Ads speak first. We answer people who have already asked
Targeted ads and zapyt.io do different jobs. Below are eight criteria, including the ones where ads are stronger: reach, and businesses nobody is asking about yet.
Any plan · no card · on day 8 you decide
Sometimes ads are the smarter choice. Here's when
Go with ads if
- nobody asks about your product yet, so people need to see it first
- you need reach and awareness, not just conversations with people already looking
- you have a budget for testing and someone who knows how to run the tests
- few people in your line of business ask for recommendations, and you need to grow faster than that
Go with zapyt.io if
- people in your line of business ask for recommendations on Threads or Telegram
- you want conversations with people who are already choosing, not impressions
- you want to know the monthly cost up front: $99, $149 or $199
- you're ready to go through cards every day and approve each reply yourself
On reach, ads are ahead, and there's no point arguing
You won't find ad prices here: they depend on the business, the city and the auction, and we have no reliable data to compare. We compare how each approach works.
| Criterion | zapyt.io | Targeted ads | Stronger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who starts the conversation | The person: they wrote the post and are asking for a recommendation. You answer their question. | You: the ad reaches someone who hasn't asked anything. | zapyt.io |
| What the person wants right now | They're already looking and choosing: asking where to go, comparing, asking about prices. | They're scrolling. Interest still has to be sparked, and an ad is easy to scroll past. | zapyt.io |
| How predictable the cost is | A fixed monthly price: $99, $149 or $199 for up to 100, 200 or 300 leads. No lock-in, cancel any time. | A budget for impressions or clicks, plus a specialist's work or your own time. How many enquiries it brings is unknown up front. | zapyt.io |
| Reach | As many people as ask for recommendations in your line of business on Threads or Telegram. We can't find more people than are asking. | As many people as your budget allows, across different platforms. | ads |
| A business nobody asks about yet | If people rarely ask for what you offer, there will be few leads. We'll tell you before you pay. | Can put a new product in front of people who don't know it exists. | ads |
| Time to the first conversations | We usually set up the search within a working day, and the first cards often arrive the next day. | Creatives, copy and audiences come first. Once it's live, impressions start straight away; enquiries depend on how the ad performs. | even |
| What it takes from you | Going through cards every day, picking a reply and approving it. Nothing goes out without you. | Signing off creatives and budget, then watching results and replacing ads that don't work. | even |
| Risks | We work through your account, so we protect it with a human pace and limits. Nobody can honestly guarantee a platform will never restrict an account. | Spending the budget on an ad or an audience that didn't work. Money spent on impressions doesn't come back. | even |
Comparison as of September 2026
First, check whether people already ask for what you do
It's not either-or: ads are for people who aren't looking yet, zapyt.io is for people who are already asking. In 7 days you'll see how many of them there are in your line of business. If there are few, we'll say so, and then ads are the smarter move.
Any plan · no card · on day 8 you decide
scroll sideways