India 2026 · 4-way Comparison · Updated June 2026
Wati vs AiSensy vs Interakt vs RichAutomate — India, June 2026
Direct answer. As of June 2026, RichAutomate is the cheapest of the four major Indian WhatsApp Business API platforms because it charges a ₹0 platform fee, ₹0 setup, and ₹0 monthly floor — you pay only for the messages you send. Wati, AiSensy, and Interakt each bill a fixed monthly subscription before a single message goes out: Interakt Starter ₹2,499/mo, AiSensy Pro post-hike ₹3,499/mo, and Wati Growth $49/mo (≈ ₹4,100). For a typical SMB sending 1,000 marketing conversations per month, the all-in monthly cost is just ₹1,200 on RichAutomate (SaaS Pay at ₹1.20/message, Meta pass-through included) versus ₹3,369 on Interakt, ₹4,379 on AiSensy, and approximately ₹5,000 on Wati — roughly 64% under Interakt, 73% under AiSensy, and 76% under Wati. All four run on the same Meta WhatsApp Cloud API v24 and the underlying per-message rates are set by Meta — the gap is the monthly platform fee the others charge that RichAutomate simply does not.
Sources verified per row — see footnotes under the table. Underlying Meta rates cross-checked againstbusiness.whatsapp.com/products/platform-pricing (retrieval date 2026-05-28).
Cheapest WhatsApp Business API in India, ranked (June 2026)
Ranked by entry-plan platform fee, lowest first. Per-conversation rates and 1,000-conv/mo benchmark shown alongside.
- 1.RichAutomate — ₹0 platform fee, pay only per message
No subscription, no setup, no monthly floor. SaaS Pay: ₹1.20 per marketing message all-in (Meta pass-through included), ₹0.30 per utility/auth message. Or Client Pay: ₹0.10 per message and Meta billed direct to your card (≈₹0.96 per marketing message). All-in for 1,000 marketing conv/mo: ₹1,200/mo (SaaS Pay) — about 64% under Interakt. Unlimited agents, Client-Pay + SaaS-Pay dual billing, graph-based flow builder with inline AI, free migration team, 14-day trial + 100 free credits. India-built, INR + GST. Source: richautomate.in/pricing (verified 2026-06-01).
- 2.Interakt Starter — ₹2,499/mo
₹0.87 per marketing conversation. All-in for 1,000 conv/mo: ₹3,369/mo. Strong Shopify integration, INR + GST. Source: interakt.shop/pricing (verified 2026-05-28).
- 3.AiSensy Pro — ₹3,499/mo
₹0.88 per marketing conversation. All-in for 1,000 conv/mo: ₹4,379/mo. Pro plan hiked approximately 30% in May 2026 (was ₹2,699), with a new 5-agent cap. Source: aisensy.com/pricing (verified 2026-05-28).
- 4.Wati Growth — $49/mo (~₹4,100)
Approximately ₹0.90 per marketing conversation. All-in for 1,000 conv/mo: approximately ₹5,000/mo. USD billed — no Indian GST invoice on platform fee, FX risk on month-end accounting. Source: wati.io/pricing (verified 2026-05-28).
Full 4-way comparison table
Each cell is verified against the vendor public pricing page or product documentation. Footnotes under affected rows cite the source and retrieval date.
