The best ChakraHQ alternative in India depends on your monthly volume. If you send under about 10,000 WhatsApp messages a month, RichAutomate costs less: plans start at ₹499 a month with GST included, against Chakra Chat's Starter at $12.49 (about ₹1,099). Above roughly 25,000 messages a month, Chakra Chat's flat plans are cheaper.
This page compares both platforms on public pricing only. Chakra Chat figures come from ChakraHQ's public pricing page, checked on 11 Nov 2026. Plans change, so confirm on their site before you buy. RichAutomate figures come from our own WhatsApp Business API pricing page.
ChakraHQ pricing in 2026: what Chakra Chat charges
Chakra Chat is ChakraHQ's WhatsApp product. Its pricing page lists a free plan, four paid monthly plans in USD and a usage-based Enterprise plan. Annual billing gives two months free, setup fees are zero, and paid plans come with a 7-day free trial with no card.
| Plan | Price per month | Template messages | Service messages | WhatsApp numbers | User seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Not included | 1,000 | 1 | 2 |
| Starter | $12.49 | 10,000 | 5,000 | 2 | 3 |
| Growth | $24.99 | 25,000 | 15,000 | 5 | 6 |
| Advanced | $49.99 | 75,000 | 45,000 | 12 | 12 |
| Pro | $199.99 | 400,000 | 200,000 | 80 | 50 |
Two details matter when you budget:
- Template overage is pay per message. Above the plan limit, each template message costs $0.001. The INR rate on their FAQ is ₹0.100 per message.
- Service messages have a hard cap. The page says a plan upgrade is needed once the service message limit is reached. A support-heavy business can be pushed to a higher plan by inbound chats, not by campaigns.
Chakra Chat states that it adds zero markup on Meta's charges. You add a payment method in Meta Business Manager and pay Meta directly, then pay Chakra only the subscription.
Comparing zero-markup platforms priced in dollars? See our YCloud alternative for India with plan fees worked out in rupees.
RichAutomate pricing: INR, GST included, pay per message
RichAutomate runs on the same pay-Meta-directly model, which we call Client Pay. Meta bills you at its own rate card. RichAutomate charges a flat ₹0.10 per message platform fee on a separate invoice. If you want the mechanics, read how Client Pay billing works.
| Item | RichAutomate |
|---|---|
| Starter | ₹499 per month, GST included |
| Pro | ₹899 per month, GST included |
| White-label | ₹1,199 per month, GST included |
| Platform fee | ₹0.10 per message |
| Setup fee | ₹0 |
| Plan fee | Credited to your wallet as message credit |
| No plan | Allowed. Stay on pay as you go with no monthly floor |
| Free trial | 14 days, full features, no card, 100 free credits |
| Extra WhatsApp number | ₹399 per month |
| Extra team member | ₹199 per seat per month |
The plan fee is not a separate subscription on top of usage. It lands in your wallet and is spent on the ₹0.10 platform fee as you send.
ChakraHQ vs RichAutomate: platform cost by monthly volume
Meta's message charges are identical on both platforms, since both have you pay Meta directly. So the fair comparison is platform cost alone. The table converts Chakra's USD prices at ₹88 per USD, before any tax, and picks the lowest Chakra plan whose template limit covers the volume. RichAutomate is shown at ₹0.10 per message.
Get the India 2026 WhatsApp BSP price comparison
Wati vs AiSensy vs Interakt vs RichAutomate: Meta rates, platform fees and hidden costs, side by side. We send it to your WhatsApp in a minute.
| Messages per month | Chakra Chat plan | Chakra Chat cost | RichAutomate cost | Lower platform cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | Starter | about ₹1,099 | ₹499 (Starter, as wallet credit) | RichAutomate |
| 10,000 | Starter | about ₹1,099 | about ₹1,000 | Roughly equal |
| 25,000 | Growth | about ₹2,199 | about ₹2,500 | Chakra Chat |
| 75,000 | Advanced | about ₹4,399 | about ₹7,500 | Chakra Chat |
| 400,000 | Pro | about ₹17,599 | about ₹40,000 | Chakra Chat |
The pattern is simple. A flat subscription wins when you fill it. Pay per message wins when you do not. Most small Indian businesses we speak to send a few thousand messages a month, and at that level a ₹499 plan that turns into message credit beats a ₹1,099 flat fee. For 100,000 messages and up, ask us about a Custom plan before you decide, because list price is not the right comparison at that scale.
Run your own numbers in the WhatsApp Business API cost calculator. It adds Meta's per-message charges to the platform fee, so you see one monthly total.
Want to test it on your own number? Start the 7-day free trial. No card, full features, 100 free credits.
Where ChakraHQ is the better choice
An honest comparison has to say this clearly. Pick Chakra Chat if any of these fit you:
- High, steady volume. From about 25,000 template messages a month, the flat fee is cheaper than ₹0.10 per message.
- You want a free plan. Chakra has a $0 plan with 1,000 service messages, one number and two seats. RichAutomate has a 7-day trial and pay as you go, not a permanent free tier.
- Many numbers or agents. Chakra's Starter bundles 2 numbers and 3 seats, and Growth bundles 5 numbers and 6 seats. On RichAutomate an extra number is ₹399 and an extra seat is ₹199 a month.
- Calling and groups. Chakra lists WhatsApp Calling and Groups among its features, along with add-ons for Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix.
Where RichAutomate is the better ChakraHQ alternative
- Low or uneven volume. Under about 10,000 messages a month you pay less, and a quiet month costs you only what you send.
- INR pricing with GST included. The price you see is the price you pay, in rupees, with a GST invoice. Chakra's list prices are in USD.
- No service message cap that forces an upgrade. RichAutomate plans do not carry a monthly inbound limit that moves you to a higher tier.
- A longer trial. 14 days with full features against 7 days.
- White-label for agencies. ₹1,199 a month puts the platform under your own brand for your clients.
- Bring your own AI key. Connect OpenAI, Claude, Gemini or Sarvam with your own key and pay the provider directly, with no markup from us.
Both platforms cover the basics you would expect: the official WhatsApp Business API, broadcast campaigns, a shared team inbox, a no-code chatbot builder, and APIs with webhooks.
How to switch from ChakraHQ to RichAutomate
- Start a trial. Create a RichAutomate account and connect a test number, or use the trial credits.
- Rebuild what you use. Recreate your key chatbot flows and import contacts. Approved templates stay with your WhatsApp Business Account.
- Migrate the number. Use Meta's number migration to move the live number. Your display name and quality rating carry over.
- Keep paying Meta the same way. Your payment method in Meta Business Manager does not change, since both platforms bill Meta charges directly.
- Go live. A GST or MSME registration is needed to go live. The trial works without it.
Which one should you pick?
Choose RichAutomate if you are an Indian business or agency sending up to about 10,000 messages a month, you want rupee pricing with GST included, or your volume swings from month to month. Choose Chakra Chat if you send 25,000 or more template messages every month, need several numbers and agents bundled in, or want a free plan to start.
Still comparing? See our full list of WhatsApp Business API alternatives in India and the roundup of the best WhatsApp Business API providers in India.
Ready to check the numbers for your business? Start your 7-day free trial or book a demo and we will work out your monthly cost on a call.