The best Picky Assist alternative depends on whether you want an all-in-one CRM and multi-channel inbox on fixed interaction limits, which Picky Assist sells from ₹2,499 a month on its Starter plan (as checked November 2026), or a WhatsApp-first platform with no subscription floor. RichAutomate gives you broadcasts, chatbot flows and a shared team inbox on a ₹0 pay-as-you-go plan, with a ₹0.10 platform fee per message while Meta bills its own charges directly to you.
Picky Assist is a familiar name for Indian businesses on WhatsApp, especially in Kerala, where the company has its registered office and much of its team. A Kochi furniture showroom runs its catalogue enquiries through Picky Assist, a Thiruvananthapuram coaching centre sends fee reminders from it, and a Bengaluru D2C brand uses its Connector to push Shopify orders into WhatsApp. It is a capable product, and for some teams it is the right one.
This guide sets out what Picky Assist offers and what it publicly charges, based on its own pricing, about and help pages as checked in November 2026. It then covers where Picky Assist is the stronger choice, where a WhatsApp-first platform fits better, a worked rupee example, and how to switch without losing your number. Where Picky Assist does not publish a price, we say "on request" rather than guess.
What Picky Assist offers in 2026
Picky Assist describes itself as a Meta Business Partner since 2018. Its about page says the company is headquartered in Delaware, USA, "with a strong presence in Kerala, India", serves 2,000+ clients across 80+ countries, and handles 50M+ daily interactions with a 99.99% uptime SLA. Its contact page lists a registered office in Thiruvananthapuram, a Technopark office and a Trivandrum sales office, alongside US offices.
The product list on its website is broad. It includes:
- Teambox, a shared team inbox for WhatsApp and other channels.
- Broadcaster V2 for bulk template campaigns.
- No Code Flow Builder, Smart Replies and a Conversational Funnel for chatbots.
- AI Agents and AI Mate, plus ChatGPT and Zapier integrations.
- All-in-one CRM / Sales CRM for pipelines and lead tracking.
- WhatsApp Flows, Catalog Automation and Payment Automation, with Razorpay, Stripe and PayU listed on paid plans.
- Call Tracking (Android) and a Meta ROI Tracker for ad attribution.
- Multi-channel support across WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and Email, with Google RCS marked "coming soon".
Picky Assist also supports WhatsApp coexistence, so a business can keep using the WhatsApp Business app on the same number while running the API. Its help centre documents the setup and notes that it needs Business app version 2.24.17 or later. In short, Picky Assist is a full customer-engagement suite with WhatsApp at the centre, not a single-purpose WhatsApp tool.
Picky Assist pricing, as checked November 2026
Picky Assist publishes its plans on its pricing page with both USD and INR prices and a monthly or annual toggle. The INR figures below are copied from that page. It does not state whether GST is included, so confirm that on your quote.
| Picky Assist plan | Listed price (as checked Nov 2026) | Users, contacts and interactions | Chat history |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Forever | ₹0 a month | 2 users, 500 contacts, 5k interactions a month | 30 days |
| API Only | ₹999 a month or ₹9,999 a year | No contact limits, unlimited messages; the page says "No Access to Any Features" | 3 days |
| Starter | ₹2,499 a month or ₹24,999 a year | 3 users, 2,000 contacts, 150k interactions a month | 60 days |
| Growth (marked "Most Popular") | ₹3,999 a month or ₹39,999 a year | 5 users, 10,000 contacts, 500k interactions a month | 180 days |
| Scale | ₹4,999 a month or ₹49,999 a year | 10 users, 20,000 contacts, 1,000k interactions a month | 365 days |
| Enterprise | On request | Custom | Custom |
A few details from the same page's FAQ matter for cost:
- Messaging charges. The Free plan carries a 30% markup on WhatsApp messaging charges. Paid plans are billed at actual WhatsApp rates, subject to minor currency variations.
- Interactions. Every incoming and outgoing message counts as one interaction. When you reach the limit, messaging pauses until you upgrade or buy a bundle, and bundles are available on Scale.
- Numbers. Up to 50 numbers can be connected per project, but more than one number is supported only on Scale, and each additional number is billed separately.
- Contract. No minimum contract, cancel anytime, pro-rated upgrades and downgrades. Unused credits are not refundable.
- Onboarding. Paid plans include one free live onboarding session and 24/7 email support. Migration from another BSP is free.
