Honest comparison
Z-API alternative: CertuAI or Z-API in 2026
According to the company's website in September 2026, Z-API has two plans: Ultimate, at R$ 99.99 per month per connected number (or R$ 1,079.89 upfront on the annual plan), and Partner, for those who connect 10 numbers or more, from R$ 89.99 to R$ 54.99 per number depending on quantity. Both have unlimited messages and a 2-day trial with no card, but they deliver only the connection for your system to use, while CertuAI delivers the AI already answering on WhatsApp. CertuAI's Brain learns the business in one conversation, the CRM records every contact, and the Start plan costs US$ 75 per month. Z-API serves other types of operations well.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
Where Z-API is strong, where CertuAI is strong, and which type of business each one suits. No misleading marketing.
Summary in 7 facts
- Where Z-API is strong, where CertuAI is strong, and which type of business each one suits.
- Both have unlimited messages and a 2-day trial with no card, but they deliver only the connection for your system to use, while CertuAI delivers the AI already answering on WhatsApp.
- The comparison is by approach and fit, not "better or worse".
- Swipe the table sideways to see both columns.
- CertuAI fits when WhatsApp is the main channel and the owner makes the decisions.
- Z-API fits when the operation has a different shape.
- According to the company's website in September 2026, there are two.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| US$ 75 per month | CertuAI's Brain learns the business in one conversation, the CRM records every contact, and the Start plan costs US$ 75 per month. |
| 10 numbers | Partner, from 10 numbers up, per number: R$ 89.99 (10 to 49), R$ 79.99 (50 to 99), R$ 74.99 (100 to 199), R$ 69.99 (200 to 499), R$ 64.99 (500 to 999), R$ 59.99 (1,000 to 1,999) and R$ 54.99 (2,000… |
| R$ 99.99 per month | Ultimate costs R$ 99.99 per month per connected number, or R$ 1,079.89 upfront on the annual plan, 10% less, which comes to R$ 89.99 per month. |
| R$ 89,99 | Partner is for those who connect 10 numbers or more, and the price per number drops with quantity: R$ 89.99 for 10 to 49, R$ 79.99 for 50 to 99, R$ 74.99 for 100 to 199, R$ 69.99 for 200 to 499, R$ 64.99 for 500 to… |
| R$ 50 (Brazilian reais) per month | CertuAI connects the number through Meta's official API and also by the code on the screen, which works like WhatsApp Web; to automate within Meta's rules, the way is the official one, which comes on Pro and… |
What are CertuAI and Z-API?
CertuAI. CertuAI is AI automation software for small and medium Brazilian businesses: an agent answers on WhatsApp, connected by code, QR code or, on Pro and above, through Meta's official API, the Brain holds what your business knows how to answer, and the CRM records every contact on its own.
CertuAI doesn't sell the connection, it sells the customer service ready to go. Instead of receiving the message pipe and programming the customer service on top of it, you teach the business in one conversation and the AI already answers, separates who wants to buy, books appointments and goes back to people who went quiet, and every contact goes into the customer list on its own. CertuAI connects through Meta's official API, the Cloud API, as a Tech Provider (a technical partner registered by Meta) of the WhatsApp Business Platform, and also by the code on the screen, as in WhatsApp Web.
Z-API. Z-API is a Brazilian WhatsApp API made for people who code: you connect a number, new or one you already use, by scanning the code on the screen with your phone, and your system starts sending and receiving messages, with automatic notifications for each incoming message (the webhooks). It is not Meta's official API: Z-API itself presents as an alternative to it, and the company's documentation explains that the connection works as a WhatsApp Web session. Billing is per connected number, with no message limit, with support in Portuguese.
Z-API official website: z-api.io
How do CertuAI and Z-API compare, item by item?
The comparison is by approach and fit, not "better or worse".
