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The best WhatsApp CRM depends on who answers the chats. For human sales teams that need a pipeline plus AI, shortlist WhatsGrow AI. For several channels in one inbox, respond.io or SleekFlow. For cheap broadcasts in India, AiSensy or Interakt. For Shopify stores, Zoko or Interakt. Wati and Gallabox suit small teams that mainly need a simple shared inbox.
Which WhatsApp CRM fits which team? (comparison table)
| Tool | Best for | Entry price and billing basis | Seat limit | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsGrow AI | WhatsApp-first sales teams: inbox, AI agents, Kanban pipeline | Starter: 3 agents, 1,000 contacts. 7-day free trial, no card. Price in your currency on /pricing | 3 / 10 / 50 agents by plan | WhatsApp only: no email, SMS or Instagram inbox |
| Wati | Small teams that want a well-known, simple inbox | Growth $59/mo billed yearly, $69 monthly (third-party tracker, US page) | 3 on Growth, no extras allowed; 5 on Pro, then $24 per user | Per-seat fees from Pro; template messages carry a markup on top of Meta's fee |
| respond.io | Multi-channel support and sales teams with budget | Starter $79/mo billed yearly, $99 monthly | 5 users on Starter; extra users $12 | Billed by monthly active contacts; AI Agents start on Growth at $159/mo yearly |
| Gallabox | India teams wanting WhatsApp plus Instagram and local support | Basic Rs. 2,399/mo billed annually (Rs. 2,999 quarterly) | 3 users, hard cap | Lead pipeline only on Advanced (Rs. 13,599/mo annually) |
| Interakt | Shopify and D2C brands in India | Growth $55/mo plus taxes | Unlimited agents (Sales CRM roles excluded) | Sales CRM is a separate product, Rs. 2,499/mo for 5 agents; AI agents are an add-on |
| AiSensy | Broadcast-heavy teams on a tight budget | Free Forever plan; Basic Rs. 1,500/mo monthly, Rs. 1,350 yearly, before GST (third-party analysis) | Owner plus 5 agents on Basic | Chatbot builder (Rs. 2,500/mo) and AI agent builder (Rs. 1,350/mo) are paid add-ons |
| Zoko | Shopify stores with a catalog and COD flows | Starter $49.99/mo plus $0.015 per conversation | Unlimited agents on Starter | No deal pipeline listed; AI is three paid add-ons from $24.99/mo each |
| SleekFlow | Teams that need WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS and email together | Essential US$49/mo billed yearly where available; Pro US$109 yearly (about US$139 monthly) | 3 seats Essential, 10 on Pro; extra seats US$15 to US$25 | AI agents and broadcasts start on Pro; 500 monthly active contacts, then US$20 per extra 100 |
Prices are from each vendor's pricing page, checked 2026-10-16. Exceptions: Wati and Interakt blocked our script, so their figures are from 13 Oct 2026 (Wati's plan prices via a third-party tracker); Gallabox Advanced and the AiSensy Basic plan are as read on 13 Oct 2026 (Basic via third-party analysis). Meta's per-message fees come on top of every plan above.
What should you look for in a WhatsApp CRM?
Check seven things, in this order: how many agents the plan allows before a hard cap or per-seat fee, whether there is a real deal pipeline or only tags, whether AI is included or an add-on, how contacts are billed, which message markup sits on top of Meta's fee, whether the number runs on the official Cloud API, and how fast support answers in your time zone.
Most price surprises come from items one, three and four. A plan that looks like $55 a month can double once you add seats and an AI add-on.
WhatsGrow AI: pick it if you sell in chat
Pick it if: your agents close deals inside WhatsApp and you want the inbox, an AI agent and a Kanban pipeline on one screen. The AI agent can update CRM fields, create tasks and send payment links (Stripe or Razorpay, Growth and up). Calls run through Twilio or RingCentral from Growth. There is a WhatsApp group inbox, and agencies get separate client workspaces with white-label options.
Skip it if: you need Instagram, SMS or email in the same inbox. WhatsGrow AI is WhatsApp only, and we would rather say so than have you find out on day three of a trial. Pro adds the REST API; Starter has no calling or API.