| Feature | Wati | AiSensy | Interakt | RichAutomate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan platform fee | $49 / mo (~₹4,100) | ₹3,499 / mo Pro | ₹2,499 / mo Starter | ₹0 — no subscription, no setup, no monthly floor |
| Source — All verified against each vendor public pricing page on 2026-05-28; RichAutomate on 2026-06-01. | ||||
| Currency + GST invoicing | USD, no Indian GST on platform fee | INR + GST | INR + GST | INR + GST |
| Per marketing message pricing | ~₹0.90 markup + Meta + $49/mo platform fee | ₹0.88 markup + Meta + ₹3,499/mo platform fee | ₹0.87 markup + Meta + ₹2,499/mo platform fee | ₹1.20 all-in (SaaS Pay, Meta included) or ₹0.10 + Meta ₹0.8631 ≈ ₹0.96 (Client Pay) — no platform fee |
| Source — Meta sets the underlying per-message rates; competitor markup sits on top of a monthly platform fee. RichAutomate has no platform fee — SaaS Pay ₹1.20 is fully inclusive of the Meta pass-through; Client Pay is ₹0.10 platform + Meta billed direct to the client. Cross-checked against business.whatsapp.com/products/platform-pricing (verified 2026-05-28); RichAutomate model at richautomate.in/pricing (verified 2026-06-01). | ||||
| Agents included on entry plan | 5 | 5 (new cap, May 2026) | 5 | Unlimited |
| Cost for typical SMB (1,000 mkt conv/mo) | ~₹5,000 / mo | ₹4,379 / mo | ₹3,369 / mo | ₹1,200 / mo (SaaS Pay, all-in) — ~64% under Interakt |
| Source — Competitors: monthly platform fee + 1,000 marketing messages at each published markup, Meta pass-through excluded. RichAutomate: ₹0 platform fee + 1,000 × ₹1.20 SaaS Pay = ₹1,200, Meta pass-through already included. Client Pay would be ~₹963 (₹0.10 platform + Meta billed direct). | ||||
| Setup + Meta WABA verification time | 3-5 working days | 2-4 working days | 2-3 working days | 1-2 working days (assisted) |
| Green tick (verified business badge) assistance | DIY | Add-on, extra cost | Bundled at higher tiers | Included — no plan gate, no add-on fee |
| DPDP Act 2023 consent + retention controls | Generic privacy controls | Generic privacy controls | Generic privacy controls | India-specific consent flags + retention defaults |
| Source — DPDP Act 2023 (Notification S.O. 3568(E)) and draft Rules November 2024 published by MeitY at meity.gov.in. | ||||
| Shopify integration depth | App + abandoned cart | App + cart recovery | Deep — flagship integration | Webhooks + REST, Shopify/Shopify Plus/WooCommerce/custom |
| Visual flow builder model | Linear flows | Linear chatbot flows | Linear with branches | Graph-based — branching, delays, parallel paths, AI nodes |
| Inline AI (OpenAI / Gemini) inside flow | Add-on, extra cost | Limited, chatbot style | Add-on | Built-in, BYOK supported |
| Meta Native Flows (in-WhatsApp UI forms) | Limited | Partial | Partial | Full support with dynamic endpoints |
| Agency dual billing (Client-Pay / SaaS-Pay) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Itemised per-message + per-window wallet ledger | Bundled into plan invoice | Bundled into plan invoice | Monthly invoice | Real-time wallet + CSV export |
| Public REST API + webhooks (inbound, status, billing) | Limited endpoints | Available | Available | Full REST + scoped API keys + billing webhooks |
| Free trial | 7 days | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days, no credit card |
| India support hours (WhatsApp / phone, IST) | Email + chat, HK timezone | WhatsApp + email, IST | WhatsApp + email, IST | WhatsApp + phone (917434901027), IST |
| Free BSP migration team | DIY | DIY | DIY | Migration team rebuilds templates + flows, 7 days |
- Wati: wati.io/pricing — retrieval date 2026-05-28
- AiSensy: aisensy.com/pricing — retrieval date 2026-05-28
- Interakt: interakt.shop/pricing — retrieval date 2026-05-28
- RichAutomate: richautomate.in/pricing — retrieval date 2026-06-01
- Meta per-conversation rate sheet: business.whatsapp.com/products/platform-pricing — retrieval date 2026-05-28
- DPDP Act 2023 + draft Rules (Nov 2024): meity.gov.in
Which is DPDP-ready out of the box?
Direct answer. As of June 2026, all four BSPs run on Meta WhatsApp Cloud API v24 which itself supports the consent primitives required by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. The practical difference is in BSP defaults. RichAutomate ships India-specific consent flags, opt-in audit logs, and configurable retention windows by default. Wati, AiSensy, and Interakt currently offer generic privacy controls that the customer must configure to meet the DPDP Act 2023 and the draft DPDP Rules notified by MeitY in November 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the cheapest WhatsApp Business API platform in India as of June 2026?
