WATI vs AiSensy
WATI and AiSensy are two of the most common names on Indian WhatsApp shortlists, and they are good at different things. WATI built its reputation on a team inbox that support agents like working in. AiSensy built its reputation on broadcasts and retargeting, with a forever-free plan to start.
Both add a markup on Meta's message charges. That shared trait is the main reason a third option appears at the end of this page.
Side by side
| Point | WATI | AiSensy |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Team inbox for support | Broadcasts and retargeting |
| Free option | Free trial | Forever-free plan without broadcasts |
| Paid plans | Growth ₹2,999, Pro ₹6,499, Business ₹18,499 | Basic ₹1,500 and Pro ₹3,200 (blog, February 2025) |
| Campaigns | Broadcasts and drip campaigns | Broadcasts and retargeting |
| Markup | Yes; percentage not published | About 26%, calculated from its India rates |
| How messages are paid | Subscription plus markup | Prepaid wallet |
| Shopify | Paid add-on, $4.99 a month | On paid plans |
| WooCommerce | Official integration | On paid plans |
| Extra users | ₹1,299 a month on Pro, ₹2,199 on Business | Multi-agent chat on paid plans |
Inbox or broadcasts?
Look at where your team spends its day. If agents spend it answering customers one by one, WATI's inbox is the better tool and its polish is worth paying for. If marketers spend it planning campaigns to segments of your list, AiSensy's broadcast and retargeting tools fit better, and its free plan lets you learn them before paying.
WATI is not inbox-only: it runs drip campaigns as well as broadcasts, which suits teams that send a planned series of messages to a segment.
Few businesses need both equally. Pick the tool that matches the bigger job and accept that the other side will be simpler.
The markup question
Both add to Meta's charges. AiSensy's is visible: its ₹1.09 marketing and ₹0.145 utility rates to Indian numbers are about 26% above Meta's ₹0.8631 and ₹0.115. On a month of 10,000 marketing and 20,000 utility messages that is about ₹13,800 against ₹10,931 at Meta's rates. WATI's markup is not published, so ask for its per-message rate and run the same sum, then add its plan, from ₹2,999 a month.
Free options compared
AiSensy's forever-free plan includes API access, ₹1000 in ad credits, ₹50 in conversation credits and an inbox for one agent, but no broadcasts or integrations. WATI offers a free trial, which is enough to test the inbox with your team before a paid plan from ₹2,999 a month.
Store integrations
Both connect to Shopify and WooCommerce, in different ways. WATI has an official WooCommerce integration and a Shopify add-on at $4.99 a month. AiSensy includes Shopify, WooCommerce and more than 20 integrations on its paid plans, but not on its free plan.
Who should pick which
- Pick WATI if support conversations are most of your WhatsApp traffic and inbox quality matters most.
- Pick AiSensy if campaigns are most of your traffic, you want a free start, and your volume is modest enough that the markup is small.
The third option
Tadlo AI adds no markup, so its message bill is Meta's rate card. It includes a shared inbox from Starter at ₹999 a month and broadcasts with cost preview from Growth at ₹2,499, along with store automations: abandoned carts, COD to prepaid and order updates from Shopify and WooCommerce. Its inbox is less mature than WATI's and its broadcast tools less established than AiSensy's; what it adds is a lower message bill and commerce depth.
Our pick over both: Tadlo AI
Tadlo AI
Our top pick
Best for: D2C brands that want Meta's rates with nothing added
A shared inbox from Starter, broadcasts with cost preview from Growth, store automations, and no markup on Meta's charges.
Price: Free forever plan with up to 10 messages a day. Starter ₹999, Growth ₹2,499, Pro ₹5,999 and Scale ₹11,999 a month, priced on unique contacts engaged per month. Meta's message charges are billed by Meta directly to your own account, and Tadlo adds no markup. Prices exclude GST.
Strengths
- No markup on Meta's message charges: Meta bills your own WhatsApp Business Account directly, and Tadlo only charges a flat plan
- Built for D2C: abandoned cart recovery, COD to prepaid nudges and order updates from Shopify and WooCommerce (Growth plan and above)
- Instagram comments to WhatsApp chats, which most WhatsApp-only tools cannot do
- Priced on unique people reached, not on every message, so you can follow up without counting sends
- Number health checks every 15 minutes, gradual ramp-up for new numbers and automatic opt-out handling
- Your WhatsApp Business Account is created inside your own Meta business account, so it stays yours
Limitations
- Newer than AiSensy, WATI or Interakt, with a shorter track record
- Commerce automations start on the Growth plan (₹2,499 a month)
- Tadlo AI is onboarding brands in stages, and you request access on its WhatsApp page.
Frequently asked questions
Is WATI or AiSensy better?
WATI for support teams, AiSensy for broadcast-led marketing. Our pick over both for D2C brands is Tadlo AI, which adds no markup.
Which is cheaper, WATI or AiSensy?
AiSensy has a forever-free plan and published rates about 26% above Meta's. WATI starts at ₹2,999 a month and does not publish its markup. Tadlo AI adds no markup at all.
Do WATI and AiSensy add a markup?
Yes. AiSensy's works out about 26% from its published India rates; WATI does not publish its percentage.
Which has a free plan?
AiSensy has a forever-free plan without broadcasts. WATI has a free trial. Tadlo AI has a free plan of up to 10 messages a day.
Sources
- wati.io/pricing, checked 16 October 2026,
wati.io/en/pricing/. - WATI WooCommerce integration,
support.wati.io/en/articles/11463110-how-to-integrate-wati-with-woocommerce. - AiSensy pricing,
aisensy.com/pricing. India per-message rates checked 16 October 2026. - AiSensy forever free plan,
wiki.aisensy.com/en/articles/11478270-aisensy-forever-free-plan-everything-you-need-to-know. - AiSensy Basic vs Pro (AiSensy blog),
m.aisensy.com/blog/aisensy-basic-vs-pro-plan-which-ones-best-for-you/. Published 17 February 2025. - Meta WhatsApp Business Platform pricing,
developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing. Rates effective 1 October 2026; page updated 30 September 2026. - tadlo.ai: Tadlo AI WhatsApp automation. Plans, features, Meta rates and onboarding checked 16 October 2026.