AiSensy vs respond.io
We give AiSensy a 2.4 GPA and respond.io a 2.6, out of 4.0. respond.io grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AiSensy
WhatsApp API for broadcasts, retargeting and click-to-WhatsApp ads
respond.io
Team inbox for WhatsApp, social chats, email and calls with AI agents
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAAiSensyFair | 2.6GPArespond.ioGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBasic is $40.50 a month billed yearly ($45 monthly), with broadcasts to unlimited contacts. Against its WhatsApp rivals, the fairer test here, that's cheaper than any of their dollar plans. Meta's per-message charges are prepaid separately with no US figure given, and chatbots cost $80 a month more. | BStarter is $79 a month for up to 5 users billed annually ($99 monthly), so a team of five pays a price per head inside the cheaper quarter of help desks. One person pays the whole $79. Workflows, AI agents and the API start on Growth at $159, and Meta's WhatsApp fees come on top. |
| Free plan and trial | CA Free Forever plan with the WhatsApp API, Blue Tick application, click-to-WhatsApp ads, unlimited contacts and the inbox. But no broadcasting, which is the main thing you'd come here for. | CNo free plan, but a 7-day free trial of Growth for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, with no credit card needed. A week is short, but it's enough to plug in WhatsApp and see how the inbox feels. |
| Features | CBroadcasts, retargeting, click-to-WhatsApp ads and a shared inbox, all done well for WhatsApp. But it's WhatsApp only, and chatbots ($80 a month) and the AI agent ($50 a month) are add-ons rather than part of the plan. | BThe whole job, with more channels than most: WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, Viber, LINE, WeChat, chat, email and SMS in one inbox, calls in the same thread, AI agents, workflows, broadcasts and lifecycle stages. Starter leaves the automation out. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. You'll need a WhatsApp API number set up, templates written and a prepaid balance for Meta's charges before the first broadcast. | CNo App Store rating on record. Each channel needs connecting, WhatsApp included, then there are workflows, AI agents and lifecycle stages to set up, and a contact tier to keep an eye on. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Shopify, WooCommerce, Razorpay, LeadSquared, WebEngage, Integrately and webhook APIs. No desktop app, which an A needs. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with the full inbox on every plan, plus HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Shopify, Zapier, Make, Calendly and Google Sheets, and a developer API from Growth. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | WhatsApp broadcasts for Indian businesses | support and sales over WhatsApp and social chat |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AiSensy and respond.io. How we grade
Where they differ
- AiSensy starts at $40.50 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly). respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
- AiSensy has a free plan. respond.io does not, though it has a free trial.
- AiSensy also covers marketing automation, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- respond.io also covers workflow automation, live chat and AI support agent.
At a glance
| AiSensy | respond.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $40.50 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly) | $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free Forever: the WhatsApp Business API, Blue Tick application, click-to-WhatsApp ads, unlimited contacts, templates and the live chat inbox. No broadcasting. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of Growth for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, no credit card needed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | AiSensy Communications Private Limited | Rocketbots Limited (respond.io) |
| Price read from | aisensy.com | respond.io |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
AiSensy
- Businesses in India marketing to customers on WhatsApp
- Online stores sending offers and cart reminders to WhatsApp contacts
- Teams running click-to-WhatsApp ads on a small budget
respond.io
- Consumer businesses that sell and support customers over WhatsApp
- Teams handling leads from Meta and TikTok ads in chat
- Field or hybrid teams who answer chats and calls from their phones
Worth knowing
AiSensy
- Meta's per-message charges are prepaid into a separate balance at country rates, with no US figure on the USD page; the first 1,000 service replies a month are free.
- Chatbots ($80 a month) and the AI agent ($50 a month for 1,000 AI messages) are add-ons on top of any plan.
- The main pricing page is in rupees for India; dollar prices are on a separate international page.
- Agent seats are fixed by plan: 5 on Basic and Pro, 9 on Premium, with extra seats added on request.
respond.io
- WhatsApp fees are charged by Meta on top of the plan, and SMS and VoIP are billed at the provider's rates.
