Outgrow the group chat
WhatsApp is great for texting. Heylo is where group leaders run their groups: events, payments, member profiles, and communications that don't get buried or muted.
Why switch from WhatsApp to Heylo?
WhatsApp is for messaging your family. Heylo is for managing your community.
Conversations that don’t get buried
Chats organized by event and topic, plus announcements that reach members via push notification and email, not just in-app.
Members keep their phone numbers private
Join with email or social login. No one sees your number unless you choose to share it.
Events, payments, and waivers in one place
Not just a chat app with a calendar link pasted in.
New members get the full picture
When someone joins your group on Heylo, they can see every past event, conversation, and announcement. No more repeating yourself. Your group's knowledge compounds instead of disappearing.
How it's different
WhatsApp is built for quick messaging between friends, not for organizing a community. Messages get buried, events are impossible to track, and there's no way to manage members or collect payments.
Heylo gives you a real community hub, not just a group chat. See who's active, track member growth, manage RSVPs, and reach your members by email when notifications get muted.
Heylo works for your whole group, including members who don't want to download a new app. Everyone can participate via email, web, or with the app.
Build a thriving, sustainable group
Everything you need to grow beyond the limits of a group chat.
Reach members beyond the app
If a member mutes your WhatsApp group, you lose them. There’s no way to reach inactive members, prospects, or anyone outside the app. Heylo lets you send email blasts directly from your chats, helping you reach everyone, no matter where they are.
Unlimited growth
No limits on group size, chat history, or message storage. WhatsApp caps groups at 1,024 members. On Heylo, your community can grow without restrictions.
Easy sharing tools
QR codes, links, email invites, and Instagram integrations make it easy for your members to promote your community for you. One-click joining with waivers and welcome messages.
Feature comparison
See how Heylo stacks up against WhatsApp for managing your community.
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Group messaging | ||
| Topic-based chats | ||
| Full chat history for new members | ||
| Searchable message history | Limited | |
| Event calendar | ||
| RSVPs & attendance tracking | ||
| Event chat | ||
| Email integration | ||
| Member directory with profiles | ||
| Member privacy (no phone number sharing) | ||
| Payment collection | ||
| Waiver collection | ||
| Photo albums | ||
| Member data export | ||
| Group size | Unlimited | 1,024 |
| Free for groups |
Leaders and members love Heylo
Your members are happier when you are well organized
★ 4.9 average rating on the App Store
0%
Chance of going back to WhatsApp
“There's no feature that WhatsApp could offer me to make me go back. From an organizational point of view, Heylo is a game-changer.”
Tasha Thompson
Black Girls Do Run UK
2 min
Onboarded whole group
“Onboarding my members to Heylo was super simple. I created a Heylo group and shared the link in our old Whatsapp chat. All my key members joined immediately. It took two minutes.”
Jenni Dubman
Nth Degree
100+
Members connecting independently
“Heylo made our members' lives better. It allowed people to connect without the leadership team. I love going into the chats and seeing someone going for a trail run and 3 to 4 people joining them.”
Josh Goldman
Electric Athletic Club
Yes. Unlike WhatsApp, new members get full access to your group’s history, events, and announcements. Nothing is lost.
No. Members join with an email or social login. Leaders can ask for a phone number during registration if they want, but it’s never required.
Yes. Announcements go out as push notifications and emails, so they reach members even if they’re not in the app. No reply-all chaos.
No. WhatsApp caps groups at 1,024 members. Heylo has no member limits on any plan.