WhatsApp Automation
5 WATI Alternatives Compared (2026): Pricing, Features and Who Each One Suits
WATI is a solid WhatsApp Business API platform, but it isn’t the right fit for everyone. We compared five alternatives using each vendor’s own pricing page, and say plainly where each one wins.
Short version
- Choose by pricing model first: per seat (WATI, Gallabox), flat plans plus message fees (Interakt), unlimited users plus prepaid message credits (AiSensy), or monthly credits with every AI employee included (NexBotix).
- For a large support team with CRM integrations, Gallabox or WATI fit best; for Shopify stores on a budget, Interakt; for India-focused marketing at low entry cost, AiSensy.
- If you’re a small business that wants AI to send campaigns and answer replies without a team inbox, NexBotix (our product) starts at ₹399 a month for 2,500 credits.
In this article
WATI is one of the best-known WhatsApp Business API platforms, especially in India. It does a lot well: a shared team inbox, broadcasts, chatbots and integrations with tools like HubSpot and Salesforce.
But it isn’t the right fit for everyone. Some teams find the per-user add-ons add up, some need something simpler, and some want AI to do more of the work. This guide compares five alternatives. Every price below comes from the vendor’s own pricing page or app listing, checked on 14 October 2026. Where a vendor doesn’t publish a number, we say so instead of guessing.
Disclosure: NexBotix is our product. We’ve included it because it’s a genuine alternative for some readers, and we say clearly where the others are the better choice.
What does WATI offer, and why do people look elsewhere?
WATI’s pricing page lists three plans: Growth, Pro and Business. According to that page:
- Growth includes 3 users, 15,000 broadcasts a month, 1,000 automation triggers and 2 commerce or CRM integrations.
- Pro includes 5 users, with extra users at $24 per user per month, unlimited broadcasts, 2,000 automation triggers and HubSpot.
- Business includes 5 users, with extra users at $69 per user per month, Salesforce and higher limits.
- A Shopify integration is a $4.99 per month add-on, and WhatsApp message charges are deducted from prepaid credits based on WATI’s rate card.
The base plan prices weren’t displayed in a form we could verify, so check them on WATI’s pricing page.
The reasons teams look elsewhere usually come down to:
- Seat costs once a team grows beyond the included users.
- Feature tiers: some automation and integrations sit in higher plans.
- Fit: a solo founder or small shop may not need a full team inbox.
What should you compare before switching?
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per user, per plan, per active contact or per credit changes your bill as you grow |
| WhatsApp message fees | Meta charges per delivered template message; check the provider’s rate card and any markup |
| Team inbox | Essential for support teams, unnecessary for a solo owner |
| Automation and AI | Chatbot builders, AI agents and how many AI replies are included |
| Integrations | Shopify, CRM and API access for your stack |
| Channels | WhatsApp only, or Instagram and web chat too |
A quick note on Meta’s fees, because they apply to every API-based tool. Since 1 July 2025 Meta charges per message rather than per conversation. Marketing, utility and authentication template messages are charged on delivery, at rates that depend on the recipient’s country. Non-template replies inside an open customer service window are free, and so are messages within the 72-hour free entry point window after a click-to-WhatsApp ad (Meta’s pricing docs).
The comparison at a glance
| Tool | Published starting price | Pricing model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AiSensy | Subscription price not shown; chatbot builder ₹2,500/mo | Unlimited users, prepaid message credits | India-focused marketing teams |
| Interakt | $21/mo (Starter, Shopify listing) | Flat plans + conversation charges | Shopify and D2C stores |
| Gallabox | ₹2,399/mo billed annually (Basic) | Per plan, users capped per tier | Support teams needing a shared inbox and AI |
| DoubleTick | Not shown | Plans (Starter, Pro, Enterprise) | Small sales teams wanting AI agents built in |
| NexBotix | ₹399/mo for 2,500 credits | Monthly credits, every AI employee included | Small businesses wanting AI to run campaigns and replies |
1. AiSensy
AiSensy is an India-focused WhatsApp marketing platform. Its pricing page describes an Unlimited Users subscription with “no limit on the number of Monthly Active Users”, billed monthly, quarterly (5% off) or yearly (10% off). The base subscription price wasn’t shown on the page when we checked.
Published add-ons include a drag-and-drop chatbot builder at ₹2,500 a month (₹2,250 billed annually), with 5 chatbots and Shopify chatbot integration, and a WhatsApp AI Agent builder at ₹1,350 a month (₹1,215 annually) with 1,000 AI messages a month. Message charges are prepaid credits; for Indian numbers the page lists marketing messages at ₹1.09 and utility and authentication at ₹0.145 each, with the first 1,000 service messages per number per month free.
