Gupshup pricing in 2026: the per-message fee, Meta's charges, and what you will actually pay
Gupshup's price list is one line long, which is both its appeal and its trap. This page is for businesses that like the low fee and want to know the full monthly cost before signing up: what Gupshup charges as of October 2026, what Meta adds, what sits outside the price list, and what three realistic volumes cost.
Quick answer
Gupshup's self-serve WhatsApp API costs $0.001 per message, charged on outgoing templates and on session messages in both directions, with media above 64KB free. Meta's per-message fees are billed on top at actual rates, after 1,000 free service messages per number a month. A small Indian business sending 12,500 messages a month pays about $54. Enterprise features are quoted by sales.
What does Gupshup charge for WhatsApp?
On its self-serve plan, Gupshup charges a standard $0.001 per message. Meta's WhatsApp fees are billed separately "at actuals", meaning at Meta's own rates. The self-serve page lists no monthly platform fee.
| Gupshup fee component | Price in USD |
|---|---|
| Template message, outgoing | $0.0010 |
| Session message, outgoing and incoming | $0.0010 |
| Media above 64KB, outgoing | Free |
| Voice calls, user or business initiated | $0.0001 per second (about $0.006 a minute) |
| Markup over Meta's marketing fee (non-MM Lite) | Not applicable |
Taken from Gupshup's self-serve WhatsApp API pricing page, checked October 2026. A "session message" is a normal free-text message inside the 24-hour customer service window. Because incoming session messages also carry the $0.001 fee, a ten-message support chat costs one cent in Gupshup fees whichever side typed more.
Gupshup also sells an enterprise platform with chatbots, campaign tools and AI agents. The self-serve page points to sales for enterprise features and pricing, and does not publish those figures.
What does Meta add on top of Gupshup's fee?
Meta charges per delivered message by category and by the recipient's country, and Gupshup passes that through. Since 1 October 2026, the first 1,000 service messages per business number each month are free of Meta's fee; after that, service replies are charged too.
- Marketing templates: offers and announcements, the most expensive category. In India Meta's list rate is about $0.0118 a message.
- Utility and authentication templates: order updates, reminders and one-time codes. About $0.0014 in India, $0.0157 in the UAE.
- Service messages: free text inside the 24-hour window, free for the first 1,000 a month, then charged at the utility rate for that market.
- Free entry point: chats that start from a click-to-WhatsApp ad, where you reply within 24 hours, are free of Meta's fee for up to 7 days. Gupshup lists this window as its own line.
Rates above are Meta's US dollar list rates as republished in Twilio's WhatsApp calculator in October 2026; Gupshup's page shows the same categories with a country selector. Indian businesses billed in rupees should check the INR rate card on Meta's pricing page. For the background on categories, see WhatsApp Business API pricing explained.
What does Gupshup cost at different volumes?
For an Indian business, the Gupshup fee stays small at every volume; Meta's marketing charge is what grows. The table assumes recipients in India, one number, and a mix of 40% incoming, 40% service replies and 20% marketing templates.
| Messages a month | Gupshup fee | Meta fee | Total | Same volume on Twilio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,500 (1,000 in, 1,000 service, 500 marketing) | $2.50 | $5.90 | $8.40 | $18.40 |
| 10,000 (4,000 in, 4,000 service, 2,000 marketing) | $10.00 | $27.80 | $37.80 | $77.80 |
| 40,000 (16,000 in, 16,000 service, 8,000 marketing) | $40.00 | $115.40 | $155.40 | $315.40 |
Meta fee working for the middle row: 2,000 marketing x $0.0118 = $23.60, plus (4,000 minus 1,000 free) service replies x $0.0014 = $4.20. The Twilio column uses Twilio's $0.005 per message with the same Meta fees. Our full Twilio WhatsApp pricing breakdown shows where that figure comes from.
What two real businesses would pay
Both are hypothetical businesses using Meta's list rates.
Neither figure includes anything to read and answer the messages with. That is the next section.
What does the Gupshup price not cover?
The self-serve fee buys message delivery through the official WhatsApp Business API. The work around it is yours, and it is where most of the real cost of a Gupshup setup sits.
- An inbox for your team. The API sends and receives; someone has to build or connect a screen where staff read and reply.
- Bots and AI replies. Automated answers mean building a flow on the API, connecting a third-party tool, or buying Gupshup's enterprise products through sales.
- Developer time. Setting up the business account, registering the number, getting templates approved and handling webhooks is technical work. Our guide to getting WhatsApp Business API access lists the steps.
