WhatsApp Business API pricing in India (2026): the complete breakdown
In India the WhatsApp Business API costs two things: a platform fee to your provider and Meta's per-message charge. Meta charges ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility or authentication message, plus 18% GST (₹1.0185 all-in for marketing). Since 1 October 2026, the first 1,000 service replies per number each month are free. Platform fees run from ₹300/month (BotPulsar Starter) to about ₹6,950/month (Respond.io Starter).
The two costs nobody separates properly
Almost every pricing page you will read blurs two different things. The platform fee is what your provider charges for their software — the inbox, campaigns, automations and analytics. Meta's message charge is what WhatsApp itself bills for delivering messages, and it varies by message category and country.
A provider can look cheap on the platform fee and then quietly add a per- message markup on top of Meta's rate. Over a few hundred thousand messages that markup can dwarf the subscription. Always ask the question directly: do you add a markup on Meta's published rates?
Platform fees compared (list prices)
BotPulsar starts at ₹300/month on the Starter plan and ₹999/month on Growth, billed monthly. Interakt Starter is ₹11,999 a year (₹1,000 a month) or ₹3,499 a quarter, with no monthly option. AiSensy Basic is ₹1,500/month. WATI Growth is ₹2,999/month billed monthly or ₹2,199 billed annually. Respond.io's Starter plan is $79/month on annual billing, roughly ₹6,950. Kommo charges $25 per user per month, billed six months at a time.
These are list prices published on each vendor's own pricing page and checked on 15 October 2026. Check the vendor site before you commit — pricing in this category moves.
Per-message markups: what providers charge above Meta
Some providers publish their own per-message rates instead of passing Meta's through. The gap is a markup, and on a large send it can cost more than the subscription. These are the India rates each provider lists on its own pricing page, before GST.
On 10,000 marketing messages, Meta's rate comes to ₹8,631. At AiSensy's listed ₹1.09 the same send costs ₹10,900, and at Interakt Starter's ₹0.970 it costs ₹9,700. Zoko's Starter plan adds $0.015 per conversation and Gupshup adds $0.001 per message.
| Provider and plan | Marketing | Utility | Above Meta (marketing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta's own rate (BotPulsar passes this through) | ₹0.8631 | ₹0.115 | — |
| AiSensy (all paid plans) | ₹1.09 | ₹0.145 | +26% |
| Interakt Starter | ₹0.970 | ₹0.160 | +12% |
| Interakt Growth | ₹0.958 | ₹0.150 | +11% |
| Interakt Advanced | ₹0.949 | ₹0.140 | +10% |
The seat trap
The headline price is per workspace on some platforms and per user on others, and that difference compounds. Kommo's roughly ₹2,200 per user per month means a five-agent team pays around ₹11,000/month. Respond.io includes five users and then charges $12 per additional seat. WATI's Growth plan stops at three users; Pro includes five and charges ₹1,299 for each one after that.
If your support team grows from three agents to fifteen — which is exactly what happens when WhatsApp starts working — a per-seat platform quietly multiplies your bill. BotPulsar and Interakt both include unlimited users, which removes that variable entirely — though Interakt makes up some of the difference in its per-message rates.
Meta's per-message rates in India (October 2026)
Meta bills per delivered message, by category, in INR for India. The India list rates effective 1 October 2026 are below, with and without 18% GST.
The big change landed on 1 October 2026. Service messages — your own team's replies inside the 24-hour customer service window — had been free since November 2024. Now the first 1,000 delivered service messages per business number each month are free and the rest are charged, and utility templates sent inside an open window are charged too. A platform that shows cost per conversation, not just per campaign, matters far more than it did.
| Category | Rate (excl. GST) | With 18% GST | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹0.8631 | ₹1.0185 | Promotions, offers, product announcements, abandoned-cart nudges and any re-engagement message. |
| Utility | ₹0.115 | ₹0.1357 | Order confirmations, delivery updates, payment reminders, appointment alerts and other transactional follow-ups. |
| Authentication | ₹0.115 | ₹0.1357 | One-time passcodes, login verification and account-recovery codes. |
| Service | ₹0.115 | ₹0.1357 | Your team's own replies inside the 24-hour customer service window. |
Worked monthly bills
Meta charges only, including GST, for three typical Indian businesses. Add the platform fee for your plan. Service replies within the first 1,000 per number each month are free.
| Business | Marketing msgs | Utility msgs | Meta + GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coaching institute | 2,000 | 3,000 | ₹2,444 |
| D2C brand | 10,000 | 15,000 | ₹12,220 |
| Multi-city retailer | 50,000 | 40,000 | ₹56,351 |
What to actually ask a provider
Four questions separate the honest pricing from the marketing: Do you add a markup on Meta's per-message rates? Is the advertised price monthly or annual-commitment? How many users does that include, and what does the next one cost? Can I see projected campaign cost before I send?
BotPulsar answers those as: no markup, monthly price with no lock-in, unlimited users on every plan, and yes — cost preview is built into the campaign composer.
Frequently asked questions
Is the WhatsApp Business API free in India?
No. Getting access through Meta is free, but Meta charges per delivered template message and most providers charge a platform fee. Since 1 October 2026, the first 1,000 service replies per business number each month are free; additional ones are charged.
How much does one WhatsApp marketing message cost in India?
₹0.8631 before GST and ₹1.0185 with 18% GST, at Meta's India rate effective 1 October 2026. Utility and authentication messages are ₹0.115 before GST.
Is GST charged on WhatsApp Business API messages?
Yes. 18% GST applies on top of Meta's per-message rate and on the provider's platform fee. A GST-registered business can usually claim it as input tax credit.
How much does it cost to send 10,000 WhatsApp messages?
10,000 marketing messages cost about ₹10,185 in Meta charges including GST; 10,000 utility messages cost about ₹1,357. Add your provider's platform fee — ₹999/month on BotPulsar Growth, which includes broadcasts and unlimited team members.
Do WhatsApp API providers charge per agent?
Many do. Kommo charges per user, and Respond.io includes five users and charges for more. BotPulsar includes unlimited team members on every plan, so adding an agent does not change the bill.
Does BotPulsar add a markup on Meta's message rates?
No. Meta's per-message charges are passed through at cost, and the campaign composer shows the projected cost before you send.
Try BotPulsar
BotPulsar starts at ₹300/month with unlimited team members and 1,000 service conversations, then ₹999/month on Growth. 14-day trial, and no per-seat billing at any tier. See the full pricing or compare it against WATI, AiSensy, Interakt, Respond.io and Kommo.