Limits, not prices: Starter 3 agents and 1,000 contacts; Growth 10 agents and 25,000 contacts; Pro 50 agents and 100,000 contacts. 7-day free trial, no card. Plans show in your currency on /pricing. Head-to-head pages: vs Wati, vs respond.io, vs Gallabox, vs Interakt, vs AiSensy. What the agent and pipeline do: AI agent, CRM pipeline.
Wati: pick it if you want the familiar name
Pick it if: a team of up to 3 wants a simple, widely known shared inbox with basic chatbot flows and broadcasts, and you are happy keeping deals in another tool.
Skip it if: you will grow past 3 agents (Growth allows no extra users) or you want a pipeline. Pro lists 5 users with extras at $24 each per month, Business extras at $69. Wati's own page returned an access error to our script on 2026-10-16, so the $59 yearly and $69 monthly Growth prices come from a third-party tracker (US page, September 2026). Confirm at wati.io/pricing. Wati's AI Co-pilot is credit-based, and its agents are a separate add-on. Alternatives: Wati alternatives, WhatsGrow vs Wati, /alternatives/wati.
respond.io: pick it if one inbox must cover every channel
Pick it if: you run support or sales across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram and more, you have 5 or more agents, and the budget is real. It is the most mature omnichannel tool in this group.
Skip it if: WhatsApp is 90 percent of your volume. The plan is metered by monthly active contacts (overage is listed at $12 per 100 on Growth, $15 on Advanced), and AI Agents start at Growth, $159/mo billed yearly ($199 monthly). Starter is $79/mo yearly ($99 monthly) with 5 users; Advanced is $279 yearly ($349 monthly). Source: respond.io/pricing, checked 2026-10-16. See WhatsGrow vs respond.io and /alternatives/respond-io.
Gallabox: pick it if you want local support in India
Pick it if: you are an Indian team that values rupee billing, onboarding help and support in your time zone, and you want WhatsApp plus Instagram in one inbox.
Skip it if: you have more than 3 agents and a tight budget. Basic is Rs. 2,399/mo billed annually (Rs. 2,999 quarterly) with a hard 3-user cap. Essential covers 6 users at Rs. 5,599/mo annually. The lead pipeline and appointment booking only arrive on Advanced, Rs. 13,599/mo annually with 10 users. Source: gallabox.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-16. See WhatsGrow vs Gallabox and Gallabox alternatives.
Interakt: pick it if you run a Shopify or D2C store in India
Pick it if: your WhatsApp work is order updates, abandoned-cart reminders and catalog sharing for a Shopify or WooCommerce store.
Skip it if: your team sells services through conversations. Growth is $55/mo plus taxes with unlimited agents, but the Sales CRM is a separate product at Rs. 2,499/mo for 5 sales agents, and WhatsApp AI Agents are a $74.99 add-on. The Starter (WhatsApp) price is not published on the page. Interakt's page blocked our script on 2026-10-16, so these figures are from our 2026-10-13 read. See WhatsGrow vs Interakt and /alternatives/interakt.
AiSensy: pick it if broadcasts are the whole job
Pick it if: you send high-volume campaigns in India, no one needs a pipeline, and the lowest entry cost wins. There is a Free Forever plan. Basic is Rs. 1,500/mo monthly or Rs. 1,350 yearly before GST for the owner plus 5 agents (third-party analysis, 30 Sep 2026).
Skip it if: you want a bot or AI. The chatbot builder is Rs. 2,500/mo and the AI agent builder Rs. 1,350/mo, both on aisensy.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-16). Add Meta's rates it lists for India (marketing Rs. 1.09, utility Rs. 0.145 per message) and a plan, bot and AI together run to about Rs. 8,600 a month before GST for 3,000 marketing messages. See WhatsGrow vs AiSensy, AiSensy alternatives and /alternatives/aisensy.
Zoko: pick it if catalog and COD flows matter most
Pick it if: you are a Shopify store with a small team that wants unlimited agents on the entry plan and ready-made catalog and cash-on-delivery flows.
Skip it if: you need deal stages or built-in AI. Starter is $49.99/mo plus a $0.015 markup on every conversation; Plus is $79.99, Elite $139.99, Max $499.99. Plus includes 5 agents, then $15 each. AI is three add-ons at $24.99/mo each. The page lists no deal pipeline. Source: zoko.io/pricing, checked 2026-10-16. See /alternatives/zoko.
