Choosing the right WhatsApp team inbox for your needs depends on how many people answer customers, which channels you use, and how your provider charges for each WhatsApp message. This guide puts four team inboxes side by side on price per team size, message fees, features, and support, using each provider’s published pricing as of October 2, 2026. Message fees get extra attention, because from October 1, 2026, the replies your team sends inside a customer conversation carry a charge.
Key Takeaways
- From October 1, 2026, Meta charges for service replies at the utility rate after 1,000 free service messages per number each month, so the per-message rate becomes a large part of what a team inbox costs.
- 360Dialog Inbox is included in the Premium plan at €99 per number per month, with unlimited users and Meta’s message fees passed through with no markup.
- WATI’s published rate card lists marketing, utility, and service rates above Meta’s, Respond.io charges Meta’s rates and bills contacts above 1,000 on its Growth plan, and Trengo starts at €299 per month for ten users with a conversation allowance.
360Dialog Inbox vs WATI vs Respond.io vs Trengo at a Glance
All four providers connect to the official WhatsApp Business API, Meta’s interface for business messaging software, and they differ most on how prices grow with team size and message volume. A Business Solution Provider (BSP) is a company Meta authorizes to connect businesses to that API. The table uses each provider’s pricing page on October 2, 2026, with annual billing first and monthly billing in brackets, and euro prices as shown to a visitor in Germany.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Feature | 360Dialog Inbox | WATI | Respond.io | Trengo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta partner status | Official Meta Solution Partner at the Premier level | Meta Official Partner badge on its homepage | Meta Premier Partner and WhatsApp BSP | Meta partner and official WhatsApp BSP |
| Price for five users | €99 per month (Premium, billed month to month) | €119 (€149) on Pro | $159 ($199) on Growth, the first plan with broadcasts | €299 (€349) on Boost |
| Price for ten users | €99 per month | €314 (€344): Pro plus five users at €39 each | $159 ($199) on Growth | €299 (€349) on Boost |
| Users included | Unlimited | 3 on Growth, 5 on Pro | 5 on Starter, 10 on Growth | 10 on Boost |
| WhatsApp message fees | Meta’s rates, no markup | WATI’s own rate card | Meta’s rates, no markup | Meta’s rate card |
| Other usage charges | None | Automation triggers above 1,000 to 5,000 per month | Contacts above 1,000 per month on Growth | Conversations above the allowance, AI surcharge |
| Broadcasts | Included (Sendout) | 15,000 per month on Growth, unlimited on Pro and Business | Growth plan and above | Paid add-on |
| Automation and AI | Automation add-on for inbound WhatsApp flows, plus Zapier, Make, n8n, or your own AI through the Inbox API | Chatbot builder on all plans, Astra AI agents priced separately | AI Agents and Workflows from Growth | AI Agent on all plans, €0.25 per AI-handled conversation |
| Contacts and CRM | Tags as a lightweight sales pipeline, CRM through Zapier, Make, or n8n | Contact management, HubSpot from Pro | Lifecycle stages, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations | Contact profiles and groups, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations |
| Channels | WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, website widget | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, LINE, WeChat, Viber, email, SMS, TikTok, web chat, VoIP | WhatsApp, email, live chat, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, voice | |
| Integrations | Zapier, Make, n8n, API, MCP | HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Shopify, WooCommerce, Zapier, Make, Klaviyo, API | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zendesk, Shopify, Zapier, Make, n8n, API, MCP | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Shopify, WooCommerce, API from Pro |
| Support | 24/7 human support, first response in under 30 minutes on Premium | 24/7 email and chat on Pro | 24/7 human and AI support | Monday to Friday, 09:30 to 18:30 CET, phone support from Pro |
| Setup | One click from the dashboard, live in minutes | Dedicated onboarding included with annual plans | 7-day free trial, 28-day onboarding program available as an add-on | Personalized onboarding on all plans |
Channel, integration, and support details come from each provider’s own pages.[6][7][8][9][10]
If you want to see how the €99 Premium plan compares with the plan your team uses today, talk to us and check the plan table on our Inbox page. Our guide to managing WhatsApp as a team with a shared inbox covers the setup.
What a Team Inbox Costs After October 1, 2026
From October 1, 2026, Meta charges for service messages, the free-form replies a business sends inside the 24-hour window after a customer writes, at the same rate as utility messages in each country.[11] Every business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages per month, and Meta charges from the 1,001st. Most of what a team sends from an inbox is service replies, so the per-message rate now weighs as much as the subscription. Our guide to service message charging from October 1, 2026 covers the change.
