Quick summary
Wondering whether to go with Wati or Gupshup? Let’s help you decide.
WATI and Gupshup both enable you to use the WhatsApp Business API, but they're designed for very different audiences. WATI is a user-friendly, SaaS-style platform designed for mid- to large-sized businesses seeking WhatsApp-focused campaign management and automation tools. Gupshup, in contrast, is a more technical, enterprise-grade messaging provider, offering APIs, multi-channel support, and deep customization for businesses with in-house development teams.
That said, both platforms add a markup on top of WhatsApp's official messaging rates: WATI charges 12% to 20% more than Meta's rate on marketing messages depending on the plan, while Gupshup's self-serve rate card is around 33% above it, which can become costly as usage scales. Both also reserve hands-on support for their higher tiers.
That's where WANotifier comes into play. It offers a dedicated WhatsApp marketing and automation solution with transparent pricing, 0% markup on API charges, and responsive email and chat support across all plans, enabling you to scale your WhatsApp communications without unnecessary complexity or hidden costs.
Want to give WANotifier a try? Start your 7-day free trial today!
Wati
Wati is a go-to platform for businesses that want to scale customer conversations on WhatsApp. With tools like bulk campaigns, Click-to-WhatsApp ads, chatbots, WhatsApp Flows, and Astra AI agents, Wati helps brands deliver timely and personalized messages while streamlining customer support.
Gupshup
Gupshup is a conversational AI and customer engagement platform (now at gupshup.ai) that enables large enterprises to manage communication across multiple channels, including WhatsApp, RCS, SMS, voice, Instagram, and others. Gupshup offers a wide range of marketing and automation tools, but it can feel overwhelming and costly for SMBs that only want to use it for WhatsApp marketing.
Core differentiators
Wati core differentiators
Key features
- Broadcast campaigns
- Easy-to-use no-code chatbot builder
- WhatsApp Flows and retargeting automations (retargeting on Pro and Business plans only)
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads
- Astra AI agents for sales and support
Pros
- Powerful automation features, including AI agents and a no-code chatbot builder
- Integrates easily with popular CRM, ecommerce, and other third-party platforms
- Offers email support across all plans, with 24×7 chat support on Pro and Business
- Onboarding support included with annual subscriptions
Cons
- Adds a 12% to 20% markup on WhatsApp’s official messaging rates depending on the plan (₹1.0357 per marketing message on the Growth plan vs. Meta’s official ₹0.8631 rate in India)
- Requires users to pre-purchase messaging credits (minimum wallet balance of ₹500 / $10)
- Growth plan includes only 3 users with no option to add more; Pro and Business include 5 users, and additional seats cost $39 to $89 (₹1,299 to ₹2,199) per user per month
- Growth plan is capped at 15,000 broadcasts per month and 2 integrations; retargeting and advanced campaign analytics require Pro or Business
- Onboarding support is a paid add-on on monthly and quarterly billing (included only with annual plans)
Supported integrations
- Salesforce (Business plan)
- HubSpot (Pro plan and above)
- Zapier
- Zoho CRM
- Shopify (paid add-on at $4.99 per month)
- WooCommerce
…and more (the Growth plan is limited to 2 integrations and Pro to 5)
Best for
Mid- to large-sized businesses that want a scalable WhatsApp automation solution and can absorb higher messaging costs.
Gupshup core differentiators
Key features
- Multi-channel messaging (WhatsApp, RCS, SMS, voice, Instagram, Truecaller, etc.)
- Campaign manager for targeted WhatsApp broadcasts
- Advanced user segmentation
- AI agents and chatbots
- WhatsApp Flows, commerce, and payments
Pros
- Supports multi-channel messaging
- Easy-to-use AI agent and chatbot builder with extensive customization options
- Seamless integrations with major CRMs and business tools
- Pay-as-you-go self-serve plan with no monthly platform fee
Cons
- Adds roughly a 33% markup to WhatsApp’s official messaging rates on its self-serve rate card (₹1.15 / $0.0157 per marketing message vs. Meta’s official ₹0.8631 / $0.0118 rate in India), and about 26% on utility and authentication messages (₹0.145 vs. ₹0.115)
- Service messages are also billed at ₹0.145 / $0.0018 per message on its rate card
- No free trial or free messaging credits (prepaid wallet with a minimum non-refundable top-up of $10)
- Named account manager, priority support, and managed onboarding are available only on Enterprise plans
- Better suited for large enterprises than SMBs
- Steep learning curve for new users
- Reporting tools offer limited customization options
Supported integrations
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zoho CRM
- Shopify
- Microsoft Dynamics
…and more
Best for
Mid-market and enterprise businesses that are already managing multiple channels and want to include WhatsApp as part of a broader omnichannel strategy.
Pricing
Wati pricing
(Prices as of November 2026. Messaging charges include a markup and are billed separately)
Free Trial: Yes (7-day free trial, no credit card required)
Subscription Options: Monthly, quarterly, and yearly billing (quarterly and yearly plans are discounted)
Plans (per month):
- Growth: $69 / ₹2,999 per month
- Pro: $149 / ₹6,499 per month
- Business: $349 / ₹18,499 per month
Pay-as-you-go Plan:
- ₹999 one-time (includes 500 WhatsApp messages valid for 3 months; single user, India only)
Gupshup pricing
(Pricing as of November 2026. WhatsApp messaging charges include a markup and are billed separately from a prepaid wallet)
Free Trial: No
Subscription Options: Pay-as-you-go self-serve and Enterprise plans
Plans:
- Self-serve (pay-as-you-go): ₹0 / $0 monthly platform fee; prepaid wallet (minimum top-up $10, plus 18% GST in India); 1,000 free AI messages per month, then ₹1 each
- Enterprise: Custom rate card based on committed volume
WhatsApp messaging charges (India, per message, Gupshup self-serve rate card updated October 13, 2026; all-in including Meta’s charges):
- Marketing: ₹1.15 / $0.0157 (Meta’s official rate is ₹0.8631 / $0.0118, so roughly a 33% markup)
- Utility: ₹0.145 / $0.0018 (Meta’s rate is ₹0.115 / $0.0014)
- Authentication: ₹0.145 / $0.0018
- Service: ₹0.145 / $0.0018
Support
Wati support options
Customer support
- Support documentation
- Email support (24×5 on Growth; 24×7 on Pro and Business)
- Chat support (only for Pro and Business users)
- Priority support (only for Business users)
- Dedicated customer success manager (only for Business users)
Onboarding
Wati includes onboarding support only with annual subscriptions. Users on monthly or quarterly billing can purchase dedicated onboarding and custom setup as a one-time paid add-on.
Gupshup support options
Customer support
- Help center and developer documentation
- Email support
- Support tickets
- Named account manager and 24/7 priority support (Enterprise plans only)
Onboarding
Gupshup offers in-depth product and developer documentation for self-serve users. Managed onboarding is available only on Enterprise plans.