respond.io
Best for: A shared team inbox with CRM-style contact records
A team inbox that pulls WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email and web chat into one place, with contact records, assignment rules, workflows and AI agents. It states plainly that it adds nothing to Meta's message fees.
- Starts at
- Starter $79 a month, billed yearly; 5 users included
- Free trial
- 7 days, no credit card
- Message fees
- Meta's fees, passed on without a markup (vendor's statement)
- Meta status
- States it is an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, and supports coexistence with the Business app
Good at
- Assignment, internal notes and reporting per agent
- Workflows and AI agents from the Growth plan
- Users are included in the plan price rather than charged per seat
Check before you pay
- The Starter plan has no broadcasts, workflows or AI agents; those start at Growth ($159 a month, billed yearly)
- Growth and Advanced are priced on monthly active contacts, with overage per 100 contacts
Visit respond.io
Prices read on respond.io's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
WATI
Best for: Small teams that want inbox, broadcasts and a bot in one WhatsApp-first tool
One of the best-known WhatsApp-first platforms: shared inbox, broadcast campaigns, a no-code chatbot builder and shop integrations, sold as flat plans with users included.
- Starts at
- Growth $59 a month billed annually, or $69 monthly; 3 users included
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Message fees
- Extra and prepaid, from WATI's own rate card; WATI does not publish how it compares with Meta's
- Meta status
- Shows Meta partner badges and offers the official WhatsApp API
Good at
- Quick to set up for a first WhatsApp API number
- Broadcasts and automation triggers included from the entry plan
- Flat plan pricing with several users included
Check before you pay
- Ask for the message rate card before you commit; it is only shown after login
- The Growth plan has no webhooks and caps broadcasts and automation triggers per month
- No refunds, according to its pricing page
Visit WATI
Prices read on WATI's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
ManyChat
Best for: Chatbots and marketing flows across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
A chat-marketing platform with a visual flow builder, popular with creators and small online businesses. WhatsApp is available from the Pro plan, which is priced on the number of active contacts.
- Starts at
- Pro $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly; up to 2,500 active contacts
- Free trial
- 14 days on Pro
- Message fees
- Extra, from a prepaid wallet; ManyChat's published rates were about 15% above Meta's list rates when we compared the two rate cards
Good at
- The most approachable flow builder in this list
- One bot logic across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
- Low entry price for small contact lists
Check before you pay
- The Free and Essential plans do not include WhatsApp
- Price rises with active contacts, and extra inbox seats are charged
- Built for flows and campaigns; the team inbox is basic
Visit ManyChat
Prices read on ManyChat's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
SleekFlow
Best for: Sales-led teams that sell through chat on several channels
An omnichannel inbox with flow automation, broadcasts and in-chat payment links, aimed at businesses where conversations are the sales pipeline.
- Starts at
- Pro US$109 a month, billed yearly; 10 users included; plus US$15 a month number hosting
- Free trial
- 7 days, no credit card
- Message fees
- Extra, per SleekFlow's rate card; about 15% above Meta's list rates when we compared the two
- Meta status
- States it is an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
Good at
- Ten users in the entry plan
- Strong on sales features: payment links, catalogs, lead routing
- Connects to Salesforce, HubSpot and Shopify
Check before you pay
- Plans are capped on monthly active contacts (500 on Pro), with automatic overage
- A number hosting fee is charged on top of the plan
- Live human support starts at the Premium plan
Visit SleekFlow
Prices read on SleekFlow's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
Chatfuel
Best for: A first WhatsApp chatbot without a developer
A long-standing no-code bot builder that now leads with WhatsApp: flows, AI replies, reminders and a simple shared inbox.
- Starts at
- Business plan, list price US$69 a month; a yearly promotion at US$18 a month was running when we checked
- Free trial
- Free trial on every plan, no credit card
- Message fees
- Not published
- Meta status
- States it is an official Meta Partner and WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
Good at
- Fast route from sign-up to a working bot
- Templates for bookings, lead capture and FAQs
- Low entry price
Check before you pay
- Check the current price; promotions change it often
- Ask how Meta's message fees are billed; the pricing page does not say
- Lighter on team inbox and CRM features
Visit Chatfuel
Prices read on Chatfuel's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
Kommo
Best for: A sales CRM built around messaging
A pipeline CRM (formerly amoCRM) where every lead is a chat. WhatsApp is included on every paid plan, and Meta's message fees are paid to Meta directly rather than through Kommo.
- Starts at
- Base $25 per user a month, billed $150 per user for 6 months
- Free trial
- 14 days, no credit card
- Message fees
- Paid to Meta directly, not through Kommo
- Meta status
- Shows a Meta Business Partner badge
Good at
- Real sales pipeline with stages, tasks and a bot builder
- WhatsApp included from the cheapest plan
- Per-user pricing suits very small teams
Check before you pay
- Minimum subscription is six months, paid up front
- Per-user pricing gets expensive as the team grows
- The Base plan is limited to one WhatsApp number
Visit Kommo
Prices read on Kommo's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
HubSpot
Best for: Businesses that already run on HubSpot
HubSpot connects a WhatsApp Business account to its shared inbox so chats land on the contact's timeline next to email, calls and deals. It is a CRM with a WhatsApp channel, not a WhatsApp tool.