Picky Assist vs RichAutomate: feature comparison
The table below compares the two on the points Indian SMBs usually ask about. RichAutomate figures come from its own RichAutomate pricing page. Picky Assist figures come from its pricing page as checked November 2026.
| Point of comparison | Picky Assist | RichAutomate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free Forever ₹0 (30% markup on WhatsApp charges); Starter ₹2,499 a month | ₹0 pay-as-you-go; Starter ₹499 a month, credited to the wallet as 499 message credits |
| Next tiers | Growth ₹3,999, Scale ₹4,999, Enterprise on request | Pro ₹899 (999 credits), White-label ₹1,199 (1,399 credits), Custom on request |
| How usage is limited | Monthly interaction caps (incoming and outgoing) and contact caps by plan | No interaction cap; ₹0.10 platform fee per message, Meta charges billed by Meta |
| Team members | 2 on Free, 3 on Starter, 5 on Growth, 10 on Scale | 2 on Starter, up to 5 on Pro; extra seats ₹199 a seat a month |
| Extra WhatsApp number | Multiple numbers on Scale only, each billed separately | ₹399 a month on any plan |
| Channels | WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Email; RCS coming soon | WhatsApp Business API; Telegram bot automation on Pro and White-label |
| CRM | Built-in All-in-one CRM / Sales CRM | Shared inbox with contacts; developer API and webhooks on Pro to connect your own CRM |
| Chatbot flows | No Code Flow Builder, Smart Replies, AI Agents | Keyword auto-reply on Starter; visual flow builder on Pro; BYOK AI agent add-on (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Sarvam) |
| Reseller option | Not shown on the pricing page; ask Picky Assist | White-label ₹1,199 a month with up to 10 reseller sub-accounts |
| Free trial | Free Forever plan | 14 days, no card, 100 free credits |
| Minimum commitment | No minimum contract | None on pay-as-you-go |
Where Picky Assist is the better choice
A fair comparison has to say where Picky Assist wins, and there are several clear cases.
- You need Instagram, Messenger and email in one inbox. Picky Assist lists all four channels on every plan. RichAutomate is built around the WhatsApp Business API, so a brand that runs most of its sales on Instagram DMs will get more from a true multi-channel tool.
- You want a CRM inside the same product. Picky Assist's Sales CRM puts pipelines next to the chat. If you do not already use Zoho, HubSpot or a spreadsheet you are happy with, that saves a second subscription.
- You track phone calls from Android handsets. Call Tracking (Android) is a specific feature that a field sales team in Kerala or Tamil Nadu may value.
- You only need an API pipe. The ₹999 API Only plan lists unlimited messages and no contact limits. A developer team that builds its own interface and does not need an inbox may find that simpler.
- You want a free plan with two users. Free Forever gives two users and 5k interactions at ₹0, with the trade-off of a 30% markup on WhatsApp charges.
- You value a local team. A business in Kochi or Trivandrum may prefer a partner with offices nearby and staff who know the region. Picky Assist also offers free migration from another BSP.
If two or more of these describe your business, Picky Assist is a sensible pick and the extra subscription buys real features.
Get the India 2026 WhatsApp BSP price comparison
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Where a WhatsApp-first API platform fits better
Many Indian SMBs only use WhatsApp. For them, the questions are simpler: what does each message cost, how many people can reply, and what is the fixed monthly bill. This is where a WhatsApp-first platform can come out ahead.
- No interaction cap. Picky Assist plans pause messaging at the monthly interaction limit, counting incoming and outgoing messages. RichAutomate charges a flat ₹0.10 platform fee per message, so a busy festive week does not hit a ceiling.
- A lower fixed floor. You can stay on ₹0 pay-as-you-go, or take Starter at ₹499, which is credited in full to your wallet as message credits. If you are comparing platform fees across vendors, our WhatsApp API pricing comparison for India lays the main models side by side.
- Seats and numbers priced separately. Extra team members are ₹199 a seat and extra numbers ₹399 a month on any plan, rather than moving up a tier. Our guide to per-agent seat pricing for the WhatsApp API explains why that matters as a team grows.
- Reseller and agency use. White-label at ₹1,199 a month includes up to 10 reseller sub-accounts with your own brand and logo, with "Powered by RichAutomate" kept in the URL and footer.
- Keep the Business app. RichAutomate also supports coexistence, so your staff can keep the WhatsApp Business app on the phone while the API runs campaigns and the shared inbox. Our explainer on running the WhatsApp Business app and API together covers how it works.
If you are also weighing other Indian platforms, our Gallabox alternative guide and WhatChimp alternative guide apply the same method to two more vendors.
