Viato vs LoanOfficer.ai: "Free" Costs More Once You're Set Up
Viato markets itself as a free mortgage CRM. The base software is free, but support, phone service, iMessage texting and your loan origination system (LOS) connection are paid, and usage runs on prepaid tokens. Here's what a working setup costs on each platform.
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- $98.50 vs $146 per seat, per month
- $299 vs $596+ one-time setup
- ~$5,500 first-year savings, 5-person team
Short answer: LoanOfficer.ai costs less. A fully set-up Viato loan officer (LO PRO seat $49/mo + Viato Phone $97/mo + $297 setup + Arive $299) runs $146 per loan officer per month. LoanOfficer.ai is $197/mo for 2 seats (about $98.50 per seat), and its $299 one-time setup already includes white-glove onboarding plus LOS, lead-source, email and calendar integrations. A 5-person team saves about $5,500 in the first year.
First-year cost: LoanOfficer.ai vs a fully set-up Viato team
| Team size | Viato, fully set up* | LoanOfficer.ai | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 loan officers | $4,397 | $2,663 (Starter, 2 seats) | $1,734 |
| 5 loan officers | $10,544 | $5,063 (Team, 5 seats) | $5,481 |
| 10 loan officers | $20,789 | $8,663 (Brokerage, 10 seats) | $12,126 |
*Viato fully set up = LO PRO seat ($49/mo) + Viato Phone line ($97/mo, $297 setup per line) + one Arive connection ($299), for 12 months. LoanOfficer.ai = plan price for 12 months + $299 one-time setup. Texts, calls and AI usage are billed separately on both platforms and are not included. Viato pricing from Viato's in-app pricing and App Store screens, September 2026.
What's included vs what's extra
| Viato | LoanOfficer.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Free | $197/mo for 2 seats · $397/mo for 5 · $697/mo for 10 |
| Support | LO PRO seat: $49/mo per loan officer ($29 per support seat) | Included |
| Business phone line | Standard (Twilio): number + A2P registration billed monthly in tokens, texts & calls usage-based | Dialer included; calling & texting usage-based |
| iMessage (blue-bubble) texting | Viato Phone: $97/mo per line + $297 setup | Not offered (SMS with A2P registration) |
| LOS connection | Arive $299 or LendingPad $199 one-time, plus tokens per sync | Arive, LendingPad, Byte, Encompass: included in the $299 setup |
| Onboarding | Self-serve; LOS connected within 48 business hours after payment | White-glove setup included |
| AI assistant you can text | Super Agent (tasks run on tokens) | Built in: text it for check-ins, tasks and CRM actions, with MCP data access |
| Call recording | Yes | Yes |
| Group / team chat | Yes | Yes |
| Live training | Weekly office hours | Daily live training calls |
| Feature requests | Feature votes | Idea Board |
| Call-to-1003 export (MISMO 3.4) | $9.99/mo add-on | — |
| Usage | Prepaid tokens ($0.015 each) | Prepaid tokens |
Viato pricing from Viato's in-app pricing and App Store screens (Settings → Billing, App Store, phone setup), September 2026. Plans change; see something out of date? Tell us and we'll update this page.
Feature comparison
| Feature | LoanOfficer.ai | Viato |
|---|---|---|
| Built for mortgage? | ✓ Mortgage-first from day one | AI-first for mortgage |
| AI-powered follow-up | ✓ Autonomous AI trained on your voice | AI Super Agent + campaigns |
| LOS integrations (Encompass, Calyx, etc.) | ✓ Arive, LendingPad, Byte, Encompass + Zapier | Arive ($299) & LendingPad ($199), one-time + per-sync tokens |
| Power dialer | ✓ Included | Yes (usage-based) |
| Automated drip campaigns | ✓ AI-generated & pre-built | Email, SMS & iMessage campaigns |
| Property Pulse / equity monitoring | Add-on ($49/mo+) | Not offered |
| Realtor partnership tools | ✓ Included | Realtor reports & group texts |
| Borrower-facing website | Add-on ($99/mo) | Not offered |
| Mobile app | ✓ iOS + Android | Viato Phone app (iOS; Android via direct download) |
| Starting price | $197/mo for 2 seats | Free software; support $49/LO/mo; usage via tokens |
| Trial available? | $1 for 14-Day Trial | Free account |
Pricing comparison
| Tier | LoanOfficer.ai | Viato |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $197/mo — 2 seats included | Free software + tokens; LO PRO support $49/mo per LO |
| Team | $397/mo — 5 seats included; shared pipeline, AI, dialer, campaigns | $49 per LO seat, $29 per support seat |
| Brokerage | $697/mo — 10 seats included | $49 per LO seat, $29 per support seat |
| Enterprise | Custom (10+ seats) — no admin required | Viato: enterprise contract |
| Trial | $1 for 14-Day Trial | Free account (self-serve) |
| Onboarding | $299 one-time white-glove setup | Self-serve; LOS setup $199–$299 |
Where Viato is strong
- Free software to get started
- iMessage texting from your own number (Viato Phone)
- AI "Super Agent" with scheduled jobs
- Generate a Fannie Mae 3.4 file from a recorded call (add-on)
- Fast release pace
Where LoanOfficer.ai pulls ahead
One price, set up for you
Onboarding, support and your LOS connection are included in the plan and the $299 setup, not sold one by one.
More LOS options
Two-way with Arive, LendingPad, Byte and Encompass, plus managed Zapier.
Property Pulse
Equity, rate, PMI and refi monitoring across 150M+ homes, with AI outreach triggered automatically (add-on).
Branded websites
Loan officer websites built for lead capture (add-on).
Realtor partner portal
Co-branded portal where agents see live pre-approval status.
Native iOS and Android apps
Both in the official app stores.
AI that answers every lead in under 60 seconds
24/7, trained on your voice.
An AI assistant you can text
Text your LoanOfficer.ai AI assistant to run check-ins, create tasks and work your CRM, with MCP connections that give it deep access to your pipeline and data.
Call recording
Calls are recorded and saved to the contact record.
Group chat
Team and group conversations built in.
Daily live training calls
Live training calls daily, not just a weekly office hour.
Idea Board
Customers submit and vote on the features we build next.
FAQ
Is Viato really free?
The Viato software is free. Support is $49 per loan officer per month, texts, calls, AI and LOS syncs are paid with prepaid tokens, iMessage through Viato Phone is $97/mo plus a $297 setup, and connecting Arive ($299) or LendingPad ($199) is a one-time fee.
Is LoanOfficer.ai cheaper than Viato?
Yes, for a fully set-up team. A Viato loan officer with an LO PRO seat, Viato Phone and Arive runs $146 per month plus $596 in setup fees. LoanOfficer.ai is $197/mo for 2 seats, $397/mo for 5 or $697/mo for 10, plus one $299 setup that includes onboarding and integrations. A 5-person team saves about $5,500 in the first year. Usage is billed separately on both.
Does Viato connect to my LOS?
Viato offers Arive ($299 one-time) and LendingPad ($199 one-time) integrations, with tokens charged per sync. LoanOfficer.ai connects Arive, LendingPad, Byte and Encompass as part of its $299 setup.
Can I switch from Viato to LoanOfficer.ai?
Yes. Our onboarding team migrates your contacts, tags and pipelines and rebuilds your AI follow-up, usually within a week.
Does LoanOfficer.ai integrate with Encompass?
Yes. LoanOfficer.ai integrates with Encompass, Arive, LendingPad and Byte, and managed Zapier connects thousands of other apps.
Related pages
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