- Strengths: unlimited users, transparent per-message rates for India, strong marketing focus.
- Watch out for: chatbot and AI agent builders are paid add-ons, so the total depends on what you add.
- Best for: marketing teams in India sending campaigns at volume.
Source: AiSensy pricing.
2. Interakt
Interakt is popular with Shopify stores. Its own Shopify app listing shows four plans billed in USD, each with a 14-day free trial:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $21 | $180/year |
| Growth | $41 | $296/year |
| Advanced | $51 | $468/year |
| Premier | $99 | $839/year |
Starter covers API setup, automated notifications, a shared team inbox and a WhatsApp widget. Growth adds analytics, a basic chatbot and Instagram automation. Advanced adds an advanced chatbot and auto-routing. Premier adds three WhatsApp AI agents and cart reminders. WhatsApp conversation charges are extra.
- Strengths: clear published pricing, good Shopify fit, low entry price.
- Watch out for: advanced chatbots and AI agents sit in the higher tiers.
- Best for: Shopify and D2C brands.
3. Gallabox
Gallabox publishes its prices clearly on its pricing page:
| Plan | Quarterly billing | Annual billing | Users | AI credits/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | ₹2,999/mo | ₹2,399/mo | 3 | 500 |
| Essential | ₹6,999/mo | ₹5,599/mo | 6 | 2,000 |
| Advanced | ₹16,999/mo | ₹13,599/mo | 10 | 8,000 |
Every plan includes WhatsApp, Instagram and a web chat widget, chatbot flows and 20+ integrations. Essential adds AI agents on WhatsApp and Instagram, a full API with two-way CRM integrations and free onboarding. Advanced adds AI voice and appointment booking management. Message fees are billed separately.
- Strengths: transparent pricing, multichannel inbox, strong AI and CRM features in higher tiers.
- Watch out for: user caps per plan, and the jump between tiers is significant.
- Best for: support and sales teams that live in a shared inbox.
4. DoubleTick
DoubleTick offers Starter, Pro and Enterprise plans. Its pricing page says AI agents are built into every plan, with 24x7 chat support; Pro adds a shared account manager and Enterprise a dedicated one. Prices weren’t shown on the page when we checked, and per-message costs vary by country.
- Strengths: AI agents included rather than sold separately; account management on higher plans.
- Watch out for: you’ll need a quote or sign-up to see prices.
- Best for: small sales teams that want AI help without add-ons.
5. NexBotix (our product)
NexBotix takes a different approach. Instead of a team inbox, it gives you AI employees, each owning a job. The WhatsApp employee, Nexa, sends personalised campaigns from Excel or CSV, schedules them, follows up with people who didn’t reply and answers replies with AI, handing chats to a person by keyword.
You can send from your existing WhatsApp number connected by QR code, or use the official WhatsApp Business Cloud API. Plans start at ₹399 a month for 2,500 credits (Starter), with Growth at ₹1,199 for 8,000 credits; every plan includes every AI employee, and the free trial gives 100 credits with no card (pricing). The same account includes other AI employees for leads, email, website chat and booking.
- Strengths: low entry price, AI that handles the whole campaign and its replies, plus leads, email and website chat in one plan.
- Watch out for: it isn’t built around a large multi-agent shared inbox or deep CRM integrations. If that’s what you need, Gallabox or WATI are a better fit. Sending from a personal number also carries more risk than the official API; see our guide to bulk messaging without bans.
- Best for: small businesses and solo founders who want campaigns and replies handled without a team.
Which WATI alternative should you choose?
- You run a support team in a shared inbox with a CRM: Gallabox, or stay on WATI.
- You sell on Shopify and want low, published prices: Interakt.
- You send high-volume marketing in India and want unlimited users: AiSensy.
- You want AI agents included in every plan: DoubleTick.
- You’re a small business that wants AI to send and reply for you: NexBotix.
How do you switch from WATI?
- List what you use: templates, automations, integrations, number of users and monthly message volume.
- Price it on two or three alternatives using your real volume, including Meta’s message fees.
- Ask about number migration. Numbers on the WhatsApp Business Platform can usually move between providers; ask the new provider to handle it and confirm what happens to templates and chat history.
- Rebuild your top automations first, test them on your own number, then move your campaigns.
- Run both for a short overlap if you can, so customers never hit a dead end.
Sources
All pages checked on 14 October 2026. Prices change often; confirm before buying.