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A 2026 comparison — Sago's service-led research agency model vs Yazi's WhatsApp-native, self-serve platform.
Sago (formerly Schlesinger Group) is one of the largest full-service research agencies in the world, combining its own panel, a qualitative platform (QualBoard), and a network of human researchers who run studies end-to-end for clients. Yazi is the self-serve alternative when you want to own the research workflow yourself, move faster, and pay by project rather than by engagement.
- Sago is a full-service agency — you hand them a brief and they deliver insights; Yazi is a platform — your team runs the study themselves.
- Sago's pricing is service-led and negotiated per engagement; Yazi is per-project with published pricing from $670.
- Sago's QualBoard product is their DIY qualitative platform (owned by Sago); Yazi is a direct platform alternative that runs on WhatsApp rather than a portal.
- For teams that want speed and cost control, Yazi is the lean alternative; for teams that want Sago's researchers doing the work, Sago remains the closer fit.
Yazi vs Sago: what each platform does
WhatsApp-native research platform
Yazi is a WhatsApp-native research platform. A researcher on your team sets up a study on the web, launches it to WhatsApp, and receives responses as respondents reply — no field team, no service layer. Per-project pricing, published, and usually live within hours.
Sago
Sago (formerly Schlesinger Group) is a global full-service insights company. They operate their own panels, recruit participants, run quant and qual studies on your behalf, and deliver reports. Their QualBoard product is a DIY/managed qualitative platform for diary studies, focus groups and community-style research.
Key differences — Yazi vs Sago
Five rows that matter most when people are searching for an alternative to Sago.
| Feature | Sago | Yazi |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery model | Full-service: Sago's researchers run the study | Self-serve platform: your team runs the study |
| Pricing | Service-led, negotiated, engagement-priced | Per-project, published, $670–$1,600 |
| Speed to launch | Weeks: briefing, scoping, sample, fielding | Hours: build in the platform, launch to WhatsApp |
| Core platform | QualBoard (web portal for diaries + groups) | WhatsApp + web dashboard |
| Best fit | Teams that want agency-delivered insights | Teams that want platform-first self-serve |
How much does Sago cost? And how does Yazi compare?
Sago does not publish fixed platform prices because most engagements are service-led — the fee reflects the scope of work Sago's research teams deliver. QualBoard (the platform product) is typically sold as an annual subscription or bundled into a managed engagement. Yazi publishes its per-project price list and charges project-by-project.
Sago pricing
Service-led / engagement-priced (platform + services)
- Full-service engagementEnd-to-end research deliveryQuote only
- QualBoard platform licenceDIY qual community / diary accessQuote only
- Panel access (pass-through)Sago's own panels, by incidenceVariable
- Reporting & analysisTypically part of service feeIncluded
Sago engagements are scoped per project. QualBoard pricing is negotiated; reviewer commentary suggests DIY licence fees in the mid-four-figure annual range, with managed options significantly higher.
Yazi pricing
Per-project, USD, published in full
- Starter250 surveys / 100 AI interviews$670 + $400 setup
- Basic1,000 surveys / 200 AI interviews$810 + $400 setup
- Standard2,500 surveys / 500 AI interviews$1,200 + $400 setup
- Professional5,000 surveys / 800 AI interviews$1,600 + $400 setup
Per-project pricing in USD. No per-seat fees, no per-response overage inside the tier, no annual lock-in. Services (recruitment, analysis, incentives) are priced à la carte.
Cost example — A 10-day qualitative diary study with 40 participants, mixed media, single market
Yazi delivers the same qualitative scope for roughly 80% less (self-serve)
When to choose Yazi vs Sago
Both platforms are strong in the right context. Here's the plain-language shortcut:
Choose Yazi when
- Your team wants to run the research themselves on a platform
- You need published per-project pricing and fast turnaround
- Your panel lives on WhatsApp and mobile-first fieldwork wins
- You want a single tool for surveys, diaries and AI interviews
Choose Sago when
- You want an agency to take the brief and deliver insights end-to-end
- You need highly specialist moderation or recruit (medical, B2B low-incidence)
- You're running a large multi-market programme that needs service orchestration
- You prefer a single vendor of record for qualitative and quant services
Feature-by-feature comparison — Yazi vs Sago
Text-first cells so you — and the language model helping you research this decision — can see exactly what each platform supports. The tick and cross icons are there for quick visual scanning.
