Interakt suits price-conscious Indian SMBs best. It has a free Starter plan, rupee plans from ₹2,799/month and published per-message rates. AiSensy runs on prepaid billing with unlimited users and low-cost chatbot and AI add-ons, which suits broadcast-heavy marketing. WATI has the strongest global and multi-number setup, with a ₹999 pay-as-you-go entry plan, and fits teams that need advanced chatbots and more support.
All three are official WhatsApp Business API providers. Your real bill is the platform fee plus Meta's per-message charges, so compare both. The details below come from each vendor's official pricing page, fetched in September 2026.
First, how WhatsApp Business API pricing works
The WhatsApp Business app is free but limited to a few devices and manual work. The WhatsApp Business API lets you run broadcasts, chatbots and a shared team inbox, but you need a provider such as WATI, Interakt or AiSensy to use it.
You pay in two parts:
- The platform subscription for the provider's inbox, broadcast tool, chatbots and integrations.
- Message charges per template message, which vary by category:
- Marketing (offers, promotions) costs the most.
- Utility (order updates, reminders) costs much less.
- Authentication (OTPs) costs the least.
- Service (replies within the 24-hour customer service window) is free on all three platforms' pricing pages.
Providers may add a small markup on Meta's rates. That's why the per-message prices below differ slightly between vendors.
How to choose a WhatsApp Business API tool
- Mostly broadcasts? Compare marketing message rates. A few paise per message becomes real money at 1 lakh messages.
- Mostly support? Look at the shared inbox, agent limits and auto-assignment.
- Need lead qualification? Check the chatbot builder and AI agent add-ons.
- Using a CRM already? Check native integrations with Zoho CRM, HubSpot or your store platform.
- Large team? Agent or user limits can outweigh the base price.
- Billing preference? Prepaid wallets suit tight budgets; subscriptions suit predictable use.
WATI vs Interakt vs AiSensy: comparison table
| WATI | Interakt | AiSensy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry option | ₹999 one-time pay-as-you-go (single user, ₹999 message credits, 3-month validity) | Starter plan free | ₹50 starter credits on signup |
| Main plans | Growth, Pro, Business | Starter, Growth ₹2,799/mo, Advanced ₹3,799/mo, Enterprise on request | Unlimited Users plan (monthly, quarterly 5% off, yearly 10% off) |
| Users / agents | Growth 3; Pro and Business 5 included, extra users charged in USD | Unlimited agents on all plans | Unlimited users |
| Marketing message (India) | Varies by country and type (see vendor) | ₹0.970 Starter to ₹0.949 Advanced | ₹1.09 |
| Utility message (India) | See vendor | ₹0.160 Starter to ₹0.140 Advanced | ₹0.145 |
| Chatbots | Chatbot builder on all plans; advanced bots on Pro | Basic on Growth; branching bots on Advanced | Drag-and-drop builder add-on ₹2,500/mo |
| AI agents | Business plan, AI Co-pilot credits | ₹3,000/mo add-on (Growth/Advanced) | ₹1,350/mo add-on (1,000 AI messages) |
| CRM | Contact management | Sales CRM add-on ₹2,499/mo (5 agents) | Contact management |
| Billing | Subscription + conversation charges | Monthly subscription + message charges | Prepaid |
WATI in detail
WATI's pricing page offers a ₹999 one-time pay-as-you-go plan for a single user. It includes ₹999 in message credits (about 500 messages) and is valid for 3 months, which is useful for trying the API. Subscription tiers are Growth (3 users, 15,000 broadcasts a month, 1,000 free automation triggers), Pro (5 users, advanced chatbots, lead qualification, unlimited broadcasts, 2,000 triggers) and Business (5 users, AI agents, multiple numbers, dedicated success manager, 5,000 triggers).
Every plan includes a shared team inbox, chatbot builder, APIs, broadcast management, WhatsApp catalogue and template submission. Extra users are priced in USD ($24 on Pro, $69 on Business), so costs rise quickly for large Indian teams.
Choose WATI if: you sell across countries, need multiple numbers or want a dedicated success manager.
