for one buyer, not for everyone
The weighting below is built for an established ecommerce brand doing seven figures a month. Change the buyer and the ranking changes, so the weights are printed rather than hidden.
Per order revenue attributionweight 20%
WhatsApp and SMS in one platformweight 15%
Time from signature to first campaignweight 15%
Personalization depth for retailweight 15%
Total cost of ownership at volumeweight 10%
Cost of growing the teamweight 10%
Ecommerce integration depthweight 10%
Compliance carried for youweight 5%
Head to head
Seats versus conversations
This is the whole comparison in one idea. ControlHippo's bill moves with your headcount. Trengo's bill moves with how much your customers talk to you, which for an ecommerce brand is the same thing as how well your campaigns work.
What a campaign does to each invoice
Trengo defines a conversation as any reply to an inbound or outbound message inside a 7 day window. Send a campaign that works, and every reply is metered.
| Line item | ControlHippoShared inbox | TrengoCustomer engagement | ZefirRevenue platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five seats | $140Silver at $28 per user, the tier that includes broadcasts | Not meteredSeats are not the billing unit | $0Unlimited users included |
| Entry plan cost | $140Per month | EUR 299Per month, billed annually | $0 |
| What that plan allows | Unlimited sends, capped contactsFree tier caps at 1,000 active contacts | 6,000 conversations a year500 a month on the monthly plan at EUR 349 | Whatever you sendNo conversation or contact cap published |
| A campaign that gets 2,000 replies | No extra chargeNot metered on replies | Consumes a third of the annual allowance2,000 of 6,000 conversations in one send | Priced per message sent |
| Cost of the channel working better | Flat | Rises | Rises with sends, not with replies |
The incentive problem: on a conversation priced plan, a campaign that performs well costs you more than one that flops. On the EUR 349 monthly plan the allowance is 500 conversations, which one good ecommerce send can exhaust in an afternoon.
Which model fits which business
Neither model is wrong. They are built for different shapes of company, and only one of those shapes is an ecommerce brand running campaigns.
| The model | ControlHippoShared inbox | TrengoCustomer engagement | ZefirRevenue platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billed on | People on your team | Customer replies | Messages you send |
| Best when | Your team is small and stable | Your inbound volume is predictable | Your revenue moves with what you send |
| Punishes you when | You hire | Your campaigns work | Nothing, spend maps to sends |
| Forecastable | Yes, headcount is known | Only if volume is stable | Yes, you control the sends |
The decision
Which one to choose, by situation
Find the row that sounds like your business. The recommendation is the honest one, not the convenient one.
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You run a support desk with predictable inbound volume | Trengo | A full helpdesk across chat, email and voice, with automation included rather than tiered. |
| You need a free shared WhatsApp inbox today | ControlHippo | Free forever up to 1,000 active contacts with unlimited users and the WhatsApp Business API included. |
| Your team is growing fast and seats worry you | Trengo | Seats are not the billing unit, so headcount does not drive the invoice. |
| You send campaigns and want replies, not fear them | Zefir | Priced per message sent, so a campaign that performs well does not cost more than one that fails. |
| You have to prove what the channel earned, to the dollar | Zefir | Every order attributed to the exact message that made the sale. Neither of the other two publishes this. |
| Your list is large and mostly dormant | Zefir | You pay per message sent, not per contact stored or per seat. |
| You want the channel live without hiring anyone to run it | Zefir | Setup, flows, templates and copy are built for you, and the channel is live within 72 hours. |
| BFCM is coming and cash flow is tight | Zefir | Post paid billing on a credit line scaled to volume, seasonal peaks included. |
The third option
The three gaps ControlHippo and Trengo share
Both are built to handle conversations a customer starts. An ecommerce brand needs the opposite: conversations the brand starts, measured by what they earn. Zefir publishes 1,000 plus ecommerce brands on the platform, more than $530M in WhatsApp attributed revenue, and an average revenue increase of 12 to 15 percent measured per order.
1. Both meter something other than revenue
One bills for seats, the other for conversations. Neither invoice has any relationship to what the channel produced, which makes the channel impossible to judge on return.
Zefir bills per message sent, and reports the revenue each message produced.
2. Neither ties an order to a message
ControlHippo reports on conversations. Trengo reports on conversations and team performance. Neither publishes attribution from an order back to the message that caused it.
