The respond.io alternative: pay half or less, for life
A shared inbox, an included AI assistant, broadcasts and a sales pipeline. If you switch, you pay the lower of 50% of what you pay respond.io or the list price of the plan that matches or beats yours, for life. Compare every feature and price below, with sources.
respond.io today · team of 5
ChatSales, matching plan · BasicUS$49/moWhat is respond.io?
respond.io is a customer conversation platform that brings WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, email, website chat and other channels into one AI-assisted team inbox. It positions itself for mid-market B2C businesses that have outgrown lightweight tools; it's headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, started as Rocketbots in 2017, and says 10,000+ brands in 180+ countries use it.
Why teams look for respond.io alternatives
- The entry Starter plan ($99/month, or $79/month billed yearly) leaves out Broadcasts, Workflows automation and AI Agents; those start at Growth ($199/month, or $159/month billed yearly). ↗
- Pricing scales with monthly active contacts: plans start at 1,000 MACs, and going over is billed at $12 per 100 MACs on Growth and $15 per 100 on Advanced, so a busy month can raise the bill. ↗
- It's built as an inbox rather than a sales CRM: no pipeline or deal-stage feature appears on its pricing page, and some reviewers on G2 mention missing pipeline features as a reason they looked elsewhere. ↗ ↗
- Some reviewers on G2 and Capterra mention the price is high for small or growing teams, and individual reviewers mention no weekend support and a rejected refund request after downtime. ↗ ↗
When respond.io is still the better choice
Stay with respond.io if you're a mid-sized B2C team handling high message volume across many channels and you want Meta's WhatsApp rates passed through without usage markup, along with the ease of use and onboarding reviewers frequently praise.
Sources (checked 2026-10-12)
What respond.io users say in reviews
What they like
What they complain about
- Price: reviewers call it expensive, especially for small or growing teams. ↗ ↗
- Missing sales-pipeline features, cited by some reviewers who switched tools because of it. ↗
- Messaging glitches such as syncing problems, editing limits and delayed replies. ↗
- No weekend support, according to one reviewer, and a rejected refund request after downtime, according to another. ↗ ↗
Ratings and themes from public review sites, checked 2026-10-12. We paraphrase; follow the links for the full reviews.
respond.io vs ChatSales: the questions buyers ask
| Question | respond.io | ChatSales |
|---|---|---|
| What does a team of 5 pay per month? | Starter is $99/month ($79/month billed yearly) and appears to include 5 users, but it has no Broadcasts, Workflows or AI Agents. Growth, which adds them, is $199/month ($159/month yearly) and appears to include 10 users. WhatsApp fees and MAC overage are extra. ↗ | US$49/mo (Basic plan, 5 users); US$39/mo billed annually |
| Does it mark up Meta's per-message fees? | No. respond.io says it's an official WhatsApp partner 'with no usage markups or hidden fees'; WhatsApp fees aren't included in the subscription and are paid through a credit top-up. ↗ ↗ | 0% markup: you pay Meta directly with your own payment method |
| Can I keep my number and use the WhatsApp Business app at the same time (coexistence)? | Yes. It documents a WhatsApp Business App (Coexistence) quick start. ↗ | Yes: keep the WhatsApp Business app and the API on the same number (if your number meets Meta's conditions) |
| Is there a visual sales pipeline? | No pipeline or deal-stage feature appears on its pricing page, and some G2 reviewers cite missing pipeline features. ↗ ↗ | Yes: visual kanban pipeline, multiple pipelines, value and owner per deal |
| Is AI included or an add-on? | AI Prompt and AI Assist are on all plans; AI Agents start at Growth. The FAQ also describes AI credit overage at $15 per 1,000 credits. ↗ | Included in every plan up to a usage limit; then pay as you go |
| Is there a free trial? | Yes, 7 days with no credit card, giving Growth features for 5 users and 1,000 MACs; broadcasts are excluded during the trial. ↗ | Yes, free trial |
Brands that use our platform
respond.io vs ChatSales: a quick feature comparison
Both put your chats in one place. Here is where they differ, row by row, from each vendor's public pages.
