Both WhatsApp and SMS reach Indian customers on their mobile phones. But they perform very differently. This guide covers open rates, cost per conversion, opt-in requirements, and the specific use cases where each channel wins.
| Metric | WhatsApp (via WA.Expert) | SMS (DLT compliant) |
|---|---|---|
| Open rate | 94% | 72% |
| Response rate | ~45% | ~8% |
| Delivery rate | 99%+ (if on WhatsApp) | 95% (carrier dependent) |
| Rich media | ✅ Images, PDF, video, buttons | ❌ Text only (160 chars) |
| Two-way conversation | ✅ Full conversation | ❌ One-way only |
| Click-through rate (links) | ~25-35% | ~5-8% |
| Cost per utility message (India) | ₹0.10-0.14/conversation | ₹0.15-0.25/message |
| Cost per marketing message | ₹0.58-0.72/conversation | ₹0.10-0.15/message |
| Opt-in requirement | Explicit WhatsApp opt-in | DLT registration + consent |
| Regulation | Meta WhatsApp Policy | TRAI DLT regulations |
Key insight: WhatsApp costs more per marketing message than SMS but delivers much higher conversion rates — making cost-per-conversion significantly better. For utility messages (order confirmations, OTP, alerts), WhatsApp is comparable to or cheaper than SMS.
| Use case | Recommended channel | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Order confirmation / status | Rich content, two-way, high trust | |
| OTP / verification | SMS or WhatsApp Auth | Both work — SMS slightly faster |
| Payment receipt | PDF attachment, two-way queries | |
| Marketing broadcast | 5× higher conversion despite higher cost | |
| Appointment reminder | Reply-based rescheduling, buttons | |
| Emergency alert (non-WA user) | SMS | Reaches anyone with a mobile |
| Bulk promotional to cold list | SMS | Lower cost, no opt-in for DLT-compliant SMS |
| Abandoned cart recovery | 55% recovery rate vs 8% SMS | |
| Delivery tracking | Live tracking link, NDR rescheduling | |
| Internal team alert | Free service conversation, familiar |
For most Indian businesses, the optimal strategy is WhatsApp as primary, SMS as fallback:
All transactional and marketing communication to customers who are on WhatsApp and have opted in. Higher conversion, richer experience, lower cost-per-conversion.
WA.Expert checks WhatsApp availability before sending. For the ~10% of customers not on WhatsApp, configure a fallback SMS via your SMS provider.
For authentication OTPs, SMS has a slight edge in speed and universality. WhatsApp OTP works well but requires the user to have WhatsApp — SMS reaches everyone.
India-specific: WhatsApp penetration is 90%+ among urban Indian smartphone users. For Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and older demographics, SMS as fallback is more important.
WA.Expert provides the WhatsApp API with 1,000 free conversations/month to get started.