SleekFlow: pick it if you need WhatsApp plus other channels at mid-market scale
Pick it if: you want WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS and email in one inbox and can live with metered contacts.
Skip it if: you are price-sensitive on contact growth. Pro is US$109/mo billed yearly (about US$139 monthly) with 500 monthly active contacts and 10 seats; extra contacts cost US$20 per 100. Essential is US$49/mo yearly where available, with 3 seats and no AI agents or broadcasts. Each WhatsApp API number adds a US$15/mo hosting fee. Source: sleekflow.io/pricing, checked 2026-10-16. See /alternatives/sleekflow.
How do you choose a WhatsApp CRM in 30 minutes?
Run this checklist before you open a trial:
- Count the agents you will have in 12 months. If it is more than 3, eliminate Wati Growth and Gallabox Basic.
- Decide whether you need a pipeline with stages and deal values. If yes, drop AiSensy, Zoko and Interakt Growth unless you accept a second tool.
- List the channels. If it is WhatsApp only, favor the WhatsApp-first tools; if you need Instagram, SMS or email, favor respond.io or SleekFlow.
- Price the AI separately. Ask whether it is in the plan or an add-on, and what a resolved chat costs.
- Get the message markup in writing. Meta's own fee is public; the vendor's markup is not always.
- Move one real lead source for a week, not a demo script.
- Test the export: contacts, tags and chat history as CSV on day one.
For how a CRM-first tool compares with a general CRM, read WhatsApp CRM vs HubSpot. If you are weighing a messaging-engine tool instead, see Zixflow alternatives.
What does Meta charge on top of every plan?
Every platform passes Meta's per-message fees through, and some add a markup. Since 1 October 2026, service messages are free only for the first 1,000 per business number each month, and utility templates sent inside an open 24-hour customer service window are charged. Marketing templates are charged per delivered message. Messages inside a free entry point window (from click-to-WhatsApp ads) are not charged. Model your volume with the WhatsApp API pricing calculator.
FAQ: best WhatsApp CRM
What is the best WhatsApp CRM overall?
There is no single winner. WhatsGrow AI fits WhatsApp-first sales teams that want a pipeline and AI included. respond.io or SleekFlow fit multi-channel teams. AiSensy fits India broadcasts. The table above shows seat limits and catches so you can rule tools out fast.
What is the cheapest WhatsApp CRM?
AiSensy has a free plan and a Rs. 1,500/mo Basic plan, but its chatbot and AI are paid add-ons. Zoko Starter is $49.99/mo with unlimited agents but a per-conversation markup. Compare the total with the bot, AI and seats you actually need.
Do I need the official WhatsApp API?
Yes, for a team inbox, campaigns and AI. Tools built on unofficial methods risk number bans, so ask any vendor to confirm it connects through Meta's Business Platform before you move a live number.
Is a WhatsApp CRM better than HubSpot?
For chat-led sales, usually yes: the conversation, the AI and the deal sit in one place. HubSpot wins when email, marketing automation and reporting across channels matter most. Details in WhatsApp CRM vs HubSpot.
How much do WhatsApp messages cost on top of the plan?
Meta bills per delivered template message, and service replies are free only for the first 1,000 per number per month since 1 October 2026. Some vendors add a markup, so ask for the rate card for your country.
Can I keep my number when I switch?
Yes. A number sits on one platform at a time, so schedule the cutover for a quiet hour and re-submit your templates in the new workspace.
Does WhatsGrow AI have a free trial?
Yes: 7 days, no card. See plans in your currency on /pricing.
Sources (checked 2026-10-16 unless noted)
- respond.io pricing
- Gallabox pricing
- AiSensy pricing and third-party analysis, 30 Sep 2026
- Zoko pricing
- SleekFlow pricing
- Wati pricing (blocked our script; plan prices from third-party tracker, Sep 2026; per-user fees as read on 2026-10-13)
- Interakt pricing (blocked our script; figures as read on 2026-10-13)
- Meta WhatsApp Business Platform pricing
- WhatsGrow AI pricing