| ChatSales | respond.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Price and billing | ||
| Cost for a team of 5, per month | US$49 Basic plan, 5 seats | ≥ US$199 (Growth plan; doesn't publish how many seats it includes) ↗ |
| Cheapest plan | US$29/mo 3 users | US$99/mo · 5 users ↗ |
| Price per user (cheapest plan) | US$9.67 | US$19.80 ↗ |
| How you pay Meta's fees | Official API: directly to Meta, 0% markup | Official API: directly to Meta, 0% markup ↗ |
| Free trial | Yes | 7 days ↗ |
| Official WhatsApp API | ↗ | |
| WhatsApp coexistence (app + API) | ↗ | |
| Broadcasts | ↗ | |
| Channels and inbox | ||
| Supported channels | ↗ | |
| Shared team inbox | ↗ | |
| Instagram DMs | ↗ | |
| Facebook Messenger | ↗ | |
| Spanish interface | ↗ | |
| Sales and automation | ||
| Sales pipeline (CRM) | Not published ↗ | |
| No-code flow builder | ↗ | |
| AI | ||
| AI assistant that replies | Included in your plan up to a usage limit, then pay as you go | Included with capped credits ↗ |
| Switching | ||
| Refund | 100% in your first 7 days (if you switch) | No refunds per its terms ↗ |
| Your price | Half or less of what you pay, for life | |
| Export your contacts | Not published ↗ | |
| Free migration guide | Not published | |
Why ChatSales is the best alternative to respond.io
Pay half or less, for life
- Switch from respond.io and pay the lower of 50% of your bill or our list price for the plan that matches or beats yours, for life.
- Pay Meta's fees directly to Meta on the official API: 0% markup.
- 100% refund in your first 7 days if you switch.
AI included, not an add-on
- An AI assistant that answers 24/7 from your own business info.
- It hands the chat to your team when a customer wants to buy.
- Included in every plan up to a usage limit; then pay as you go.
Switch in a day, on your own
- Keep your WhatsApp number with the official API or coexistence.
- Import your contacts from CSV with our free step-by-step guide.
- Try it free first. No card, no contract.
Switch from respond.io in 4 steps, on your own
- 1Gather your respond.io contacts in a CSV file (check what respond.io lets you export).
- 2Create your ChatSales account and try it for free.
- 3Import your contacts with their tags using our free step-by-step guide.
- 4Connect your WhatsApp number through the official API or coexistence: you keep your number.
If you switch and ChatSales isn't for you in your first 7 days, we refund 100%.
Everything your team needs to sell by chat
Click any of these in the live demo. No sign-up.
Every chat in one shared inbox
WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger land in one place, with owners, tags and notes. Nobody answers twice and no lead waits.
Sofía R.AssignAutomations and AI that work while you sleep
Describe what you want in a sentence and Copilot builds the flow. The AI answers from your info, tags the chat and assigns it.
A sales pipeline built from your chats
Every conversation becomes a deal with a stage and a value. Drag it forward and see what's about to close.
Know what your chats sell
New leads, messages, first reply time and sales per period, per channel and per agent.
What you'd pay if you switch from respond.io
| Your respond.io plan | You pay today | Your ChatSales plan (matches or beats) |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | US$99 | Mini US$29−US$70 |
| Growth | US$199 | Mini US$29−US$170 |
| Advanced | US$349 | Mini US$29−US$320 |
respond.io's plans today
Starter
Big wins for small teams: Manage conversations across all channels collaboratively and achieve your business goals.
Includes:
- Team & Custom Inboxes
- Mobile App
- AI Prompt
- AI Assist
- Basic Reports
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
- Growth Widgets
Growth Popular
For growth-oriented teams: Track marketing campaign engagement and maximize conversions with automation and AI.
