respond.io vs Trengo
We give respond.io a 2.6 GPA and Trengo a 2.2, out of 4.0. respond.io grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
respond.io
Team inbox for WhatsApp, social chats, email and calls with AI agents
Trengo
Shared inbox for WhatsApp, email and chat with AI agents, in euros
How we grade them
| 2.6GPArespond.ioGood | 2.2GPATrengoFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | DBoost is €299 a month billed yearly (€349 monthly) for up to 10 users, so a team of five pays about €60 a head, well above the dearest tenth of help desks at $39. On your own, it's the full €299. It does include 6,000 conversations a year and the WhatsApp API. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CA 7-day free trial with no card needed, which is short for a tool this costly. There's no free plan after it. |
| Features | 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. | BOne inbox for email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, chat and SMS, the HelpMate AI agent, a help center, multi-step automations and links to stores, CRMs and booking sites. Phone calling is an add-on, but the job is covered. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You connect the WhatsApp Business API and each other channel, then set up AI flows, and the AI Journeys part is still marked as a beta. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BIt runs in a browser only, with no app for phones or computers, though you can add it to a phone's home screen. The connections help: Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Booking.com and Airbnb, plus an API. |
| Best for | support and sales over WhatsApp and social chat | WhatsApp-heavy service teams in Europe |
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: respond.io and Trengo. How we grade
Price against what you get
respond.io starts at $79 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Trengo starts at about $335.06 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and respond.io starts $256.06 a month lower. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, 4 score higher than respond.io for less, and 4 score higher than Trengo for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly). Trengo starts at €299 per month for up to 10 users, billed annually (€349 billed monthly).
- Only respond.io lists iOS and Android apps.
- respond.io also covers workflow automation.
- Trengo also covers help center.
At a glance
| respond.io | Trengo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly) | €299 per month for up to 10 users, billed annually (€349 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Growth for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, no credit card needed | 7-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Rocketbots Limited (respond.io) | Trengo |
| Price read from | respond.io | trengo.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Trengo
- European businesses that handle much of their service over WhatsApp
- Hospitality, travel and leisure companies using booking platforms
- Teams of up to 10 or 20 people who want one fixed monthly price
Worth knowing
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.
Trengo
- Prices are set in euros; the dollar view on the pricing page converts them at a live exchange rate.
- Conversations past the allowance cost €18 per 100 billed monthly (€15 yearly); AI-handled ones add €0.30 each (€0.25 yearly).
- Extra users cost €30 a month on Boost and €50 on Pro (€25 and €40 yearly); broadcasting and phone calling are add-ons.
- There are no native apps: Trengo runs in a browser and can be added to a phone's home screen.
Key features
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.
Trengo
- One inbox for messaging channels
- Email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok, live chat and SMS arrive in one shared inbox with assignment, labels, mentions and internal comments.
- Official WhatsApp Business API
- WhatsApp is built in on every plan, and WhatsApp service conversations are not charged; broadcast campaigns over messaging apps are an add-on.
- HelpMate AI agent
- An AI agent that suggests and sends replies on its own, with an AI surcharge on each conversation it handles and reports on how it resolves questions.
- AI Journeys
- Automations that run conversations and workflows across several steps and channels. The pricing page marks it as a beta whose packaging may change.
- Help center
- A customer help center hosted at help.trengo.com, which can be moved to your own domain.
- Store, booking and CRM links
- Integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, HubSpot and Salesforce, and with holiday and booking platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb.
Plans
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.
Trengo
Boost€299
per month for up to 10 users, billed annually (€349 billed monthly)
Unified inbox, WhatsApp Business API, website widget, auto and quick replies; 6,000 conversations a year billed annually, or 500 a month billed monthly.
Pro€499
per month for up to 20 users, billed annually (€599 billed monthly)
Adds API actions in AI flows, custom integrations through the API, enforced 2FA and phone support; 18,000 conversations a year, or 1,500 a month.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom users and conversations, custom-built integrations and channels, a dedicated success manager and full voice integration. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
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.
Trengo
- Annual discount
Up to 20% off with annual billing
Trengo's pricing page says annual billing saves up to 20%: Boost is €299 a month billed annually against €349 monthly, and Pro €499 against €599.