Interakt in detail
Interakt's pricing is the most transparent of the three for Indian buyers:
- Starter (free): unlimited owner-role agents, a single WhatsApp or Instagram channel, marketing messages at ₹0.970.
- Growth (₹2,799/month + taxes): WhatsApp and Instagram, advanced campaigns, catalogues, basic chatbot, marketing messages at ₹0.958.
- Advanced (₹3,799/month + taxes): branching chatbots, auto-assignment, AnswerBot, marketing messages at ₹0.949 and utility at ₹0.140.
- Enterprise (on request): no markup charges, RCS, a dedicated account manager.
Add-ons include a Sales CRM at ₹2,499/month (5 agents, ₹499 per extra agent) and WhatsApp AI Agents at ₹3,000/month. Interakt is also listed separately as Interakt CRM.
Choose Interakt if: you're an Indian SMB or D2C brand that wants predictable rupee pricing, unlimited agents and Instagram in the same inbox.
AiSensy in detail
AiSensy's pricing page is built around an Unlimited Users plan with monthly, quarterly (5% saving) or yearly (10% saving) billing. The base plan price wasn't clearly displayed when we checked, so confirm it on the vendor site. Published add-ons include:
- Chatbot builder: ₹2,500/month (₹2,250/month billed yearly), 5 chatbots.
- AI Agent builder: ₹1,350/month (₹1,215 yearly), 1,000 AI messages a month.
- Indian virtual number: ₹2,000 + GST a year.
AiSensy lists India rates of ₹1.09 per marketing message and ₹0.145 per utility or authentication message. Service conversations are free. Billing is prepaid, starting with ₹50 in credits.
Choose AiSensy if: you run frequent broadcasts with a large team and want prepaid control over spend.
Cost example: 20,000 marketing messages a month
Using the published India marketing rates only (platform fees and taxes excluded):
| Provider | Rate per marketing message | 20,000 messages |
|---|---|---|
| Interakt Growth | ₹0.958 | ₹19,160 |
| Interakt Advanced | ₹0.949 | ₹18,980 |
| AiSensy | ₹1.09 | ₹21,800 |
| WATI | Varies; see vendor | Check with vendor |
At this volume, message charges outweigh the subscription. Add the platform fee to get the full picture.
Alternatives worth a look
- Gallabox: WhatsApp inbox and bots with CRM features.
- Gupshup WhatsApp: enterprise-grade messaging infrastructure.
- Freshchat WhatsApp: for teams already on Freshworks.
- Zoho SalesIQ WhatsApp: for Zoho users.
Browse the full WhatsApp automation category, or see industry guides for restaurants, salons and spas and real estate.
FAQ
Which is better, WATI or Interakt?
For most Indian SMBs, Interakt is easier to budget: it has a free Starter plan, rupee plans from ₹2,799/month and unlimited agents. WATI is stronger for multi-country use, multiple numbers and a dedicated success manager on its Business plan.
Is AiSensy cheaper than Interakt?
It depends on your mix. AiSensy includes unlimited users and has cheaper AI agent add-ons, but its published marketing message rate (₹1.09) is higher than Interakt's (₹0.949 to ₹0.970). Heavy broadcasters should model message costs first.
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in India?
You pay a provider subscription (free to a few thousand rupees a month) plus per-message charges. Published India rates are about ₹0.95 to ₹1.09 per marketing message and ₹0.14 to ₹0.16 per utility message. Service replies within 24 hours are free.
Do I need a website or GST to get the WhatsApp Business API?
Meta requires business verification. Providers guide you through it, and most ask for business documents and a website. Check the current requirements with your chosen provider.
Can I use the WhatsApp Business app and API on the same number?
Generally, a number moved to the API through these providers can no longer be used in the regular WhatsApp Business app in the usual way. Many businesses use a new number for the API. Confirm the current migration options with the provider before you switch.
Which tool is best for WhatsApp chatbots?
Interakt Advanced includes branching chatbots. WATI Pro adds advanced chatbots and lead qualification. AiSensy sells a drag-and-drop builder add-on. For standalone bots, see chatbot software.
