# Channel cost comparison.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/tools/channel-cost-comparison
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-10-21
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)
- Markdown version of the page above, generated from the rendered page.

Free planning tool · you set the rates

Reaching the same audience costs very differently over SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Voice. Enter your audience size and the per-channel rate you pay (or expect to pay) for each, and we rank cost per message and total campaign cost side by side, cheapest to dearest. The rates are yours to set — this compares your numbers, not a price we assert.

Your campaign

How many people you reach — one message each per channel for this run.

SMS is billed per 160-character (GSM-7) segment; long or Unicode messages use more. Only affects the SMS row.

Channels & your rates

You set these per-channel rates. The values below are neutral placeholders for you to overwrite — they are NOT BroadNet prices. Only the optional SMS country reference rate is real published data.

SMS

Near-universal reach, no app or opt-in needed. Plain text, billed per segment.

WhatsApp

Rich, high-engagement, opt-in required. Billed per delivered template message; replies inside the 24-hour window are priced separately.

RCS

Branded, rich cards and read receipts on supported Android handsets. Pricing varies by market and message type.

Voice

Direct, high-urgency, personal. Usually billed per minute or per connected call, not per message.

Cost comparison

Cheapest RCS is the cheapest of the channels you enabled for these numbers.

RCS· Cheapest $2,000.00

Cost / message: $0.0200

SMS $3,000.00

Cost / message: $0.0300

WhatsApp $5,000.00

Cost / message: $0.0500

Voice $8,000.00

Cost / message: $0.0800

| Channel | Cost / message | Total campaign cost |
|---|---|---|
| RCS | $0.0200 | $2,000.00 |
| SMS | $0.0300 | $3,000.00 |
| WhatsApp | $0.0500 | $5,000.00 |
| Voice | $0.0800 | $8,000.00 |

Cost is only one factor

The cheapest channel is rarely the whole story. Reach, deliverability, engagement, richness (images, buttons, read receipts) and opt-in requirements differ sharply by channel — a pricier channel can win on conversions or completion rate. Use this to size budgets, then choose the channel mix by outcome, not unit price alone.

You set the rates — this compares your numbers

This tool multiplies your audience by the per-channel rates you enter. WhatsApp, RCS and Voice pricing varies by conversation, session, message type and destination, so we do not assert those prices — you provide them. For firm BroadNet rates across every channel, get a quote.

[Get a quote](https://www.broadnet.me/contact?topic=pricing) [Omnichannel](https://www.broadnet.me/products/omnichannel)

Keep planning

[SMS cost estimator Go deeper on a single channel: monthly SMS cost by country and segment.](https://www.broadnet.me/tools/sms-cost-estimator) [Omnichannel Orchestrate SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Voice from one API with channel fallback.](https://www.broadnet.me/products/omnichannel) [WhatsApp Business API Verified, rich, conversational messaging at scale.](https://www.broadnet.me/products/whatsapp-business-api) [RCS messaging Branded, interactive rich cards on supported Android devices.](https://www.broadnet.me/products/rcs-messaging) [Voice Programmable voice, OTP calls and IVR across global routes.](https://www.broadnet.me/products/voice)

The short answer

## How do you compare SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Voice cost?

Put every channel on the same basis: cost to reach one audience with one message each. For each channel, cost per message times your audience size gives the total campaign cost — then rank them. SMS is billed per segment, so a long or Unicode message costs more; WhatsApp is billed per delivered template message; RCS varies by market and message type; Voice is billed per minute or connected call. Because those units differ, this tool asks you for the effective per-message rate you pay on each channel and compares those directly.

### What drives the gap between channels

Three things move the numbers: the per-unit rate, how that unit maps to a message, and volume. SMS units are segments; a plain 160-character GSM-7 message is one segment, but emoji or accents switch it to Unicode and can double the count. WhatsApp bills each delivered template message, while free-form replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are priced separately, so a reply-heavy flow can cost less per message than it first looks. RCS and Voice pricing swing widely by destination and message or call type. This tool keeps the maths transparent — audience times your rate times, for SMS, segments — so you can see exactly where the cost comes from and swap in real quoted rates.

## Frequently asked questions

**Where do the channel rates come from?**

From you. SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Voice pricing depends on destination, message type, conversation windows and your commercial terms, so we do not assert those numbers. The values pre-filled in the tool are neutral placeholders to overwrite with your own rates. The only real data is the optional SMS country reference rate, which pulls BroadNet's published per-country SMS list price and is clearly labelled.

**Is this BroadNet's pricing?**

No. Apart from the clearly labelled SMS country reference rate, every number here is a rate you enter. For firm BroadNet pricing across SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Voice, request a quote and we will return rates specific to your destinations and volumes.

**Why isn't the cheapest channel always the right choice?**

Because channels differ on more than price. WhatsApp and RCS carry images, buttons and read receipts and tend to drive higher engagement; SMS reaches almost any handset with no opt-in; Voice is immediate and personal for time-critical alerts. A channel that costs more per message can deliver more conversions or completions, making it cheaper per outcome. Use this tool to size budgets, then pick the mix on results.

**How is the SMS row different from the others?**

SMS is billed per segment, so the SMS row multiplies your rate by the segments-per-message value you set (a plain message is one segment; long or Unicode messages use more). The other channels are treated as one charge per message at the rate you enter, since WhatsApp template messages, RCS messages and Voice minutes are billed on their own units — enter the effective per-message rate you pay.

**What does the currency selector do?**

It sets how the results are formatted. Enter your per-channel rates in the same currency you select. The optional SMS country reference rate is published in USD, so it is most accurate with USD selected; if you mix currencies, treat the SMS reference as a USD figure.

**Does this include taxes, setup or per-message surcharges?**

No. It compares the message or conversation rate only. Local taxes, number or sender-ID registration, template fees and per-market surcharges are quoted separately based on your setup and destinations.

## Get real rates for every channel.

Share your audience, destinations and the channels you care about, and our team will return firm, route-specific rates for SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Voice — so you can compare on real numbers.

[Get a quote](https://www.broadnet.me/contact?topic=pricing) [Omnichannel](https://www.broadnet.me/products/omnichannel)