- Contacts past the tier cost $12 per 100 on Growth and $15 per 100 on Advanced; extra AI credits are $15 per 1,000.
- Extra users cost $12, $20 and $24 a month on Starter, Growth and Advanced billed yearly ($15, $25 and $30 monthly).
- Starter has no broadcasts, workflows, AI agents or developer API; those start on Growth.
Key features
AiSensy
- Broadcasts and retargeting
- Template campaigns to segments of unlimited contacts, from Basic, with scheduling, click tracking and budget analytics from Pro.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads manager
- Run Meta ads that open a WhatsApp chat from inside AiSensy, on every plan including Free, with 1,000 free ad credits.
- Shared team inbox
- Multi-agent live chat with agent transfer and manager monitoring; Pro adds routing rules and custom agent assignment.
- Chatbot add-on
- A drag-and-drop builder for up to 5 keyword and rule-based flows, with WhatsApp cart and catalog steps, for $80 a month.
- AI agent add-on
- An AI agent that answers from a knowledge base and remembers past chats, for $50 a month including 1,000 AI messages.
- Store integrations
- Shopify and WooCommerce on paid plans, plus Razorpay, LeadSquared, WebEngage and webhook APIs.
respond.io
- One inbox for messaging channels
- WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, Viber, LINE, WeChat, a website chat widget, email (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, SMTP) and SMS through providers, in one shared inbox.
- Calls in the same thread
- WhatsApp Business calls, Messenger calls and VoIP calls sit beside the chats with that contact; recording, transcripts and summaries come from Growth.
- AI agents
- From Growth, AI agents answer questions, qualify leads, follow up and route conversations to people, drawing on AI credits that grow with the contact tier.
- Workflows and broadcasts
- Automations for routing, assignment and follow-ups, and bulk messages to segments of contacts, both from the Growth plan.
- Lifecycle stages and CRM sync
- Track each contact through lifecycle stages; HubSpot sync starts on Growth and Salesforce on Advanced.
- Native mobile apps
- iOS and Android apps with the full inbox, calls, assignments and team activity, included on every plan.
Plans
AiSensy
Free Forever$0
WhatsApp API, live chat inbox, Meta ads with 1,000 free ad credits, 10 tags. Broadcasting needs a paid plan.
Basic$40.50
per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly)
Broadcasts and retargeting at 40 messages a second, 1 owner and 5 agents, 2 segments, Shopify and WooCommerce, template APIs.
Pro$89.10
per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Adds a campaign scheduler, click tracking, smart agent routing, 10 segments, user access control and failed-message retry.
Premium$269.10
per month, billed annually ($299 billed monthly)
Adds 250 messages a second, 9 agents, number masking, downloadable reports, a webhook and priority support.
Unlimited$809.10
per month, billed annually ($899 billed monthly)
Sold through sales. Up to 200 agents, 1,000 messages a second, 3 webhooks and a dedicated account manager.
EnterpriseCustom
For 500,000+ messages a month: custom throughput, SSO and audit logs, SLA-backed support and custom contracts.
respond.io
Starter$79
per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Team and custom inboxes, mobile app, AI Assist and prompts, basic reports and 2FA. The comparison table shows unlimited monthly active contacts and 5,000 AI credits.
Growth$159
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually ($199 monthly)
10 users. Adds broadcasts, workflows, AI agents, advanced reports, Zapier and Make, and the developer API. The price rises with the contact tier you pick.
Advanced$279
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually ($349 monthly)
10 users. Adds masked phone numbers and emails, multiple workspaces, webhooks, HTTP requests, SSO and custom channels. Sold through sales; price rises with contacts.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users, more workspaces, higher API rate limits and a custom contact allowance. Priced on request.
Ways to pay less
AiSensy
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly or 5% with quarterly billing
AiSensy's USD pricing page takes 10% off for yearly billing and 5% for quarterly: Basic is $486 a year against $45 a month.
respond.io
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with yearly billing
respond.io's pricing page says yearly billing saves up to 20%: Starter is $948 a year against $1,188 billed monthly, Growth $1,908 against $2,388.