- Taxes. GST or VAT may be added depending on where you are billed.
Is Gupshup good value?
Yes, if you have developers and real volume. At $0.001 per message, Gupshup's own fee is a fifth of Twilio's, and at high volume that gap is hundreds of dollars a month. It is less good value for a five-person business with no developer, because the money saved on fees is spent building what inbox tools include.
Pick Gupshup if
You have engineers, send thousands of templates, want the official API with no number risk, need other channels such as SMS or RCS from the same company, or are large enough to negotiate an enterprise deal.
Look elsewhere if
You want staff answering from a dashboard this week, you need a predictable monthly figure, or most of your WhatsApp is answering enquiries rather than sending campaigns.
A quick way to decide: add up a month of developer time at your local rate and divide it by the fee saving against an inbox tool. If the build takes 40 hours and the saving is $30 a month, you are more than a year from breaking even. If you already have a developer maintaining your systems, or you send tens of thousands of messages, the sums tip the other way. Compare the result against a flat plan such as ReplyKit's three plans before you commit.
How does Gupshup compare with simpler tools?
We make ReplyKit, a competing product, so treat this section with that in mind. Here is how Gupshup sits against two other ways of paying for WhatsApp, using prices checked this month.
| Gupshup self-serve | DoubleTick Starter (yearly) | ReplyKit Starter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform fee | None listed | ₹3,000 a month, billed ₹36,000 a year | $29 |
| Per-message fee | $0.001 | Not stated on the pricing page | None |
| Meta fees | Yes, at actuals | Yes | None |
| Team inbox | Build or connect | Included, 5 agents | Included |
| AI replies | Build or enterprise | Pro plan with the AI add-on | 1,000 a month included |
| Connection | Official API | Official API | Unofficial QR pairing |
The last row decides a lot. ReplyKit connects by scanning a QR code to link your number as a device. That is unofficial, not the WhatsApp Business API and not sanctioned by Meta, so a number can be restricted; please read will WhatsApp ban my number for automation? and use a dedicated number. It only replies to people who message you first, so it cannot send the marketing templates in the Pune example. If your WhatsApp is mostly enquiries and bookings, you can try ReplyKit free for 7 days. For more options see Gupshup alternatives, DoubleTick pricing and the comparison of Wati vs Gupshup.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Gupshup charge per WhatsApp message?
On the self-serve plan, $0.001 per message for outgoing templates and for session messages in both directions. Meta's per-message fees are added on top at Meta's rates, and media above 64KB carries no Gupshup fee.
Does Gupshup have a monthly fee?
The self-serve WhatsApp API page lists no monthly platform fee, only per-message and per-second charges. Enterprise plans with extra features are priced by Gupshup's sales team.
Are service messages free on Gupshup?
Meta's first 1,000 service messages per number each month are free of Meta's fee, but Gupshup's $0.001 still applies. After 1,000, Meta charges service messages since 1 October 2026.
Is Gupshup cheaper than Twilio?
On the platform fee, yes: $0.001 a message against Twilio's $0.005. Meta's part is the same on both, so the saving grows with volume and matters most where Meta's rates are low, such as India.
Does Gupshup charge for WhatsApp calls?
Gupshup lists $0.0001 per second for user-initiated and business-initiated calls. Meta also charges per minute on business-initiated calls, while user-initiated calls carry no Meta fee.
Do I need a developer to use Gupshup?
For the self-serve API, usually yes. It handles message delivery, while the inbox, bots and integrations need to be built or connected. Businesses without a developer often prefer a tool with a ready inbox.
Mostly answering enquiries, not sending campaigns?
ReplyKit's AI agent answers and books on WhatsApp from $29 a month, with no per-message fees. Start a 7-day free trial with 300 AI replies, no credit card needed.
Sources and further reading
- Gupshup, WhatsApp API self-serve pricing · $0.001 per message, media and voice fees, Meta fees at actuals, checked October 2026
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing · per-message categories, 1,000 free service messages from 1 October 2026, free entry point
- Twilio, WhatsApp messaging pricing · Meta's per-country list rates in USD and Twilio's $0.005 fee, used for the comparison
- DoubleTick, pricing · Starter plan price used in the comparison table
- ReplyKit, Will WhatsApp ban my number for automation? · the risk of unofficial QR pairing
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. Prices for other vendors are taken from their public pricing pages as checked in October 2026 and may change. This article is general guidance, not financial advice.