--- title: "Which channel for what: matching sixteen channels to your need, place and audience" summary: "All sixteen channels side by side: who can start a conversation, what the person needs, how rich each is, how it is priced and what must be approved first, then guidance by need, by region and by audience, and when not to use each one." canonical: https://cpaas.co/en/learn/which-channel-for-what kind: explainer depth: foundation origin: original published: 2026-10-13T16:26:18.899Z updated: 2026-10-14T16:26:19.685Z topics: ["Messaging", "Omnichannel", "Fundamentals"] language: en --- # Which channel for what: matching sixteen channels to your need, place and audience ## How to read this guide There is no best channel, only a best channel for a given message, place and person. A login code, a delivery alert, a spring sale, a broken boiler and a mortgage interview each want something different. This guide puts the sixteen channels in our matrix side by side, as of October 2026, and then sorts them by need, by place and by audience. Each channel has its own primer, linked at the end, with the history, prices and rules in full. The sixteen fall into four families, and the family explains most of the differences. ```diagram:blocks # Four families of channel Operator channels | SMS, RCS and voice reach a phone number through mobile networks Open internet | Email, video and web chat need only an address or a browser Chat apps | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, Viber, LINE, WeChat and Apple Messages reach people who use that app Your own app | Push and in-app chat reach people who installed your app or allowed your site ``` The chat apps are often called [OTT](/en/learn/glossary#ott) ("over the top") services, because they run over the internet rather than through the operator's messaging service. Reach shrinks as you move down the list. The GSMA counts about 5.8 billion unique mobile subscribers, roughly 70% of the world's population;[^1] the ITU estimates that 74% of people were online in 2025.[^2] A chat app reaches only its own users in each country, and your app reaches only your customers. Richness grows in the other direction. ## Who can start, and what the person needs The most useful first question is not "which is cheapest?" but "who may send the first message?" Some channels let a business start, with the person's consent. Others only let the business answer. - **The business can start:** SMS, RCS, voice and email, within consent rules; WhatsApp with a pre-approved template;[^3] Viber through an official partner; LINE, to people who added the account as a friend;[^6] push, once the person has allowed notifications.[^12][^13] - **The customer starts:** on Messenger and Instagram, a business may reply freely for 24 hours after the person writes; after that, a person (not a bot) may still answer for up to seven days with the human agent tag,[^4] and since 27 April 2026 Meta refuses three of the other message tags it once allowed;[^19] a Telegram bot cannot message anyone who has not opened it first;[^5] Apple Messages for Business conversations are always opened by the customer;[^11] web chat starts with a visitor on your site. Consent sits under all of it. In the United States, FCC rules require consent for automated or prerecorded marketing calls and texts to mobile phones.[^17] In the EU, consent under the GDPR must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous.[^18] See [opt-in](/en/learn/glossary#opt-in) and [consent is a data model](/en/learn/consent-is-a-data-model). ```diagram:compare | Who can start | What the person needs | How rich | Approval before the first message SMS | Business, with consent | A phone number | Text only | Sender registration in many countries RCS | Business, with consent | A phone number on a supporting phone and network | Cards, images, buttons | Brand and sender verification WhatsApp | Business with an approved template; free replies after the customer writes | The WhatsApp app | Media, buttons, lists | Business verification and template approval Voice | Either side | A phone number | Live speech | Number and caller ID rules per country Email | Business, with consent for marketing | An email address | Long content and attachments | Domain authentication and bulk-sender rules Video | Either side, usually by link or booking | A browser or app and a steady connection | Live face to face | None for the channel; sector rules apply Messenger | The customer | A Facebook account | Buttons and quick replies | Page set-up and app review Instagram | The customer | An Instagram account | Media and quick replies | Professional account and app review Telegram | The customer opens the bot | The Telegram app | Buttons, menus, mini apps | None for messages Viber | Business, through a partner | The Viber app | Image and button | Sender approval LINE | Business, to