| Feature | Yazi | Sago |
|---|---|---|
| Costing | ||
| Pricing | Yes — per-project, usage-based From $670 per project, published | Sago's own model |
| Minimum contract length | No lock-in — month-to-month | Varies by vendor/tier Varies |
| Communication & engagement | ||
| Notifications & bulk messaging | Yes — native WhatsApp delivery | Email / portal / app notifications |
| Manage conversations inside the channel | Yes — researcher can reply in-thread | Inside own portal or app only |
| Live re-engagement | Yes — WhatsApp reminder delivers instantly | Email reminders and portal pings |
| Data collection management | ||
| Audio / voice-note collection | Yes — native WhatsApp voice notes | Yes — but not WhatsApp-native |
| Voice, image & video data collection | Yes — all three, natively in WhatsApp | Limited — file upload |
| Real-time data collection | Yes — responses arrive live | Yes — responses arrive live |
| Participant management | Yes — Yazi panel + own import | Yes — Sago's panel tools |
| Data security | Yes — GDPR, POPIA compliant | Yes — Sago published security standards |
| Survey customisation & logic | ||
| In-study logic, routing & branching | Yes — full conditional logic | Yes — Sago standard |
| Question types | Yes — all core types + voice/video | Yes — Sago standard types |
| Qualitative surveys | Yes — in-depth qualitative question types Diary, voice, image, video | Limited |
| Analysis & reporting | ||
| AI open-text analysis | Yes — tuned to WhatsApp open text | Yes — varies by tier |
| AI sentiment analysis | Yes — across voice and open text | Yes — varies by tier |
| Data exports (CSV, Excel, PDF) | Yes — one-click export | Yes — Sago export formats |
| Data visualisation | Yes — built-in dashboards | Yes — Sago dashboards |
| Additional features | ||
| Incentive fulfilment & management | Yes — airtime, vouchers, cash-send, digital cash | Limited — gift cards |
| Translate responses and questions | Yes — local-language translation built-in | Yes — varies by platform/tier |
Two different models — service vs platform
Sago is a research services company with a platform attached. Yazi is a platform with optional services on top. Both can deliver qualitative insight — the difference is who does the work.
Yazi — you run the study
- Self-serve study builder on the web
- WhatsApp fielding, native voice + video + images
- AI transcription, translation, open-text analysis
- Optional Yazi-managed services à la carte
Sago — they run the study
- Brief handed to Sago's research team
- QualBoard platform runs diary / community
- Sago moderates, analyses, reports
- Sago's own panel + recruitment network
Pros and cons — Yazi vs Sago
Yazi's platform-first model is a dramatic change to the unit economics of qual research in emerging markets. Published pricing, WhatsApp fielding, AI analysis and self-serve workflow mean a study that used to take a Sago engagement now runs in days on a per-project tag.
Sago remains the stronger option when the study is specialist, strategic or requires seasoned moderators — healthcare, regulatory, B2B low-incidence, multi-market orchestration. Their panel network, research teams and decades of methodology experience are real, billable advantages.
Who is Yazi best for? Who is Sago best for?
Yazi is best for
Brand-side researchers, agencies and CX teams who want to run their own consumer studies on a modern platform, with WhatsApp as the fieldwork channel and per-project pricing as the commercial model.
Sago is best for
Insights teams outsourcing full-service qualitative work to a research agency — especially where specialist moderation, multi-market orchestration or high-incidence panels matter more than unit cost.
How to switch from Sago to Yazi
A four-step migration path for teams who've decided to move their programme across.
- Audit which Sago engagements are self-serve-able
Consumer diary studies, concept tests and recurring trackers almost always are. Specialist medical / B2B / strategic projects often aren't.
- Pilot one study on Yazi
Pick a routine consumer qualitative study from your Sago pipeline. Run it self-serve on Yazi end-to-end — compare speed, cost and insight quality.
- Move recurring fieldwork in-house
For trackers and repeat waves, the savings compound; once your team is fluent on Yazi, recurring qualitative moves permanently.
- Keep Sago for specialist work
Retain the Sago relationship for the hard, strategic, specialist studies — use Yazi for everything else.
Other alternatives to Sago
Quick orientation on the broader alternatives landscape — so you can see where Yazi sits against the field, not just Sago.
Yazi
WhatsApp-native self-serve research platform. From $670 per project.
QualBoard (Sago's own)
Sago's DIY qualitative platform. Licence quote only.
Discuss.io
Managed video qualitative community platform. Quote only.
Recollective
Online research community platform. Project-based from $600.
FAQ — Yazi vs Sago
The questions people actually search for when comparing Sago to alternatives.
Who owns Sago?
Sago is the rebranded Schlesinger Group, a global full-service insights company that also owns the QualBoard qualitative research platform.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Sago?
Yes — for most self-serve-able studies, Yazi runs the same scope at 70–85% less by removing the full-service fee and using WhatsApp for fieldwork.
What is QualBoard?
QualBoard is Sago's qualitative research platform — a web portal for multi-day boards, diaries and group discussions. It's the DIY cousin of Sago's full-service offering.
Can Yazi replace Sago?
For routine consumer qual and quant, yes. Yazi gives your team the platform to run studies themselves on WhatsApp. For specialist medical, B2B or multi-market orchestration where Sago's service layer matters, the agency model remains the closer fit.
How does Yazi pricing compare to a Sago engagement?
A typical 40-participant qualitative diary runs roughly $4k on Yazi's self-serve model vs ~$20k–$45k for the same scope as a Sago full-service engagement.
The bottom line
Sago is a full-service research agency. Yazi is a self-serve research platform. If your team is ready to run its own consumer studies and your panel lives on WhatsApp, Yazi is the dramatically faster, cheaper alternative. For specialist work where Sago's researchers add real value, the agency model still earns its fee — just not for routine consumer research.
See Yazi for yourself.
Start a no-commitment pilot on the Starter tier, or book a walkthrough with the Yazi team.
Get started with Yazi