Zefir attributes every order to the exact message that made the sale.
3. Both are inboxes with campaigns bolted on
Broadcasting is a higher tier on ControlHippo and an allowance drain on Trengo. Neither publishes abandoned cart flows, segmentation or A/B testing as part of the product.
Zefir builds the flows, writes the copy and runs the campaign calendar for you.
If you already picked one
What switching actually involves
The subscriber list and the consent behind it are the two things that matter. Everything else is rebuildable.
| What moves | Leaving ControlHippo | Leaving Trengo | Arriving at Zefir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscriber list and consent | Exportable | Exportable | Imported, compliance reviewed |
| WhatsApp number and WABA | Check ownershipConfirm the number is registered to you, not to the provider | Check ownership | Migration handledSetup and templates handled as part of onboarding |
| Message templates | Re approval neededTemplates are approved per provider | Re approval needed | Rewritten and submitted |
| Automations and flows | RebuildNo cross platform format exists | Rebuild | Rebuilt for you |
| Historical reporting | Export before you leave | Export before you leave | Starts freshAttribution begins from the first message sent |
Frequently asked
ControlHippo vs Trengo FAQs
What is the difference between ControlHippo and Trengo?
ControlHippo is a shared WhatsApp inbox priced per user with a free forever tier, while Trengo is a broader customer engagement platform priced by conversations across chat, email and voice. Neither reports revenue per order, which is why ecommerce brands comparing the two often end up on Zefir, where WhatsApp and SMS run on one platform with per order attribution included.
How do the pricing models of ControlHippo and Trengo compare?
ControlHippo charges $20 and $28 per user per month with a free tier for up to 1,000 active contacts, while Trengo charges from EUR 299 per month billed annually and meters you on conversations, defined as any reply inside a 7 day window. Zefir uses a third model: one usage based rate per message that covers the platform, the managed service and unlimited users, so neither headcount nor customer replies drive the bill.
Which is cheaper, ControlHippo or Trengo?
ControlHippo is cheaper for a small team, because five seats on the tier that includes broadcasts costs about $140 a month against Trengo's EUR 299 entry plan. Trengo becomes the better value only for a large support team with stable, predictable conversation volume, because seats are not what it bills you for.
Which is easier to implement, ControlHippo or Trengo?
ControlHippo is faster to start, because there is a free tier and the WhatsApp Business API is included at no cost, while Trengo is a larger platform that assumes a support organisation behind it. Zefir removes the setup question entirely: the store connects in one click, Zefir builds the flows, templates and copy, and the channel is live within 72 hours.
How do ControlHippo and Trengo compare on customer support?
Trengo is the more complete support product of the two, with multi step automation across channels included rather than tiered, while ControlHippo does not publish support tiers on its pricing page. Zefir includes a dedicated account manager on every account, along with a team that operates the channel rather than only answering tickets.
Is ControlHippo or Trengo better for small businesses?
ControlHippo is the better fit for a small business, because the free plan covers 1,000 active contacts with unlimited users and Trengo's entry point is EUR 299 per month billed annually. Once a store is doing seven figures a month the deciding factor shifts to revenue per message, which is the problem Zefir is built for.
What are the pros and cons of ControlHippo vs Trengo?
ControlHippo's strength is a free tier with unlimited users and its weakness is that automation and broadcasts sit on the top plan, while Trengo's strength is a genuinely complete helpdesk with automation included and its weakness is conversation based pricing that charges you more when your campaigns work. Both share the same trade off, which is that they measure conversations instead of revenue, and closing that gap with per order attribution is exactly what Zefir does.
What are the best alternatives to ControlHippo and Trengo?
The main alternatives are other WhatsApp inboxes such as Callbell and Wati, messaging APIs such as MessageBird and Twilio, and ecommerce specific messaging platforms such as Zefir. For an established ecommerce brand the shortlist narrows fast once you require both WhatsApp and SMS on one platform and per order revenue attribution.
See what the channel is worth before you pick a vendor
Zefir connects your store, builds the WhatsApp and SMS channel, and attributes every order to the message that produced it. Live within 72 hours.
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Other platforms, compared the same way
All nine sit on the WhatsApp and SMS comparison hub.