The rates below are Meta’s and each provider’s published rates for Germany, in US dollars per message.
| Message type | Meta’s rate | 360Dialog | WATI (Growth and Pro) | Respond.io | Trengo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | $0.1365 | $0.1365 | $0.2184 | $0.1365 | Meta’s rate card |
| Utility | $0.0550 | $0.0550 | $0.0990 | $0.0550 | Meta’s rate card |
| Service, from October 1, 2026 | $0.0550 after 1,000 free | $0.0550 after 1,000 free | $0.0660 after 1,000 free | $0.0550 after 1,000 free | Meta’s rate card |
WATI’s rate card, dated October 1, 2026, applies to its Growth and Pro plans, with a discount on Business.[12] WATI’s help center states that service messages are billable per message on all plans from October 1, 2026, with current rates shown inside the customer’s wallet.[13] Respond.io states that customers pay only what Meta charges, with no markup.[14] Trengo refers customers to Meta’s rate card and states that it cannot change or discount those rates.[15]
The example below models one month for a five-person team in Germany that sends 8,000 service replies, of which 7,000 are billable, and one broadcast of 2,000 marketing messages, to 1,500 contacts.
| Cost component | 360Dialog | WATI | Respond.io | Trengo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | €99 (Premium) | €119 (Pro) | $159 (Growth) | €299 (Boost) plus broadcasting add-on, price not published |
| 2,000 marketing messages | $273.00 | $436.80 | $273.00 | $273.00 at Meta’s rate |
| 7,000 billable service replies | $385.00 | $462.00 | $385.00 | $385.00 at Meta’s rate |
| Contacts or conversations | Not charged | Not charged | $60.00 for 500 contacts above 1,000 | Service conversations free, others count toward 6,000 per year |
| Published monthly total | €99 plus $658.00 | €119 plus $898.80 | $877.00 | €299 plus $658.00 plus the broadcasting add-on |
| Approximate total* | €685.19 | €919.71 | €781.29 | €885.19 plus the broadcasting add-on |
*This example is for illustration purposes only. To compare totals in one currency, convert US dollar amounts at the European Central Bank reference rate for October 2, 2026, of €1 = $1.1225.[17] Exchange rates, provider prices and Meta’s message rates change over time. Your provider or bank may also use a different rate, so check each provider’s current pricing before you decide.
If the same team grows to ten people, the ten-user row in the comparison table applies: 360Dialog, Respond.io Growth, and Trengo Boost keep the same subscription, and WATI Pro adds €39 per extra user each month. All figures are estimates from public pricing on October 2, 2026, and actual costs depend on country, message mix, currency, and plan.
Where Each Tool Falls Short
Each of the four inboxes has a limit that shows up as your team or your message volume grows.
- WATI: Its published marketing, utility, and service rates are higher than Meta’s, so its message costs rise faster with volume. The Growth plan covers three users with no option to add more, and automation triggers are capped at 1,000 to 5,000 per month depending on the plan.
- Respond.io: The Starter plan has no broadcasts. Growth and Advanced bill per Monthly Active Contact above 1,000, at $12 per 100 contacts on Growth, so the bill grows with the number of people you talk to.
- Trengo: The lowest plan starts at €299 per month with ten users, so a team of two or three pays for more seats than it needs. Broadcasting is an add-on, AI-handled conversations cost €0.25 each, conversations above the allowance cost €15 per 100 on annual billing, and support runs on weekday business hours.
- 360Dialog Inbox: The inbox covers WhatsApp only, with no built-in chatbot builder, and contact management runs on tags. Teams that want a chatbot or a full CRM connect one through Zapier, Make, n8n, or a partner tool.
If your team needs a chatbot builder or a full CRM on its WhatsApp number, find the right solution among our vetted partner tools and keep the same number and message rates.
Which WhatsApp Team Inbox Fits Your Team
360Dialog fits teams whose customer conversations happen on WhatsApp, from a small team to a large team working one use case such as sales, support, or marketing. The other three fit teams that need built-in chatbots or several channels in one inbox.
