Short answer
respond.io is a shared inbox for teams that sell over messaging, with AI on its higher plans. TAB puts the AI agent first: it's on every plan, including the free one, and it costs less at the same volume.
respond.io is strong at routing conversations between salespeople. If you have 20 people working WhatsApp leads, it's a serious tool. But its AI agents start on the Growth plan, and the price grows with your users and your monthly active contacts.
TAB starts from the other end. The AI answers first, and your team steps in when it is needed. There are no per-seat fees and no contact tiers; you pay for conversations.
How they compare
| Feature | TAB | respond.io |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, then from $29.99/month | $99/month, or $79/month billed yearly |
| AI agent | Every plan, including Free | Growth plan and up ($199/month, or $159 billed yearly) |
| What you pay for | Conversations | Users, monthly active contacts and AI credits |
| Channels | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, web chat | WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, web chat, email, calls |
| Team routing | Take over any conversation from the inbox | Routing by role, workload and online status |
| Shopify | Built-in | Custom HTTP requests on the Advanced plan |
| Salla | Salla app | No integration found |
✓ marks the side that is ahead on that row.
An AI agent for 1,000 customers a month
On respond.io, AI agents need the Growth plan: $199 a month, or $159 billed yearly, for 1,000 monthly active contacts and 10 users.
On TAB, 1,000 conversations with the AI agent cost $59.99 a month on Starter.
Our take
If you're running a big sales floor on WhatsApp, respond.io's routing is hard to beat. If you want customers answered automatically without paying for a team inbox first, TAB is the better and cheaper choice.
respond.io fits large sales teams that need detailed routing between many agents, or that sell on TikTok.
Questions people ask
Do I need respond.io's Growth plan to get AI?
For AI agents, yes. The Starter plan only includes AI writing help for your team. On TAB, the AI agent is on every plan.
Who pays the WhatsApp fees?
Meta charges WhatsApp fees whichever platform you use. respond.io collects them through prepaid WhatsApp credit. Ask us how they work on your TAB plan.
Is TAB a respond.io alternative for online stores?
Yes. TAB connects to Shopify and Salla, so the agent can answer product questions, check orders and send checkout links in the chat.
