How to Read Any WhatsApp Provider Comparison
Every provider in India sends messages through the same Meta infrastructure at the same Meta rates. That has one important consequence: providers do not compete on message delivery, they compete on software, support, and how honestly they pass through Meta's charges.
So before the list, four things decide whether you will be happy in a year — and none of them appear on a features grid:
- Markup on Meta's conversation rates. Some providers pass Meta's charges through at cost; others add a margin, sometimes undisclosed. This is where "free" plans usually make their money.
- Who owns the WhatsApp Business Account. It must be your business. If the provider owns the WABA, you cannot leave without losing your number and history.
- Seat and conversation limits on the tier you would really buy. Headline prices are usually for a tier nobody uses.
- Export. Test getting your contacts and conversation history out during the trial, not when you want to leave.
All prices below are at the time of writing and move often — verify current pricing before deciding.
The Providers
Tenreply — omnichannel inbox, self-serve, free during beta
WhatsApp Business API plus Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger and website live chat in one shared inbox, with automation flows, deal-pipeline CRM, broadcasts, template management, analytics, and a full REST API with webhooks and Zapier, n8n and Make integrations. Official Meta Business Partner.
Pricing: the platform is free while Tenreply is in beta — unlimited seats, no conversation metering, no credit card. This is beta pricing, not a permanent free tier: paid plans arrive at general availability with advance notice, and there is no card on file so nothing charges automatically. Meta's conversation charges are separate and passed through.
Suits: small and mid-sized teams wanting more than one channel and a real inbox. Weakest for: enterprises needing signed long-term contracts and dedicated account management today.
AiSensy — budget broadcast marketing
Around ₹999–1,999 per month at the lower tiers. Popular with Indian SMBs for campaign sending; strong broadcast and template tooling, self-serve signup.
Suits: marketing-led WhatsApp use on a tight budget. Weakest for: multi-agent support operations — seat limits bite early.
Interakt — Shopify and D2C commerce
From roughly ₹999 per month. Owned by Jio Haptik. Good commerce integrations, catalog and order flows.
Suits: D2C and Shopify stores. Weakest for: teams needing depth outside commerce; lower tiers are restrictive.
Wati — most mature SMB platform
From around 49 dollars per month. Extensive documentation, large user base, solid shared inbox and automation.
Suits: teams who value maturity and support material. Weakest for: price-sensitive buyers — the most expensive in the SMB group, with a short trial. See Wati alternatives.
Gallabox — sales-team oriented
Mid-market Indian platform with decent CRM features and WhatsApp commerce support.
Suits: sales teams working leads over WhatsApp. Weakest for: heavy support ticketing workflows.
Gupshup — enterprise volume
One of India's largest providers. Competitive rates at scale, broad channel support, enterprise onboarding.
Suits: high-volume enterprise messaging. Weakest for: small teams — minimums, sales-led onboarding, and support proportional to spend. See Gupshup alternatives.
360dialog — cheapest official access, no application layer
Flat monthly fee per number instead of per-message markup, which is frequently cheapest at volume. Deliberately minimal.
Suits: teams with their own front end. Weakest for: anyone who needs an inbox — there is not one.
Meta Cloud API directly — zero provider markup
Pay Meta only. You own Business verification, app setup, template submission, webhook infrastructure and quality monitoring.
Suits: engineering-led teams. Weakest for: everyone else — read what a BSP actually does before choosing this.
Quick Selection Guide
- Multiple channels, small team, want an inbox: Tenreply
- Cheap broadcast marketing: AiSensy
- Shopify / D2C: Interakt
- Maturity and documentation: Wati
- WhatsApp sales pipeline: Gallabox
- Enterprise volume: Gupshup
- Own front end, lowest cost: 360dialog or Meta Cloud API
The Meta Cost Nobody Can Discount
Meta bills per conversation by country and category — marketing, utility, authentication and service are priced differently, and India has its own rate card. Every business account gets 1,000 free service conversations per month. No provider can change these rates; they can only mark them up.
Estimate your actual Meta spend with the conversation calculator before comparing subscriptions — for many businesses the Meta side is larger than the software side, which changes which "cheap" option is genuinely cheapest. Full detail in our India pricing breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which WhatsApp API provider is cheapest in India?
For software cost at low volume, providers with free or sub-₹1,000 tiers. For total cost at high volume, flat-fee access like 360dialog or direct Cloud API usually wins, because per-message markup dominates once volume is large. Compute both at your real numbers.
Do I need to be a registered business?
Yes. WhatsApp Business API requires a legally registered business and Meta Business verification. See requirements and approval.
Can I switch providers later and keep my number?
Yes, if your business owns the WhatsApp Business Account — which is why that question matters at signup. See how to switch providers.
Are "free forever" WhatsApp platforms trustworthy?
Be careful with them. Free software is frequently funded by an undisclosed markup on Meta's conversation rates, or by severe feature and seat limits. Ask directly whether Meta charges are passed through at cost, and get the answer in writing. Tenreply is free during beta and will introduce paid plans at launch — we would rather state that than describe it as permanent.
How long does approval take?
Typically one to three business days for Business verification and number registration, longer if your documents need correction.
Verify Four Things, Then Pick on Product
Markup, WABA ownership, real-tier limits, and export. Confirm those four in writing and the remaining decision is just which software your team prefers using. Try Tenreply free during beta, or start with the four-way comparison if you have a shortlist already.