Everything in Starter, plus:
- Broadcasts
- Workflows automation
- AI Agents
- Advanced Reports
- Zapier & Make Integrations
- Developer API
Advanced
For tech-savvy teams: Scale with advanced integrations, multiple workspaces and enhanced security.
Everything in Growth, plus:
- Mask Phone Number & Email Address
- Multiple Workspaces
- HTTP Requests in Workflows
- Incoming & Outgoing Webhooks
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Custom Channels
Enterprise
Tailored solutions for large teams: Double down on what works with unlimited users, more workspaces and higher API rate limits.
Everything in Advanced, Plus:
- Unlimited Users
- Higher limit of workspaces
- Higher API rate limits
6 other respond.io alternatives and what they cost
Public monthly price for a team of 5 users and one strength of each, from its own website. ChatSales comes first because this is our page.
- 1
ChatSales
US$49/mo · team of 5
Half or less of what you pay today, for life, when you switch; AI included in every plan (up to a usage limit); 7-day refund.
- 2
SleekFlow
US$139/mo · team of 5
Full omnichannel: integrates WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Line and live chat into one interface. ↗
SleekFlow alternatives → - 3
Wati
US$149/mo · team of 5
Transparent published USD pricing across tiers: Growth $69, Pro $149, Business $349/mo, no quote needed. ↗
Wati alternatives → - 4
Kommo
US$175/mo · team of 5
Its Base plan already includes the official WhatsApp API, a kanban pipeline and basic AI suggestions. ↗
Kommo alternatives → - 5
ManyChat
US$149/mo · team of 5
Has a permanent free plan (25 active contacts, 2 channels, 1 user) plus a 14-day trial. ↗
ManyChat alternatives → - 6
Interakt
US$49/mo · team of 5
Accessible USD pricing: Starter $12, Growth $55, Advanced $69/mo. ↗
Interakt alternatives → - 7
Gallabox
US$331/mo · team of 5
Omnichannel inbox covering WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and comments, and a web widget. ↗
Gallabox alternatives →
Real use cases from teams that sell by chat
Use-case stories with example conversations.
Frequently asked questions
Which businesses is respond.io best for?
Where respond.io is strong: States it adds no markup to Meta's per-message fees on the official API. Its data export tool (where available) covers contacts, conversations and messages over up to 365 days. Has a full Spanish-language pricing page with the same USD prices. ChatSales fits teams that sell by chat and want a sales pipeline, AI and broadcasts at a public, flat price.
Why do I need a respond.io alternative?
Teams usually look for one because of cost and limits. The included AI agent is metered: extra AI credits cost $15 per 1,000 and are capped at 200% of the plan allowance. Beyond the 5 included seats, each user costs +$12/$20/$24 per month (annual) or $15/$25/$30 (monthly). Broadcasts require the Growth plan ($159) or higher.
What makes ChatSales the best respond.io alternative?
Half or less of what you pay today, for life, on the plan that matches or beats yours; an AI assistant included in every plan; Meta's fees paid directly to Meta with 0% markup; and a 7-day refund if you switch.
What is the difference between respond.io and ChatSales pricing?
For a team of 5, respond.io costs US$199 a month; ChatSales Basic costs US$49, and if you switch you pay the lower of 50% of your bill or that list price, for life.
Will I lose my WhatsApp number if I switch from respond.io?
No. Your number connects to ChatSales through the official WhatsApp API or coexistence; Meta runs that process. For coexistence, your number must have been active on the WhatsApp Business app for at least 7 days.
What happens to my respond.io history?
The tags, notes and stages you have inside respond.io don't move on their own: export them (for example, your contacts as CSV) before you cancel and import them into ChatSales with the migration guide.
Do I have to pay to try it?
No. You start free with trial credits, no card needed. If you switch from another platform, you also have 7 days to ask for 100% of what you paid ChatSales back.
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