As of June 2026, RichAutomate is the cheapest credible Meta-tech-partner BSP among the four because it charges ₹0 platform fee, ₹0 setup, and ₹0 monthly floor — you pay only for the messages you send. Interakt Starter (₹2,499/mo), AiSensy Pro post-hike (₹3,499/mo), and Wati Growth ($49/mo ≈ ₹4,100/mo) all bill a fixed monthly subscription before a single message goes out. For 1,000 marketing conversations per month, the all-in cost is RichAutomate ₹1,200 (SaaS Pay at ₹1.20/message, Meta pass-through included), Interakt ₹3,369, AiSensy ₹4,379, and Wati approximately ₹5,000 — RichAutomate lands roughly 64% under Interakt, 73% under AiSensy, and 76% under Wati. RichAutomate also offers a Client-Pay model at ₹0.10/message plus Meta billed direct to your card (≈₹0.96 per marketing message), with no subscription either way.
Which platform is DPDP Act 2023 ready out of the box?
All four run on Meta WhatsApp Cloud API v24 which itself supports the consent primitives required by the DPDP Act 2023. The difference is in BSP defaults: RichAutomate ships India-specific consent flags, opt-in audit logs, and configurable retention windows by default. Wati, AiSensy, and Interakt currently offer generic privacy controls that you must configure to meet DPDP Act 2023 and the draft DPDP Rules notified by MeitY in November 2024.
Does any of these BSPs have a free tier?
Wati, AiSensy, and Interakt all charge a fixed monthly platform fee on top of Meta per-message rates — none has a perpetual free tier. RichAutomate is the exception: there is no subscription tier and no monthly platform fee at all, so the platform itself is effectively free to keep — you pay only for the messages you send (₹1.20/message all-in on SaaS Pay, or ₹0.10/message plus Meta direct on Client Pay). On top of that, RichAutomate gives a 14-day free trial with no credit card and 100 free message credits. Competitor trials run 7 days (Wati) to 14 days (AiSensy, Interakt).
Why did AiSensy raise prices in May 2026?
AiSensy raised its Pro plan from approximately ₹2,699/mo to ₹3,499/mo in the week of 19 May 2026, citing rising Meta partner-tier costs and increased AI infrastructure spend. The hike also introduced a new 5-agent cap on the Pro tier. Existing customers were notified via in-app banner after their next billing cycle. Source: aisensy.com/pricing verified 2026-05-28.
Which platform is best for Indian D2C on Shopify?
For vanilla Shopify D2C under 50,000 contacts, Interakt has the deepest plug-and-play integration (abandoned cart, order updates, shipment tracking work out of the box). For Shopify Plus, multi-channel stacks, or once you cross 100,000 contacts where itemised per-message billing starts to matter, RichAutomate typically saves 25-40% because it ships agency-grade dual billing, full REST API, and a graph-based flow builder with inline AI.
Can I switch between these BSPs without losing my WhatsApp number?
Yes. Meta supports number portability between BSPs with a 7-day cool-down between deletion from the old BSP and registration on the new one. Templates port directly because they live with Meta. Flows must be rebuilt in the new builder. RichAutomate is the only one of the four that includes a free migration team to rebuild your templates and flows within 7 days. Wati, AiSensy, and Interakt currently leave migration as a do-it-yourself task.
How does Meta per-conversation pricing differ between these BSPs?
Meta sets the underlying per-message rates (marketing approximately ₹0.8631, utility/authentication approximately ₹0.115) and these are identical across every Meta-tech-partner BSP. The variable is the BSP platform fee plus the markup each BSP adds. Wati, AiSensy, and Interakt charge a monthly platform fee (≈₹4,100, ₹3,499, ₹2,499) plus a markup of roughly ₹0.90, ₹0.88, and ₹0.87 per marketing message respectively. RichAutomate charges no platform fee: on SaaS Pay you pay a flat ₹1.20 per marketing message and ₹0.30 per utility/authentication message, fully inclusive of the Meta pass-through; on Client Pay you pay just ₹0.10 platform per message and Meta bills its own rates direct to your card. Always verify against business.whatsapp.com/products/platform-pricing.
Pairwise deep dives
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