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Short answer: The WhatsApp Business API costs two things in India: Meta’s per-message charge and your provider’s monthly platform fee. Meta charges about ₹0.86 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility, authentication or service message, plus 18% GST. Customer messages to you are free, and providers report that the first 1,000 service replies per number each month are free. Platform fees start at ₹0 to ₹999 a month. A small clinic sending one broadcast a month pays about ₹2,100 a month all-in. Use the calculator below to work out yours.
How much does each WhatsApp message cost in India?
Meta bills per delivered message, by category. Messages your customers send you are never charged.
| Message type | What it is | India rate* |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing template | Offers, broadcasts, festive campaigns, re-engagement | ₹0.8631 |
| Utility template | Booking confirmations, order updates, payment reminders | ₹0.115 |
| Authentication (OTP) | Login and verification codes | ₹0.115 |
| Service reply | Your replies inside the 24-hour window after a customer messages you (charged from 1 Oct 2026) | ₹0.115 first 1,000/month reported free |
| Any message after a Click-to-WhatsApp ad | 72-hour free window when a customer starts the chat from your ad on mobile and you reply within 24 hours | Free |
*Per delivered message, before 18% GST. Some providers add their own markup on top. Full details in WhatsApp now charges for customer replies.
WhatsApp API cost calculator (India)
Estimate your monthly bill
Enter what you send in a typical month. Everything updates as you type.
Estimate only. Assumes no provider markup on Meta’s rates (true for Adwix Connect) and the reported 1,000 free service replies. Platform fee shown as listed, before any taxes.
What do WhatsApp API providers charge in India?
Every provider gives you the same official Meta API. What you pay for is the dashboard: shared inbox, broadcasts, chatbots, reports. Watch for a per-message markup, which can quietly cost more than the plan itself.
| Provider | Entry plan | Markup on Meta rates |
|---|---|---|
| Adwix Connect | ₹999/mo (Starter), ₹4,500/mo (Professional) | None, Meta’s rates passed through |
| AiSensy | ₹0 (Free Forever), ₹1,500/mo (Basic) | Shows its own per-message rates |
| Interakt | ₹2,799/mo (Growth) | Yes, except Enterprise |
| Gallabox | ₹2,399/mo (Basic, annual) | Shown in their docs |
| Wati | Growth (price shown by region) | Charged per message type |
Prices from each provider’s official pricing page, checked 18 October 2026. Adwix Connect is our own product. See the full side-by-side in WhatsApp Business API providers in India compared.
Adwix Connect plans
| Starter | Professional | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹999/mo | ₹4,500/mo | Custom |
| Conversations | 500/month | 10,000/month | Unlimited |
| Contacts | 500 | 5,000 | Unlimited |
| Team members | 1 | 10 | Unlimited |
| Template approvals | 3/month | 10/month | Unlimited |
| 24/7 AI Agent | – | 500 conversations/month | Unlimited |
| WhatsApp Calling | – | 1,000 minutes/month | Unlimited |
| Automation, API, webhooks | – | Yes | Yes + white-label |
Billed monthly, cancel anytime. No free trial; book a free demo instead. Live plans on adwixconnect.com/pricing.
What will it cost my business? Three examples
| Business | A typical month | Meta incl. GST | Plan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinic or salon | 300 enquiries × 5 replies, 300 reminders, 1 broadcast to 1,000 | ≈ ₹1,127 | Starter ₹999 | ≈ ₹2,126 |
| Coaching institute | 800 enquiries × 6 replies, 1,600 reminders, 3 broadcasts to 1,000 | ≈ ₹3,788 | Professional ₹4,500 | ≈ ₹8,288 |
| Travel agency | 2,000 enquiries × 6 replies, 2,000 confirmations, 1 broadcast to 5,000 | ≈ ₹6,856 | Professional ₹4,500 | ≈ ₹11,356 |
Notice where the money goes: marketing broadcasts. One broadcast to 5,000 people costs about ₹5,092 with GST, more than a whole month of customer replies for most businesses.
What is the cheapest way to use the WhatsApp Business API in India?
- Pick a provider with no markup. A ₹999 plan with Meta’s rates passed through is often cheaper than a “free” plan that adds a margin to every message.
- Get new enquiries from Click-to-WhatsApp ads. Chats started from these ads open a free 72-hour window, so your whole first conversation costs nothing in Meta fees. See Click-to-WhatsApp ads in India.
- Send fewer, better replies. Merge greeting, menu and details into one message, and use buttons instead of open questions.
- Use utility templates, not marketing, for real updates. A booking confirmation is ₹0.115; the same text sent as marketing is ₹0.86. Don’t disguise promotions as utility: Meta re-categorises them.
- Segment your broadcasts. Sending to 1,000 engaged contacts instead of 5,000 cold ones saves about ₹4,000 a send.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in India?
You pay Meta per message (about ₹0.86 for marketing and ₹0.115 for utility, OTP and service replies, plus 18% GST) and a provider platform fee, from ₹0 to about ₹5,000 a month for small teams. A small clinic or salon sending one broadcast a month pays about ₹2,100 a month in total.
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
No. Access through a provider is usually paid, and Meta charges per template message and, from 1 October 2026, per service reply after the first 1,000 a month (as reported by providers). Messages customers send you are free, and so is a 72-hour window after a Click-to-WhatsApp ad chat.
Which is the cheapest WhatsApp API provider in India?
On plan price, AiSensy’s free plan and Adwix Connect Starter at ₹999 a month are the lowest entry points. Compare total monthly cost, including any per-message markup, not just the plan price.
Is GST charged on WhatsApp API messages?
Yes. 18% GST is added to Meta’s message charges billed in India. A GST-registered business can usually claim it as input credit; check with your accountant.
Do providers add a markup on Meta’s message rates?
Some do. Adwix Connect passes Meta’s rates through with no markup. Others show their own per-message rates, which can be higher than Meta’s. Always ask for the per-message rate in writing.
What is the difference between the WhatsApp Business app and the API?
The app is free but limited to a few devices with no proper automation or shared inbox. The API is paid and built for teams, broadcasts and chatbots. See WhatsApp Business app vs API.
See your real monthly cost on a live call
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Shashi Pundir
CEO of Adwix Media. Builds the systems, media and technology that turn ad clicks into booked customers, including Adwix Connect, our WhatsApp Business API platform.
We run the ads, the WhatsApp follow-up and the pipeline.
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