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your team works only on WhatsApp | 360Dialog | Inbox, broadcasts, and inbound WhatsApp flows in one plan, at Meta’s message rates |
| A large team handles one use case (sales, support, or marketing) on WhatsApp | 360Dialog | Unlimited users for €99 per number, so adding people leaves the price unchanged |
| A small team that only needs WhatsApp | 360Dialog | One plan, billed month to month, with no per-user fees |
| You want a chatbot builder inside the inbox | WATI | Chatbot builder on every plan |
| You talk to customers on many channels | Respond.io | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, LINE, WeChat, Viber, email, and more in one inbox |
| You want AI agents and workflow automation built in | Respond.io | AI Agents and Workflows from the Growth plan |
| You need WhatsApp, email, live chat, and voice for ten or more agents | Trengo | Omnichannel inbox with ten users included on Boost |
Teams still running WhatsApp through an unofficial app should move to an official setup first, because WhatsApp states that unofficial apps violate its Terms of Service and can lead to a temporary or permanent ban.[16]
If your team works on WhatsApp and you want every agent on one number without a per-user fee, activate your inbox on the Premium plan at €99 per number per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 360Dialog a WhatsApp BSP?
Yes. 360Dialog is an Official Meta Solution Partner at the Premier level, the highest level of the partner type formerly called BSP, which means Meta authorizes it to give businesses direct access to the WhatsApp Business API. 360Dialog Inbox runs on that official API connection, and Meta’s message fees pass through with no markup.
Does WATI Charge More Than Meta per WhatsApp Message?
Yes, on its published rate card for the Growth and Pro plans. In Germany, WATI lists $0.2184 per marketing message, $0.0990 per utility message, and $0.0660 per service message, where Meta’s rates are $0.1365, $0.0550, and $0.0550. WATI’s Business plan gets a discount on that rate card, and service messages are billable on all WATI plans from October 1, 2026.
Do WhatsApp Service Replies Cost Money From October 1, 2026?
Yes. From October 1, 2026, Meta charges each service message, a free-form reply inside the 24-hour customer service window that opens when a customer writes to you, at the utility rate for the customer’s country. Every business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages each month, and Meta charges from the 1,001st. In Germany the rate is $0.0550 per message.
How Do I Move From the WhatsApp Business App or an Unofficial App to a Team Inbox?
From the WhatsApp Business app, you can onboard your existing number to 360Dialog, keep your number and your contacts, and sync your message history. The app keeps working alongside the inbox and needs to be opened at least once every 13 days, and Official Business Account status and the Calling API are unavailable on these shared numbers. From an unofficial app, WhatsApp recommends saving your chat history, uninstalling the unofficial app, and re-registering your number on the official WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, after which you can onboard it the same way.
Sources
[1] 360Dialog, “WhatsApp Business Platform Pricing.” https://360dialog.com/pricing Accessed October 2, 2026.
[2] 360Dialog, “Shared WhatsApp Inbox for Teams.” https://360dialog.com/inbox Accessed October 2, 2026.
[3] WATI, “Pricing.” https://www.wati.io/pricing/ Accessed October 2, 2026.
[4] Respond.io, “Pricing.” https://respond.io/pricing Accessed October 2, 2026.
[5] Trengo, “Pricing.” https://trengo.com/prices Accessed October 2, 2026.
[6] WATI, homepage. https://www.wati.io/ Accessed October 2, 2026.
[7] Respond.io, “Integrations.” https://respond.io/integrations Accessed October 2, 2026.
[8] Respond.io, “Contact Us.” https://respond.io/contact Accessed October 2, 2026.
[9] Trengo, “Integrations.” https://trengo.com/integrations Accessed October 2, 2026.
[10] Trengo, “Contact Us.” https://trengo.com/contact Accessed October 2, 2026.
[11] Meta for Developers, “Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform,” including the USD rate card effective October 1, 2026. https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing Accessed October 2, 2026.
[12] WATI, “Cost per message and minute call in USD for Growth/Pro Plan,” dated October 1, 2026. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dt4sTvjXW12gXOk9y8UL-rxFlBAtNKWX/view Accessed October 2, 2026.
[13] WATI Help Center, “Message-Based Pricing: All You Need to Know.” https://support.wati.io/en/articles/11561662-message-based-pricing-all-you-need-to-know Accessed October 2, 2026.
[14] Respond.io, “Integration for WhatsApp Business Platform.” https://respond.io/integrations/whatsapp Accessed October 2, 2026.
[15] Trengo Help Center, “WhatsApp pricing changes from 1 October 2026.” https://help.trengo.com/article/whatsapp-pricing-changes-from-1-october-2026 Accessed October 2, 2026.
[16] WhatsApp Help Center, “About Unofficial Apps.” https://faq.whatsapp.com/1217634902127718 Accessed October 2, 2026.
[17] European Central Bank, “Euro foreign exchange reference rates: US dollar (USD).” https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/eurofxref-graph-usd.en.html Accessed October 6, 2026.
