WhatsApp Business API with ₹0 platform fee

Last updated: 2026-10-30 · By Akash Saxena, Product Manager, ChatDesq · Rates for India, excluding GST · We make ChatDesq

ChatDesq gives you the WhatsApp Business API with a ₹0 platform fee, forever. There is no monthly plan, no setup fee, no per-seat fee and no paid add-ons. You pay only per message, from a prepaid wallet. A marketing message to an Indian number costs ₹1.036. A utility, authentication or service message costs ₹0.138.

ChatDesq is a WhatsApp Business API platform for Indian D2C brands, launched in 2026 and built by Apporio Infolabs Pvt Ltd in Noida, India. It was formerly called Kontaktly.

Is there really no monthly fee?

Yes, and it stays that way. ChatDesq has one plan, called Free Forever, and it costs ₹0 a month. The ₹0 platform fee is permanent, not a trial. Every feature on the plan is included. The full plan and rate table are on the ChatDesq pricing page.

What you don't pay:

• No monthly or yearly subscription
• No setup or onboarding fee
• No per-user or per-seat fee (team members are unlimited)
• No separate fee for the AI agent or the no-code automation builder

What you do pay: WhatsApp message charges, from a prepaid wallet, plus GST on each wallet top-up.

What is included at ₹0?

Everything on the plan. The core features a D2C team needs are in the ₹0 plan:

• Shared team inbox with unlimited team members, private notes, tags and segments
• Broadcast campaigns with a template builder, scheduling and delivery/read tracking
• No-code automation flows and drip sequences
• An AI agent that answers from your own knowledge base
• REST API with scoped keys and real-time webhooks
• Roles and permissions, and phone-number masking for agents

How does ChatDesq pricing work?

You recharge a wallet, and each delivered message draws from it. The price of a message depends on its category and the recipient's country. Meta sets the base rate; ChatDesq's price is Meta's rate plus a small per-message fee. That is the only thing you pay for.

India rates on ChatDesq (excl. GST):

Sources: Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing for the categories and rules; ChatDesq pricing for ChatDesq's prices.

How it works, step by step:

1. Sign up and connect your WhatsApp Business number.
2. Recharge your ChatDesq wallet. You pay the top-up amount plus 18% GST and get a GST invoice.
3. Send templates and replies as usual. Each delivered message is deducted from the wallet at the rate above.
4. See every charge on an itemised ledger in the app.

Which WhatsApp messages are free?

Two kinds of messages cost nothing, because Meta does not charge for them and ChatDesq adds no fee:

• The first 1,000 service messages each month, per business phone number. These are free-form replies sent inside the 24-hour window after a customer messages you. From the 1,001st, Meta charges (since 2026-10-01).
• Messages in a free entry point window. When a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and you reply within the service window, Meta opens a free window that can stay open for up to 7 days.

Messages customers send to you are never charged. Source: Meta, "When Meta does not charge".

How much will I pay in a month? Worked examples

Multiply each message count by its rate, then add them up. These examples use ChatDesq's India rates above. All amounts exclude GST unless marked.

Example 1: a growing D2C brand

10,000 marketing messages + 20,000 utility messages (order and shipping updates) a month.

Example 2: a small store starting out

2,000 marketing + 5,000 utility + 3,000 service replies a month, on one WhatsApp number.

Example 3: OTPs only

50,000 authentication (OTP) messages a month.

Want to try your own numbers? Use the WhatsApp cost calculator.

What's the catch?

You pay for every message, at Meta's rate plus a small per-message fee. Here is the honest picture:

• Messages are never free on any platform. Meta charges per delivered message. A "free" WhatsApp API platform still passes Meta's rate on to you.
• Our per-message price includes our fee. ₹1.036 per marketing message; ₹0.138 for the other categories. That per-message fee is how we earn, instead of a subscription.
• Compare total cost, not just the plan fee. Other platforms charge a monthly plan fee plus their own per-message rates, and those rates differ by platform, plan and category. Work out plan fee + messages × rate at your own volume. Published rates for AiSensy, WATI, Interakt and others, with sources, are in WhatsApp Business API pricing in India.
• Meta's rates apply and can change. Meta updates rates on a published calendar. When Meta's rate changes, your per-message price follows it.
• GST is extra. 18% GST applies to each wallet top-up.
• It's prepaid. Messages draw from your wallet balance, so keep it topped up before a big campaign.

Who is a ₹0 platform fee best for?

Brands that want no fixed monthly cost, have seasonal volume, or have big teams. It fits best when:

• You are starting WhatsApp marketing and don't want a fixed monthly cost before you see results.
• Your volume goes up and down by season (sale months vs quiet months). You pay only for what you send.
• Many people need inbox access. Seats are ₹0, so adding your support and sales team costs nothing.
• You want AI replies and automation without buying add-ons.

Whatever your volume, compare total monthly cost (plan fee + messages × rate) across the platforms you shortlist before you decide. The calculator makes this quick.

How is this different from WhatsApp's free Cloud API?

Meta's Cloud API is free to access, but it has no inbox, campaigns or automation. You can connect to Meta's Cloud API directly and pay Meta's rate with no markup. You then need developers to build and run everything else: the team inbox, broadcast tool, opt-out handling, automation and reporting. ChatDesq gives you those tools at ₹0, and you pay only per message instead.

Frequently asked questions

Is there really no monthly fee for the WhatsApp Business API on ChatDesq?

Yes. ChatDesq has a ₹0 platform fee, forever. Its one plan, Free Forever, costs ₹0 a month, with no setup, seat, add-on or AI fee. You pay only for the WhatsApp messages you send, from a prepaid wallet.

So is the WhatsApp Business API free?

The platform is free; messages are not. You pay only per message: Meta's rate plus a small per-message fee. In India a marketing message costs ₹1.036 and a utility, authentication or service message costs ₹0.138 on ChatDesq, excluding GST.

What does ChatDesq charge per message?

In India, ChatDesq charges ₹1.036 per marketing message and ₹0.138 per utility, authentication or service message (service after 1,000 free per number per month), excluding GST. There is no platform fee on top.

Is ChatDesq the cheapest WhatsApp API in India?

We don't claim that. What ChatDesq offers is a ₹0 platform fee, forever, with every feature free; you pay only per message. Other platforms charge a plan fee plus their own per-message rates, so the total depends on your volume and message mix. Use the cost calculator with your own numbers.

Which WhatsApp messages are free?

Meta gives each business phone number 1,000 free service messages a month. Messages sent in a free entry point window, which opens when a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and you reply, are free for up to 7 days. ChatDesq adds no fee to messages Meta does not charge for.

Sources (all checked 2026-10-30)

• Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing: developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing
• ChatDesq pricing: chatdesq.com/pricing