people who added you | The LINE app | Rich menus and cards | An official account WeChat | Mostly the customer | The WeChat app | Content, mini programs, payments | Account verification Apple Messages for Business | The customer | An Apple device | Pickers and Apple Pay | Provider, registration and Apple's review Push | Your app or site, after permission | Your app installed or your site allowed | Short alert with a link | The person's permission In-app chat | Either side, inside your app | Your app, signed in | As rich as you build | None beyond app store rules Web chat & booking page | The visitor | Your site open | As rich as you build | None > As of October 2026. Summaries; each channel's primer has the detail and the sources. ``` ## What each channel costs, and what it suits Prices are built in a handful of ways, and the model matters more than the rate. - **Per message:** SMS per segment, at a rate set by the destination country; WhatsApp per delivered template since 1 July 2025, by category and country, and since 1 October 2026 also for replies inside the customer service window: each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month, after which they are charged, and utility templates sent inside an open window are now charged too;[^3] RCS per message, or per 24-hour conversation for agents set up for conversations, at prices set with mobile operators;[^10] Viber per message, by type and country. - **Per minute:** voice per minute plus monthly number fees; video per participant-minute, with recording on top. - **Per volume tier:** email, usually by monthly volume or per thousand. - **Per seat or subscription:** Messenger, Instagram and Telegram usually carry no per-message platform fee, so the cost is the provider's inbox or bot; Apple provides Messages for Business free and the approved provider charges;[^11] web chat is usually per agent seat. - **Per user:** push and in-app chat, usually per monthly active user or device. - **Per plan:** LINE official account plans include an allowance of messages sent by the business; WeChat usually charges an account verification fee rather than per message. ```diagram:compare | Typical cost model | Strongest where | Best fit | Not for SMS | Per segment, by destination country | Everywhere there is a mobile network | Codes, alerts, fallback | Long or rich content; marketing without consent RCS | Per message by type, set with operators | Where networks and phones support it | Branded alerts with buttons | Programmes without an SMS fallback WhatsApp | Per delivered template by category and country; service replies beyond 1,000 a month | Countries where most adults use it | Service, updates, opted-in offers | Cold outreach; markets where few use it Voice | Per minute, plus number fees | Everywhere | Urgent, complex or sensitive talk | Information people need to keep Email | Volume tiers or per thousand | Everywhere, and the default in business-to-business | Receipts, statements, newsletters | Urgent alerts and codes Video | Per participant-minute, recording extra | Where connections are steady | Consultations, identity checks, demos | Quick questions Messenger | Provider subscription; replies usually free from the platform | Where Facebook is widely used | Questions from ads and Pages | Messages after the window Instagram | Provider subscription; no per-message platform fee | Visual brands and their followers | Turning posts into conversations | Outbound campaigns Telegram | Provider and hosting; no per-message platform fee | Audiences who already use it; check yours | Communities, opt-in alerts, bots | People who never opened the bot Viber | Per message, transactional or promotional | Ukraine and the Philippines, on Rakuten's own figures | Branded alerts with SMS fallback | Countries where few use it LINE | Monthly plan with a message allowance | Japan, Thailand and Taiwan | Rich menus, coupons, service | Audiences outside those markets WeChat | Verification fee plus provider costs | Mainland China, and people with ties to it | Content, service, mini programs | Audiences outside its user base Apple Messages for Business | Free from Apple; provider fees | Where many customers use Apple devices | Support, bookings, payments | Campaigns; Android users Push | Usually free from the platforms; provider per user | Wherever your app is installed | Alerts for your own users | People without your app In-app chat | Per monthly active user | Inside your product | Support and user-to-user chat | Anyone who has not opened the app Web chat & booking page | Per agent seat; bots per conversation | Your website | Help at the moment of decision; bookings | Following up after the visitor leaves > As of October 2026. Typical models only; check each provider's and platform's rate card. ``` ## By need: codes, alerts, marketing, support, sales and commerce ```diagram:decision # Which channel first, by what the message is for Is it a login or payment code? | SMS or a WhatsApp authentication template, with voice as a backup | Is it urgent and must reach everyone? | SMS, plus push for app users and RCS where supported | Is it marketing? | Only to people who opted in: email, WhatsApp, RCS or SMS | Is the customer asking for help? | Reply where they wrote: chat app, web chat or Apple Messages | Does it need to be kept or read at length? | Email | Pick the channel the customer last used ``` - **Codes ([OTP](/en/learn/glossary#otp)).** Speed and reach matter most. SMS reaches almost any phone; a WhatsApp authentication template suits markets where WhatsApp is universal; voice reads the code to people whose texts fail. Email is too slow for most logins. See [secure logins](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/otp). - **Alerts.** Deliveries, appointments, fraud warnings. Push is near-free for app users but best effort; SMS reaches everyone; RCS and WhatsApp add a brand and buttons. See [notifications](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/notifications). - **Marketing.** Only with consent, and the bar is rising: Google's sender guidelines require bulk senders to authenticate their mail and offer one-click unsubscribe.[^7] Email suits newsletters; WhatsApp, RCS and Viber suit short offers to opted-in customers; Messenger, Instagram, Telegram and Apple Messages are poor broadcast channels by design. See [marketing campaigns](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/marketing). - **Support.** Answer where the customer chose to write, and keep one history in a [unified inbox](/en/learn/glossary#unified-inbox). Video when the agent must see; voice when it is urgent or emotional. See [customer support](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/support). - **Sales.** Web chat at the moment of decision, WhatsApp or LINE for follow-up where they are everyday apps, video and email for business deals. Regulated onboarding may need a video identity check; India's central bank, for example, allows a video-based customer identification process.[^16] See [sales](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/sales). - **Commerce.** Chat apps with payments and catalogues, Apple Messages with Apple Pay, LINE and WeChat in their markets, and a booking page on your own site. See [selling inside the conversation](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/commerce) and [appointment booking](/en/ecosystem/use-cases/booking). ## By place: the regions Where your customers live changes the answer more than any feature. Internet use ranges from 94% in high-income countries to 23% in low-income ones, and averaged 36% in Africa in 2025, so channels that need data reach far fewer people in some markets than in others.[^2] iPhones have supported RCS since iOS 18 in September 2024,[^8] but only with a carrier that supports it; availability varies by region and carrier, and iPhone users can switch RCS business messages off.[^9] Chat apps differ most from place to place. The best evidence is a named survey or the platform owner's own report, each with a date: - **WhatsApp.** In Pew Research Center surveys in 2023 of eight middle-income countries (Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa), a median of 73% of adults used WhatsApp, from 50% in India to 90% in Brazil.[^20] In the UK, Ofcom found that WhatsApp reached 90% of online adults in May 2025.[^21] - **Viber.** Rakuten, which owns it, describes Viber as Ukraine's most widely adopted messaging app, installed on 98% of mobile phones there (January 2024),[^22] and as a leading messaging app in the Philippines (October 2024).[^23] - **LINE.** LY Corporation reports about 100 million monthly users in Japan, 54 million in Thailand and 22 million in Taiwan, as of 31 March 2026.[^24] - **WeChat.** Tencent runs Weixin for mainland China and WeChat as its international version, and puts their combined monthly users at over 1.4 billion at the end of March 2026.[^25] - **Telegram.** We found no official figures for Telegram's users by country, so this guide does not rank its markets; see [Telegram 101](/en/learn/telegram-101). ```diagram:matrix # What the sources above show, region by region Americas | Phone numbers and email are the baseline; most adults use WhatsApp in the Latin American countries Pew surveyed; check RCS network by network Europe | Email and SMS are the baseline; WhatsApp reaches most online adults in the UK and Viber leads in Ukraine; strict consent rules for marketing Middle East and Africa | Most adults use WhatsApp in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa; SMS sender names must be registered in many countries; where data is scarce, SMS and voice reach most Asia-Pacific | LINE in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan; WeChat in mainland China; WhatsApp in Indonesia and India; Viber in the Philippines ``` Treat these as starting points, not facts about your customers. Surveys cover some countries and not others, usage differs between neighbouring countries and between age groups in the same country, and a platform's own figures are not independently audited. Before committing, check a named, dated survey for each country, and your own data: which channels do customers already use to reach you? For sender registration country by country, see [sender registration around the world](/en/learn/sender-registration-around-the-world). For one region in depth, see [regional messaging in the Gulf](/en/learn/regional-messaging-in-the-gulf). ## By audience: age, device, business or consumer ```diagram:quadrant # Who can start, and what it takes to receive x | The customer must start | The business can start y | Needs a specific app | Needs only a number, address or browser q | Wait to be asked, open to all | Reach anyone you have consent for | Answer inside an app | Reach the users of an app SMS | 7.8 | 7.8 | Any phone Voice | 6.5 | 7 | Any phone Email | 9.6 | 7.8 | Any address RCS | 8.6 | 6 | Supporting phones and networks Video | 5.2 | 6.2 | A browser and a link Web chat | 1 | 7 | Your site WhatsApp | 6.4 | 4.2 | Templates to start Viber | 8.6 | 3.6 | Through a partner LINE | 7.2 | 2.6 | Friends of your account Push | 9 | 1.6 | Your app, after permission Messenger | 2.4 | 3.2 | Standard window Instagram | 3.8 | 4.4 | Standard window Telegram | 1 | 2 | After the person opens the bot WeChat | 3.8 | 2 | Its own rules Apple Messages | 1 | 4.4 | Apple devices only In-app chat | 4.4 | 0.8 | Your signed-in users > Placement on a qualitative grid, not a measurement. ``` - **Age.** Habits differ by generation. In the United States in April 2021, 27% of adults aged 18 to 49 made video calls at least daily, against 7% of those aged 65 and older.[^15] Older customers often prefer voice and SMS; younger ones may never read a text from an unknown sender but will answer in a chat app. Ask, and store the preference. - **Device.** Apple Messages for Business reaches only Apple devices.[^11] Push needs permission: Android 13 and later ask the user before an app may post notifications,[^12] and iOS apps must ask before sending them.[^13] Video in the browser works on modern phones and computers with no download, because WebRTC is built into browsers.[^14] - **Business or consumer.** Business buyers live in email, calls and meeting links, and expect records they can forward. Consumers expect the chat app they use with friends, quick answers and few messages. ## When not to use each channel ```diagram:checklist # Red flags that point to the wrong channel [!] Marketing on a channel the person never agreed to | Consent is per channel and per purpose [!] Login codes by email only | Too slow for most sign-ins [!] RCS without an SMS fallback | Many phones and networks cannot receive it [!] Campaigns on Messenger or Instagram after the window | Outside the platform's rules [!] Apple Messages as the only chat channel | Android users cannot reach you [!] Push as the only route for critical notices | Permission can be refused and delivery is best effort [!] Video for a yes-or-no question | Costly in money and attention [!] Web chat with no way to follow up | The conversation ends when the tab closes ``` Each of these comes from the same mistake: choosing a channel for what it can do rather than for who it reaches and what they agreed to. The [WhatsApp customer service window](/en/learn/glossary#customer-service-window) and [the 24-hour window](/en/learn/the-24-hour-window) explain the most common case. ## Building a mix, and where to read more Few businesses need all sixteen. A practical mix is built in layers, and each layer keeps consent per channel, so a fallback never sends a message the person did not agree to. Seeing one customer across channels is what makes the mix [omnichannel](/en/learn/glossary#omnichannel) rather than many separate queues; see [omnichannel is an identity problem](/en/learn/omnichannel-is-an-identity-problem). ```diagram:steps # A channel mix, built in layers One channel that reaches everyone | SMS or email, for codes, alerts and records The chat app your customers use | WhatsApp, LINE, Viber or WeChat, depending on the country Your own surfaces | Web chat, a booking page, push and in-app chat for people already with you Rich channels for specific moments | Video, Apple Messages and RCS where they pay off Consent and fallback rules on top | Per channel and per purpose, checked at every hop Measure outcomes, not deliveries | Bookings kept, issues solved, payments made ``` Read the primer for each channel: - Operator channels: [SMS](/en/learn/sms-101), [RCS](/en/learn/rcs-101), [voice](/en/learn/voice-101). - Open internet: [email](/en/learn/email-101), [video](/en/learn/video-101), [web