In 2025, the digital setup within India is rapidly changing, and businesses are switching to different channels to communicate with their customers. Among the increasingly debated ones for the customers’ interface are WhatsApp Business API and Traditional SMS.
CellcommNext conducted a customer-oriented survey across 1,200 users from metro cities, tier-2 towns, and rural areas to gauge the present-day preferences between WhatsApp and SMS. Interesting trends come to light through this survey, with consumer trust lying on one side of the spectrum, engagement in the middle, and behavioral preferences on the other.
📊 Key Findings at a Glance:
| Metric | WhatsApp API | Traditional SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | 92% | 78% |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | 45% | 11% |
| Perceived Trust (User Rating) | 4.6/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Opt-out/Unsubscribe Requests | 6% | 21% |
| Time Spent on Message | Avg. 14 sec | Avg. 5 sec |
| Spam Report Rate | 3% | 18% |
📱 WhatsApp API: A Much More Trusted Channel
The survey stated that 92% of consumers opened WhatsApp messages within 10 minutes. The opening rate for SMS messages was much lower at 78%, with many users stating that they usually skip reading SMS messages unless it is an OTP.
💬 Why Do Users Prefer WhatsApp?
- Brand Visibility: Verified business profiles imbue trust.
- Rich Media Support: Images, videos, buttons, and catalogs reinforce communication.
- Two-Way Conversations: Users respond to businesses; SMS is mostly one-way.
- No Character Limit: Businesses can describe offers without worrying about 160-character cuts.
👉 “I read all WhatsApp offers from my bank but ignore most SMSes as they feel generic,” said Anjali Mehta, a 28-year-old working woman from Pune.
📲 Value of SMS Remains-Typically OTPs and Alerts
Still, SMS continues to be the highest medium for issuing OTP and urgent alerts, such as banking transactions. For promotional and service-related communication, however, it is fast becoming a thing of the past.
In fact:
- Just 14% of users click on links in SMS messages.
- 63% said SMS feels spammy in contrast to WhatsApp.
- 21% had unregistered or blocked SMS senders in the past 6 months.
That being said, SMS still finds its realm where internet connectivity is low or with older users who are probably not too active on messaging apps.
🎯 Trust & Intrusiveness: The Big Differentiator
Regarding trust ratings of incoming business messages:
- WhatsApp: 4.6/5
- SMS: 3.8/5
Perceived Intrusiveness
Further, consumers felt WhatsApp messages intrude less primarily because:
- They are personalized.
- They come with a brand logo most times.
- They are sent during business hours.
Late-night promotions via SMS are mostly why users become dissatisfied and distrust brands.
📉 Spam Reports and Opt-outs: WhatsApp Reigns Supreme
An additional shocker was the spam report rate:
- Only 3% of WhatsApp messages were reported as spam.
- SMS had an 18% spam or junk classification.
Additional Numbers:
- 6% of WhatsApp users opted out of receiving business notifications.
- SMS had a 21% opt-out rate, which means higher dissatisfaction.
🧠 What Do the Marketers Say?
We asked 200+ digital marketers and small business owners about which platform performs better when it comes to engagement and ROI.
| Question | WhatsApp API | SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Better for Promotions | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Cost-Effective for Large Lists | ❌ Higher | ✅ Lower |
| Easy to Integrate with CRM | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited |
| Suitable for Transactional Use | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Recommended for Customer Support | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
🔍 Use Case Examples
🔹 Retail
WhatsApp does better with cart recovery, order tracking, and product recommendations.
CTR: 50% (WhatsApp) vs 12% (SMS)
🔹 Education
Institutes use WhatsApp for updates, reminders, and live session links.
Student engagement on WhatsApp is 3x more.
🔹 Political Campaign
Since WhatsApp voice notes, surveys, and reminders work better than SMS blasts, they are employed in regional elections.
💡 Final verdict: WhatsApp API is the future
The survey displays a steady movement towards WhatsApp as the preferred communication channel in India. Even though SMS holds its place for emergency and OTP messages, WhatsApp API allows greater engagement, personalization, and brand credibility.
The message to the brands attempting to stand out and genuinely relate is:
Go for WhatsApp API, and converse with your customer in the way they prefer to listen.
🚀 Begin your WhatsApp API journey with CellcommNext.
CellcommNext provides a full range of solutions for WhatsApp Business API, including:
✅ Promotion
✅ Notification
✅ Survey and Feedback
✅ Lead Nurturing
✅ Customer Support
💼 Established trust with 500+ businesses all across India.
📞 Call at +91-93553222-61,62,63,64
🌐 Visit www.cellcommnext.com
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