Worked cost example: a Kochi retailer
Take a Kochi home-appliance retailer that sends, in a typical month, 1,500 marketing templates (offers and new arrivals), 1,000 utility templates (order and delivery updates) and 1,000 service replies inside the 24-hour window. Meta's India rates used here are about ₹0.8631 per marketing template and about ₹0.115 per utility template. From 1 October 2026, the first 1,000 service replies each month per number inside the 24-hour window are free.
| Cost line | RichAutomate pay-as-you-go | RichAutomate Starter | Picky Assist Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta marketing templates | 1,500 × about ₹0.8631 = about ₹1,295 | about ₹1,295 | about ₹1,295, at actual WhatsApp rates per its FAQ |
| Meta utility templates | 1,000 × about ₹0.115 = about ₹115 | about ₹115 | about ₹115 |
| Meta service replies (1,000) | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹0 |
| Platform message fee | 3,500 × ₹0.10 = ₹350 | 3,500 × ₹0.10 = ₹350, paid from the plan's wallet credit | No per-message fee listed; usage counts toward 150k interactions |
| Plan fee | ₹0 | ₹499, credited in full to the wallet (about ₹149 left over) | ₹2,499 a month (GST not stated on the page) |
| Approximate monthly total | about ₹1,760 | about ₹1,909 cash out, with ₹149 still in the wallet | about ₹3,909 |
On these numbers the RichAutomate options cost about ₹2,000 to ₹2,150 less each month. That gap pays for features the retailer may or may not use. The Picky Assist subscription includes a CRM, Instagram, Messenger and email channels, three users and 60 days of chat history. If the retailer would otherwise pay for a separate CRM, the gap narrows.
Two caveats keep this honest. First, Picky Assist's ₹2,499 covers up to 150k interactions, so a business sending far more than this example would not pay more there until it hits that cap. Second, RichAutomate's ₹0.10 applies to every message, including replies that are free from Meta, so a business that replies far more than it broadcasts should rerun the maths with its own mix.
Under Client Pay, Meta bills its share directly to your business, so you see exactly what Meta charges and RichAutomate adds only its platform fee. Plan details and limits are on the RichAutomate pricing page.
Switching from Picky Assist without losing your number
A WhatsApp Business API number can be connected to only one BSP at a time, so moving is a planned cut-over, not a parallel run. The steps below keep the risk low.
- Export what you need. Download contacts, opt-in records and any CRM data from Picky Assist before you disconnect. Chat history retention depends on your plan, from 30 days on Free to 365 days on Scale.
- List your approved templates. Templates live on your WhatsApp Business Account. Note their names, categories and variables so you can check them after the move.
- Disconnect the number from Picky Assist. Follow its process to release the number, then connect it to RichAutomate through Meta's embedded signup. If you use the Business app on the same number, choose the coexistence route.
- Rebuild flows and auto-replies. Keyword replies come first on Starter; the visual flow builder is on Pro. Start with your top three journeys, such as price enquiry, order status and store timings.
- Test before you broadcast. Send a template to your own team, check the shared inbox, then restart campaigns at a modest volume while your quality rating settles.
Plan the switch for a quiet weekday, not the week before Onam or Diwali. No platform can promise that a number will never be restricted, so keep sending to opted-in contacts and follow Meta's commerce and messaging policies on either platform.
Decision guide
- Choose Picky Assist if you need Instagram, Messenger and email in one inbox, want a built-in CRM, use Android call tracking, or need an API-only pipe at ₹999 a month.
- Choose RichAutomate pay-as-you-go if WhatsApp is your only channel and your volume varies month to month, so you pay ₹0 fixed and ₹0.10 per message.
- Choose RichAutomate Starter or Pro if you want a fixed monthly plan that turns into message credits, with keyword auto-reply on Starter and the visual flow builder, scheduler, drip and developer API on Pro.
- Choose RichAutomate White-label if you are an agency or reseller who wants to serve up to 10 client accounts under your own brand.
Also weighing Heltar? Our Heltar alternative comparison breaks down its 2026 plans and per-message fees in rupees.
How to try RichAutomate before deciding
The easiest test is to run both for a fortnight on real traffic. RichAutomate offers a 14-day free trial with no card, ₹0 setup and 100 free credits on signup, which is enough to connect a number, send a few approved templates and see how the shared inbox suits your team. Compare the rupee total against your Picky Assist invoice for the same month, then pick the one that fits how your customers actually talk to you.
When you are ready, create your RichAutomate account and connect your WhatsApp number in a few minutes.