Swipe the table sideways to see both columns.
| Criterion | CertuAI | Z-API |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Start, Pro and Max, billed per account, with the AI, the Brain and the customer list built in | Ultimate, for one number, and Partner, for 10 numbers or more |
| Price per number (September 2026) | Doesn't charge per number: the plan already includes 1 WhatsApp number | Ultimate R$ 99.99 per month, or R$ 1,079.89 upfront on the annual plan; Partner from R$ 89.99 to R$ 54.99, depending on quantity |
| 2 days, no card and no automatic renewal | ||
| Who builds the conversation | CertuAI, from the business's Brain | Whoever codes at your company |
| How it connects WhatsApp | Through Meta's official API or by the code on the screen, as in WhatsApp Web | By the code on the screen, as a WhatsApp Web session |
| Customer list | Included: contact and deal created automatically from each conversation | You connect it to the customer system you already use |
Price published by both
Start US$ 75/month with the AI, the Brain and the customer list included, no lock-in contract
Ultimate: R$ 99.99 per month per number, or R$ 1,079.89 upfront on the annual plan. Partner, from 10 numbers up, per number: R$ 89.99 (10 to 49), R$ 79.99 (50 to 99), R$ 74.99 (100 to 199), R$ 69.99 (200 to 499), R$ 64.99 (500 to 999), R$ 59.99 (1,000 to 1,999) and R$ 54.99 (2,000 or more). Unlimited messages and a 2-day trial with no card.
Public prices from Z-API, checked on Sep 24, 2026. Prices change: check the source before deciding.
Which of the two fits your business better?
CertuAI fits when WhatsApp is the main channel and the owner makes the decisions. Z-API fits when the operation has a different shape.
Choose CertuAI if
- You don't have anyone who codes and you want WhatsApp answering this week
- You want an AI that understands the question and answers, without someone writing the logic of each answer
- You want the contact, deal and task already recorded without connecting anything to anything
Choose Z-API if
- You have someone who codes and want full control over the message logic
- WhatsApp needs to live inside a system of yours that already exists, with its own rules
- You connect many numbers and want to pay per number, with the price dropping as quantity grows
How to try CertuAI before deciding
Create the agent, teach it your business in one conversation, and connect WhatsApp. The Start plan is US$ 75 per month.
Create my agentWhat do people ask before choosing between CertuAI and Z-API?
What are Z-API's plans?
According to the company's website in September 2026, there are two. Ultimate costs R$ 99.99 per month per connected number, or R$ 1,079.89 upfront on the annual plan, 10% less, which comes to R$ 89.99 per month. Partner is for those who connect 10 numbers or more, and the price per number drops with quantity: R$ 89.99 for 10 to 49, R$ 79.99 for 50 to 99, R$ 74.99 for 100 to 199, R$ 69.99 for 200 to 499, R$ 64.99 for 500 to 999, R$ 59.99 for 1,000 to 1,999 and R$ 54.99 from 2,000. Both have unlimited messages, and the trial is 2 days, with no card and no automatic renewal.
Is Z-API the official WhatsApp API?
No. Z-API itself presents as an alternative to the official API, and its documentation explains that the connection works as a WhatsApp Web session, linked by scanning the code on the screen with your phone. The official API is the Cloud API, from Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. The WhatsApp Help Center asks that no one send automated or bulk messages through WhatsApp and says it uses self-learning programs and user reports to find and ban accounts that send unwanted messages. And WhatsApp's Terms of Service say that anyone who violates the rules may have their account suspended or disabled.
Does Z-API charge per message?
No. According to the company's website, billing is per connected number and messages have no limit. On the official API the math is different: Meta charges for each template message delivered, which is the ready-made message a business uses to start a conversation, and, from Oct 1, 2026, also for customer service replies beyond 1,000 per number per month.
Is CertuAI an alternative to Z-API?
It depends on what you need. Z-API delivers the connection, and someone at your company programs the customer service on top of it. CertuAI delivers the customer service ready to go: you teach the business in one conversation, the AI answers on WhatsApp and every contact goes into the customer list, without coding. CertuAI connects the number through Meta's official API and also by the code on the screen, which works like WhatsApp Web; to automate within Meta's rules, the way is the official one, which comes on Pro and above or as an add-on of R$ 50 (Brazilian reais) per month on Start.
Want to compare CertuAI with another platform?
Each page has the side-by-side table and the "which of the two fits better" section.
To see other options besides Z-API, with each one's price side by side, see the list Top 5 AI agent platforms for WhatsApp.
Keep going here: how an AI WhatsApp chatbot works, customer service automation on WhatsApp, the official WhatsApp Business API, AI agents by business segment, practical guides to AI on WhatsApp and CertuAI's plans and prices.
Want to see several options at once? See the 10 best customer service platforms on WhatsApp, Brazilian alternatives for WhatsApp chatbots, how to choose the best AI for WhatsApp Business and the best AI agent for customer service on small businesses' WhatsApp.
In short
Z-API plans in September 2026: Ultimate per number, Partner with volume pricing and a 2-day trial. See whether it is the official API and compare with CertuAI.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent