If one person handles fewer than 20 chats a day, stay on the free WhatsApp Business app with labels and quick replies. If two or more people share one number, or enquiries are lost when someone is on leave, you need a system built on the official WhatsApp Business API. Budget for two layers from day one: a platform or CRM fee, plus Meta per-message charges on top. As of November 2026, Meta's India rate card anchor is Marketing Rs 0.8631 and Utility Rs 0.1150 per message, effective 1 October 2026. Business solution providers price around that card, so get their rate card and markup in writing before you sign.
The short version
| Decision point | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| App or API | The free app suits one handler. A true shared team inbox, lead ownership and automated follow-up sequences need the API. |
| Pricing model | Per-user suits small stable teams. Flat pricing suits growing teams. Per-number platform pricing suits WhatsApp-only selling. |
| Included logins | Some platform plans include a set of agent logins. Extra agents cost extra. Count every regular user before comparing. |
| Meta charges | Meta charges are always extra to the platform fee. Marketing messages cost about 7.5 times a utility message on the anchor card. |
| Exit right | Test contacts and conversation export during the trial. If you cannot take your data out, do not pay annually. |
For background on message charges, see WhatsApp Business API: what it really costs in India.
App, API or full CRM: what each term actually means
Owners use the word CRM for three different things. Separating them prevents the most common buying error, which is paying for a full CRM when the only problem is a shared inbox, or buying a chat tool when the business also needs quotations, approvals and reporting.
| Option | What it is | Shared inbox | Automation | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp Business app | Free app on one phone, with labels, catalogue and quick replies | No true shared inbox | Very limited | One person, low volume |
| WhatsApp-first platform on the API | System built on the WhatsApp Business API (WABA), sold through a business solution provider (BSP) | Yes | Follow-up sequences, assignment, broadcast templates | WhatsApp is the main sales channel |
| Full CRM with WhatsApp added | Pipeline, email, calls, quotations and reporting, with WhatsApp as one channel | Yes, via integration or BSP | Pipeline automation plus chat | Sales runs across chat, email and calls |
Three terms matter in every vendor conversation. WABA is your official WhatsApp Business Account. A BSP is the provider Meta authorises to connect you to the API. A template message is a pre-approved message format you use to start a conversation or reply outside the 24-hour service window. Inside that window, after a customer messages you, you can reply in free form. Opt-in matters throughout: customers should have agreed to receive your messages, and that consent discipline is also good practice under the DPDP Act.
The free app has no true shared team inbox and no automation at scale. That single fact decides most purchases. Once replies live on personal phones, nobody can see who promised what, and follow-up depends on memory.
The three pricing models, with prices as of November 2026
All prices below are date-stamped as of November 2026. Vendor prices change, so confirm on the vendor pricing page before paying. Where a price could not be confirmed on the vendor's own pricing page in this check, it is described as a plan outline with a pointer to check the vendor page, rather than presented as settled.
Model 1: Per-user pricing
You pay for every login, every month. Zoho CRM is the reference example because its India pricing page was opened for this guide. Billed annually, per user per month, before GST: Standard Rs 800, Professional Rs 1,400, Enterprise Rs 2,400, Ultimate Rs 2,600. Local taxes are charged in addition, and a free edition exists. Per-user pricing looks cheap at three users and grows linearly. It also tempts owners to buy too few logins and share passwords, which destroys the ownership record the CRM was bought to create.
Model 2: Flat pricing for unlimited users
You pay one company fee regardless of team size. Kylas is the commonly cited example, with its Elevate plan described in vendor and comparison material at Rs 12,999 per month for unlimited users, billed annually for that rate, and a free Embark tier with limited records. Treat that figure as a plan description to confirm on the Kylas pricing page before budgeting, because flat plans often carry record limits and paid add-ons that change the real total. Flat pricing wins only after the team passes a crossover size, which the worked example below calculates.
Model 3: Platform fee for a set of agents
You pay for the WhatsApp number and a bundle of agent logins. AiSensy publishes Basic at Rs 1,500 per month and Pro at Rs 3,200 per month, with one owner plus five agent logins included and extra agents at Rs 750 per month. Chatbot flows are an add-on at Rs 2,500 per month on that pricing. Wati follows the same shape, with its Growth tier described in independent pricing checks at Rs 2,999 per month billed monthly or Rs 2,199 per month billed annually for three users. Confirm the current Wati figure on wati.io before you budget, since it was not confirmed on the vendor page in this check. TeleCRM, built for calling-led teams, is described in comparison coverage at Rs 799 to Rs 1,099 per user per month, with a WhatsApp chat sync add-on and a one-time API setup charge. Confirm those figures with the vendor as well.
| Model | Example | Published price shape | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-user | Zoho CRM | Rs 800 to Rs 2,600 per user per month, billed annually, before GST | Cost rises with every hire |
| Flat | Kylas Elevate | Flat monthly fee for unlimited users, confirm on vendor page | Record limits, add-on modules |
| Platform plus agents | AiSensy, Wati | Monthly fee with included agents, extra agents charged | Meta charges and chatbot add-ons on top |
If you are comparing software more broadly, Choosing business software without wasting money gives a general buying framework, and Five digital tools that give a small team the strength of fifty covers the wider small-team stack.
The costs nobody puts on the pricing page
The plan price is rarely more than half the bill. Work through five extra lines before you compare any two vendors.
First, Meta per-message charges. Meta charges per template message delivered, by category. The anchor card for India, effective 1 October 2026, is Marketing Rs 0.8631, Utility Rs 0.1150, Authentication Rs 0.1150, with service messages free for the first 1,000 per number per month and then charged at the utility rate. BSPs may add a markup on top of the Meta charge. AiSensy, for example, has published higher per-message figures on its own plan material (Marketing Rs 1.09, Utility Rs 0.145) than the Meta anchor, which reflects its own pricing around the card. That gap is exactly why you need the BSP rate card in writing, stating the Meta rate, the markup, and whether rates are quoted per message or under any older per-conversation wording still found in guides.
Second, add-ons. Chatbot flows, extra agents, additional numbers and integrations are commonly charged separately. On AiSensy, chatbot flows alone add Rs 2,500 per month, which is Rs 30,000 a year before GST.
Third, setup and minimum terms. Comparison coverage puts one-time setup charges broadly in the Rs 1,500 to Rs 15,000 range depending on provider and migration work. Ask whether setup includes number porting, template approval and lead source connection, or only account creation.
Fourth, GST. Software subscriptions in India generally attract GST at 18 percent. Zoho states local taxes in addition to its listed prices. Always compare totals including GST, not headline prices.
Fifth, your own migration cost. Someone on your team will spend days cleaning contacts, importing lists and training staff. That time is real even though no vendor invoices it.
Worked example: a Surat textile trading firm
Consider a Surat textile trading firm with turnover of Rs 4 crore, an owner plus four sales staff (five users in total), and about 60 WhatsApp enquiries a day.
Option A, full CRM route. Zoho CRM Standard at Rs 800 per user per month, billed annually. Arithmetic: 800 x 5 = Rs 4,000 per month. 4,000 x 12 = Rs 48,000 per year before tax. GST at 18 percent: 48,000 x 0.18 = Rs 8,640. Total Rs 56,640 per year, before any separate WhatsApp BSP fee if WhatsApp is added through a provider.
Option B, WhatsApp-first route. AiSensy Basic at Rs 1,500 per month. Arithmetic: 1,500 x 12 = Rs 18,000 per year before GST. GST: 18,000 x 0.18 = Rs 3,240. Platform total Rs 21,240. Add illustrative Meta marketing charges: 2,000 marketing template messages per month. Priced at the BSP-published Rs 1.09 in the package material, that is 2,000 x 1.09 = Rs 2,180 per month, or 2,180 x 12 = Rs 26,160 per year. Priced at the Meta anchor of Rs 0.8631 instead, the same volume would be 2,000 x 0.8631 = Rs 1,726.20 per month, which shows why the markup question matters. Using the BSP figure, the combined illustrative total is 21,240 + 26,160 = Rs 47,400 per year. Service replies within the free allowance are not counted. If chatbot flows are added at Rs 2,500 per month, add Rs 30,000 per year before GST.
Option C, flat route. Kylas Elevate at Rs 12,999 per month flat, to be confirmed on the vendor page. Arithmetic: 12,999 x 12 = Rs 1,55,988 per year. At five users, this is the most expensive of the three. At 20 users, Zoho Standard alone would be 800 x 20 x 12 = Rs 1,92,000 before GST, which is above the flat figure. That crossover is the decision point.
The lesson is simple: cheapest at three users is rarely cheapest at fifteen users. Price your team as it will look twelve months from now, not today.
Decision framework: which model fits you
Apply these rules in order.
If WhatsApp is the whole sales channel and your team is five or fewer, start with a WhatsApp-first platform. You need assignment, reminders and a shared inbox more than you need pipeline reports.
If you need quotations, inventory checks, approvals and reporting across email and calls, choose a full CRM and add WhatsApp to it. A chat-only tool will leave your office work outside the system. See also Tally vs Zoho Books vs Vyapar if accounting integration is part of the same decision.
If your team will cross fifteen users within a year, price the flat model against per-user pricing before signing any annual per-user contract. Run both totals at your expected headcount, including GST.
If telecalling is the main motion and WhatsApp is secondary, evaluate calling-led tools of the TeleCRM type, where call recording and dialler workflows come first.
If only one person handles chats and volume is low, buy nothing yet. Use labels, quick replies and a daily follow-up list in the free app, and revisit when a second person starts replying.
What to check before you buy: common mistakes
Buying per-user licences for staff who only view chats. Some plans offer cheaper view-only or team-user categories. Ask before paying full price for every login.
Not asking for the Meta rate card and markup in writing. Verbal assurances about message charges are worth nothing when the first invoice arrives. Get the category-wise rate and the markup percentage on email.
Having no opt-in process. Broadcasting to numbers that never agreed to hear from you invites blocks, quality rating drops and number restrictions. Build opt-in into your website form, shop counter and enquiry process.
Skipping the data export test. During the trial, export your contacts and a sample of conversations. Check the file actually opens and contains usable data. Do this before paying annually, not after a dispute.
Migrating a personal number without saving history. When a number moves to the API, old chat history does not migrate automatically. Export or document important conversations first, and warn regular customers about the changeover day.
Setup sequence, in order
Choose the BSP or CRM and complete business verification. Register a new number on the API or port your existing number, accepting that history will not move automatically. Create agent logins and set routing rules, for example by product line or language. Set a welcome message and a short follow-up sequence for unanswered enquiries. Connect lead sources: website forms, click-to-WhatsApp ads, and IndiaMART or Justdial where the vendor supports the integration, checking each source actually creates a lead record. WABA approval typically takes one to three business days according to vendor guides. Treat that as typical, not guaranteed, and do not cancel your old arrangement until the new inbox is live.
Frequently asked questions
If one person handles all chats and volume is low, the free Business app with labels may be enough. A CRM earns its cost when two or more people share a number or follow-ups are being missed.
Sources: website forms, click-to-WhatsApp ads, and IndiaMART or Justdial where the vendor supports the integration, checking each source actually creates a lead record. WABA approval typically takes one to three business days according to vendor guides. Treat that as typical, not guaranteed, and do not cancel your old arrangement until the new inbox is live.