- Starts at
- Service Hub Professional from $90 per seat a month on annual commitment ($100 monthly), plus a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee
- Free trial
- 14 days, no credit card
- Message fees
- Not published
Good at
- WhatsApp inside a full CRM, with reporting and workflows
- No second tool when HubSpot is already the system of record
Check before you pay
- WhatsApp needs a Professional or Enterprise plan of Marketing Hub or Service Hub; the free CRM does not include it
- A limit of 1,000 template messages a month is shared by all connected WhatsApp accounts
- By far the highest entry cost if WhatsApp is the only reason to buy
Visit HubSpot
Prices read on HubSpot's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
HighLevel
Best for: Agencies and local businesses that want CRM, funnels and messaging in one
An all-in-one marketing CRM widely used by agencies in North America. WhatsApp is an add-on to a platform that also does funnels, email, SMS, calendars and reviews.
- Starts at
- Starter $97 a month, plus a $10 a month WhatsApp add-on per sub-account
- Free trial
- 14 days; billing starts automatically afterwards
- Message fees
- Extra; HighLevel says it removes its 5% processing fee on WhatsApp messages from 1 October 2026
Good at
- Unlimited users and contacts on every plan
- Replaces several tools if you also need funnels, SMS and booking
Check before you pay
- WhatsApp is one feature among many, not the centre of the product
- A large platform to learn if you only need a WhatsApp inbox
Visit HighLevel
Prices read on HighLevel's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
Trengo
Best for: European support teams with many channels
A European omnichannel inbox: WhatsApp, email, live chat, voice and social in one team inbox, with automation and AI on top. Plans come as bundles of users and conversations.
- Starts at
- Boost €299 a month billed annually (€349 monthly); 10 users and 500 conversations a month
- Free trial
- 7 days, no credit card
- Message fees
- WhatsApp templates are charged per use
- Meta status
- Shows WhatsApp Business Partner and Meta Business Partner badges
Good at
- Ten users in the entry plan
- European company and hosting
- Mature inbox: rules, teams, reporting
Check before you pay
- The highest entry price among the inbox tools here
- Plans are capped by conversations; extra conversations and AI are charged separately
Visit Trengo
Prices read on Trengo's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
Zoko
Best for: Shopify stores
WhatsApp built for Shopify: cart recovery, order updates, broadcasts and a shared inbox that shows the customer's orders next to the chat.
- Starts at
- Starter $49.99 a month, unlimited agents, no contract
- Free trial
- 7 days, no credit card
- Message fees
- Extra; the Starter plan adds $0.015 per conversation, the Plus plan includes 5,000 conversations without a markup
- Meta status
- States it is an official Meta Business Partner
Good at
- Deep Shopify integration out of the box
- Unlimited agents on the entry plan
- Prints its markup on the pricing page
Check before you pay
- Of little use outside Shopify
- Instagram is a paid extra
Visit Zoko
Prices read on Zoko's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
AiSensy
Best for: Low-cost broadcasts, especially for businesses messaging India
A WhatsApp marketing platform with broadcasts, a shared inbox and click-to-WhatsApp ad tools, priced low and strongest in the Indian market.
- Starts at
- Basic $45 a month; owner plus 5 agents included
- Free trial
- 14 days, and a free plan without broadcasts
- Message fees
- Extra, from prepaid credits at AiSensy's own rates; on Indian numbers about a quarter above Meta's list rates when we compared
- Meta status
- States it is an official WhatsApp Business Solution Partner
Good at
- Cheap way to start sending approved broadcasts
- Free plan for trying the inbox
Check before you pay
- Chatbot flows ($80 a month) and the AI agent ($50 a month) are paid add-ons on top of any plan
- Message credits carry a markup
- Support and pricing are centred on India
Visit AiSensy
Prices read on AiSensy's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
Twilio
Best for: Developers who want WhatsApp next to SMS and voice in one API
A communications API. There is no inbox and no bot builder: your developers build on it, and you pay per message with no subscription.
- Starts at
- No subscription; $0.005 per WhatsApp message, sent or received
- Free trial
- Free trial, no credit card
- Message fees
- Meta's fees passed through, plus Twilio's $0.005 per message
Good at
- Pay only for what you send
- One API and one bill for WhatsApp, SMS, voice and email
- Excellent documentation
Check before you pay
- You build everything yourself, including the agent inbox
- The per-message fee also applies to messages you receive
Visit Twilio
Prices read on Twilio's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.
360dialog
Best for: Plain API access at a fixed monthly price, without a message markup
A Meta partner that sells access to the WhatsApp Business Platform per phone number. Many other tools use it under the hood; you can also connect it to your own software.
- Starts at
- Regular €49 per number a month
- Free trial
- Not published
- Message fees
- Meta's fees with zero markup (vendor's statement)
- Meta status
- States it is an official Meta Partner
Good at
- Fixed fee and no markup, so costs are predictable at volume
- Works with many third-party inboxes and CRMs
Check before you pay
- The Regular plan is API access only; inbox and campaign tools start at Premium (€99)
- Each phone number needs its own licence
Visit 360dialog
Prices read on 360dialog's own pricing page on 18 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; the vendor's page is the one that counts.