Free WhatsApp Business Tools
Which WhatsApp Business tools a startup can talk to customers on WhatsApp with for free today, what the free plan or trial covers, whether Meta's message fees apply on top, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . WhatsApp tools change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
WhatsApp Business tools a startup can use for free today include AiSensy (Free Forever plan, $0, WhatsApp API), Wati (7-day free trial, zero setup fees), WhatsApp Cloud API (1,000 free service messages a month), Respond.io (7-day free trial, Growth features), and WhatsApp Business app (Free to download, for small businesses). Each of the 11 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, whether Meta's message fees apply, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
In many countries customers expect to message a business on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp Business app is free for small businesses, the WhatsApp Cloud API connects your own software, and WhatsApp tools add shared inboxes, chatbots and broadcasts, a few with a free plan and most with a trial.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Meta charges per message beyond a free monthly allowance, free plans may exclude broadcasts, and most platforms offer only a 7- or 14-day trial. Each tool below shows what is free, its main limit, whether Meta's message fees apply, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which tools we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which tools are listed or where.
WhatsApp Business tools with a free plan
Send and manage WhatsApp messages with customers, free to start.
- 1
AiSensy
Testing WhatsApp marketing before paying
AiSensy's Free Forever plan is $0 with no card, and it includes the WhatsApp Business API. Broadcasting needs a paid plan, and service messages are charged once the monthly free allowance is used.
- Meta message fees
- Charged after 1,000 free a month (source: aisensy.com)
- Payment card
- No card required (source: aisensy.com)
- First paid plan
- Basic: $45 a month, billed monthly (source: aisensy.com)
- 2
WhatsApp Cloud API
Developers building on the WhatsApp Business Platform
Meta gives each business phone number a free tier of 1,000 service messages a month, which do not roll over. Messages after that are charged per message, and the rate depends on the message category and the recipient's country.
- Meta message fees
- Charged from the 1,001st message (source: developers.facebook.com)
Start free at MetaTerms read on developers.facebook.com on WhatsApp Cloud API: the free allowance and how to start - 3
WhatsApp Business app
A small business that answers chats by hand
The WhatsApp Business app is free to download for small businesses. Meta says businesses seeking an enhanced business experience should consider the WhatsApp Business Platform instead.
Start free at MetaTerms read on faq.whatsapp.com on WhatsApp Business app: the free allowance and how to start
WhatsApp platforms with a free trial
Shared inboxes, chatbots and broadcasts you can try free first.
- 1
Wati
Teams that want a shared inbox and broadcasts
Wati gives a 7-day free trial with zero setup fees. Its Growth plan is $59 a month billed annually, and per-message charges for marketing, utility and authentication apply on top.
- Meta message fees
- Per-message charges on top (source: wati.io)
- First paid plan
- Growth: $59 a month, billed annually (source: wati.io)
- 2
Respond.io
Teams paying per monthly active contact
Respond.io's 7-day free trial needs no credit card and gives Growth features for 5 users and 1,000 monthly active contacts, without broadcasts. Starter is $79 a month.
- Payment card
- No credit card needed (source: respond.io)
- First paid plan
- Starter: $79 a month (source: respond.io)
- 3
Callbell
Small teams that want to try a chat inbox first
Callbell lets you try its chat management for 7 days with no feature restrictions, and no credit card is required. After the trial the chat widget stays free. Multiagent Chat is $15 per user a month.
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: callbell.eu)
- First paid plan
- Multiagent Chat: $15 per user a month (source: callbell.eu)
- 4
Trengo
Teams that want one inbox for every channel
Trengo's free trial lasts 7 days and needs no credit card. Its Boost plan includes 6,000 conversations a year, and Meta applies a charge per message beyond the first 1,000 messages each month.
- What's free
- 7-day free trial (source: trengo.com)
- Meta message fees
- Meta charges per message after 1,000 (source: trengo.com)
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: trengo.com)
- 5
SleekFlow
Teams that want the Pro features before paying
SleekFlow's trial gives every new user the full Pro plan for 7 days with no credit card, covering 500 monthly active contacts. Essential starts at US$49 a month.
- What's free
- 7-day Pro plan trial (source: sleekflow.io)
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: sleekflow.io)
- First paid plan
- Essential: US$49 a month (source: sleekflow.io)
- 6
Zoko
Shopify stores selling through WhatsApp
Zoko's free trial lets you try every feature for 7 days. Starter is $49.99 a month, and WhatsApp fees use Meta's published rate card for your country.
- Meta message fees
- WhatsApp fees at Meta's rate card (source: zoko.io)
- First paid plan
- Starter: $49.99 a month (source: zoko.io)
- 7
Interakt
Marketing teams wanting a quick WhatsApp start
Interakt's 14-day free trial needs no credit card, and messaging options are limited during the trial.
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: interakt.shop)
- 8
Gallabox
Teams testing AI replies on real conversations
Gallabox's free trial includes 500 AI credits and full access to the Basic plan, with no credit card. The trial lasts 7 days, after which you pick a plan or your workspace pauses.
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: gallabox.com)
- First paid plan
- Basic: $150 a month, billed quarterly (source: gallabox.com)
Also useful for founders
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers WhatsApp Business tools a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. Meta's own conversation charges on top of the tool, a cap on contacts or agents, a trial instead of a free plan can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
Partly. The WhatsApp Cloud API includes 1,000 free service messages a month, resetting monthly; Meta charges per message from the 1,001st, at a rate that varies by country.
What is the best free WhatsApp Business tool?
By the terms each provider states, the WhatsApp Business app is free to download for small businesses, AiSensy has a Free Forever plan on the WhatsApp API without broadcasts, and Callbell's chat widget stays free after its trial.
Which WhatsApp tools have a free trial?
Interakt offers a 14-day free trial with no card; Wati, Respond.io, Callbell, Trengo, SleekFlow, Zoko and Gallabox offer 7-day trials.
Does Wati charge for messages?
Yes. Wati's Growth plan is $59 a month, billed annually, with per-message charges on top.
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