chat and booking pages](/en/learn/webchat-101). - Chat apps: [WhatsApp](/en/learn/whatsapp-101), [Messenger](/en/learn/messenger-101), [Instagram](/en/learn/instagram-101), [Telegram](/en/learn/telegram-101), [Viber](/en/learn/viber-101), [LINE](/en/learn/line-101), [WeChat](/en/learn/wechat-101), [Apple Messages for Business](/en/learn/apple-messages-101). - Your own app: [push notifications](/en/learn/push-101), [in-app chat](/en/learn/in-app-101). For choosing per message rather than per programme, read [choosing a channel per message](/en/learn/choosing-a-channel-per-message); for choosing the provider behind the channels, read [how to choose a CPaaS provider](/en/learn/how-to-choose-a-cpaas-provider). ## Sources [^1]: [The Mobile Economy 2026](https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-economy/) — GSMA, March 2026 [^2]: [Facts and Figures 2025](https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/facts-figures-2025/) — ITU, November 2025 [^3]: [Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing) — Meta for Developers, 30 September 2026 [^4]: [Messenger Platform and IG Messaging API policy](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/messenger-platform/policy) — Meta for Developers, accessed 2026-10 [^5]: [Bots: An introduction for developers](https://core.telegram.org/bots) — Telegram, accessed 2026-10 [^6]: [Messaging API overview](https://developers.line.biz/en/docs/messaging-api/overview/) — LINE Developers, accessed 2026-10 [^7]: [Email sender guidelines](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/81126?hl=en) — Gmail Help, accessed 2026-10 [^8]: [iOS 18 is available today, making iPhone more personal and capable than ever](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/09/ios-18-is-available-today-making-iphone-more-personal-and-capable-than-ever/) — Apple Newsroom, 16 September 2024 [^9]: [Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-us/122195) — Apple Support, accessed 2026-10 [^10]: [Billing overview (RCS for Business)](https://developers.google.com/business-communications/rcs-business-messaging/carriers/billing) — Google for Developers, accessed 2026-10 [^11]: [Apple Messages for Business: Frequently Asked Questions](https://register.apple.com/resources/messages/messaging-documentation/faq) — Apple Business Register, accessed 2026-10 [^12]: [Notification runtime permission](https://developer.android.com/develop/ui/views/notifications/notification-permission) — Android Developers, accessed 2026-10 [^13]: [Asking permission to use notifications](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/usernotifications/asking-permission-to-use-notifications) — Apple Developer, accessed 2026-10 [^14]: [WebRTC: Real-Time Communication in Browsers](https://www.w3.org/TR/webrtc/) — W3C, 13 March 2025 [^15]: [How the internet and technology shaped Americans' personal experiences amid COVID-19](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/09/01/how-the-internet-and-technology-shaped-americans-personal-experiences-amid-covid-19/) — Pew Research Center, 1 September 2021 [^16]: [Master Direction – Know Your Customer (KYC) Direction, 2016](https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/english/scripts/notification.aspx?id=2607) — Reserve Bank of India, accessed 2026-10 [^17]: [Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts) — Federal Communications Commission, accessed 2026-10 [^18]: [Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj/eng) — EUR-Lex, 27 April 2016 [^19]: [Send API reference (message tags)](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/messenger-platform/reference/send-api/) — Meta for Developers, accessed 2026-10 [^20]: [WhatsApp, Facebook are the most used social media sites in 8 middle-income nations](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/03/22/whatsapp-and-facebook-dominate-the-social-media-landscape-in-middle-income-nations/) — Pew Research Center, 22 March 2024 [^21]: [Online Nation 2025 report](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2025/online-nations-report-2025.pdf?v=409837) — Ofcom, 10 December 2025 [^22]: [Rakuten Expands Commitment to Ukraine with New Office in Kyiv](https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/0115_03.html) — Rakuten Group, 15 January 2024 [^23]: [Rakuten Viber Expands Operations with New Manila Office to Boost Services for Filipino Users](https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2024/1022_04.html) — Rakuten Group, 22 October 2024 [^24]: [Business Development Outside of Japan](https://www.lycorp.co.jp/en/company/global/) — LY Corporation, accessed 2026-10 [^25]: [Weixin & WeChat](https://www.tencent.com/products/weixin-wechat/) — Tencent, accessed 2026-10 --- Published by the company behind five products in this category. 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