Instant Broadcast vs Gupshup (2026): WhatsApp API Pricing, Features and Refunds Compared
Last updated: 6 October 2026 Ā· Reading time: 9 minutes
Instant Broadcast vs Gupshup: which is better for WhatsApp?
Instant Broadcast is the better choice for most Indian SMEs. Gupshup's published self-serve product is a WhatsApp API with a US-dollar wallet: it adds $0.001 to every message in or out, and its inbox, campaign and bot tools are enterprise products priced through sales. Instant Broadcast is a ready-to-use platform from under ā¹1,500 a month, billed in rupees, with ā¹0.15 utility messages including GST and a 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee.
Choose Instant Broadcast if you are a manufacturer, trader, clinic, coaching class or brand that wants an inbox, broadcasts and chatbot working this week, with IndiaMART and TradeIndia lead automation and phone support.
Choose Gupshup if you are a large enterprise or a software company that needs a low-fee API at very high volume, or WhatsApp together with RCS, SMS and voice.
The rest of this guide shows the numbers behind that verdict, checked against both companies' public pages on 6 October 2026. Rupee figures for Gupshup use ā¹96 per US dollar.
Key differences at a glance
- Product type: Instant Broadcast is a finished platform. Gupshup's published self-serve offer is API access; its Conversation Cloud tools are sold to enterprises through its sales team.
- Billing: Instant Broadcast bills in rupees with GST included in message rates. Gupshup's self-serve wallet works in US dollars.
- Per-message cost: Gupshup adds $0.001 to every message, incoming and outgoing, on top of Meta's fee. A utility message works out to about ā¹0.23 before taxes against ā¹0.15 on Instant Broadcast.
- Refund: Instant Broadcast refunds 100% of the subscription within 30 days. Gupshup's wallet credits are non-refundable, with one exception for an unused recharge claimed within 7 days.
- Best fit: Instant Broadcast for Indian SMEs; Gupshup for enterprises and developers.
| What you are comparing | Instant Broadcast | Gupshup |
|---|---|---|
| Official WhatsApp Business API | Yes | Yes |
| Meta partner | Yes | Yes |
| What the published price buys | Ready-to-use platform: inbox, broadcasts, chatbot builder | WhatsApp API access |
| Monthly platform fee | Under ā¹1,500/month (see plans) | None on self-serve; enterprise pricing on request |
| Platform fee per message | None on top of the listed rate | $0.001 (about 10 paise) on every message, in or out |
| Marketing message, India | ā¹1.12, GST included | About ā¹1.23 before taxes |
| Utility message, India | ā¹0.15, GST included | About ā¹0.23 before taxes |
| Billing currency | Indian rupees | US dollars, prepaid wallet |
| Team inbox and campaign tools | Included in every plan | Enterprise products, price not published |
| Chatbot flow builder | Included in every plan | Bot Studio, enterprise product |
| IndiaMART and TradeIndia lead sync | Direct sync | Custom integration |
| Refund | 30-day, 100% money back on subscription | Non-refundable; unused recharge only, within 7 days |
| Support | Phone, screen-share and WhatsApp included | Support portal and documentation |
| Other channels | WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, RCS, voice |
Sources: Instant Broadcast pricing, Gupshup WhatsApp API pricing, Gupshup wallet documentation, Gupshup terms and conditions. Gupshup's India message costs are its $0.001 fee plus Meta's US-dollar rate for India, converted at ā¹96 per dollar.
What is the difference between Instant Broadcast and Gupshup?
Instant Broadcast is software you log in to and use. Gupshup is a large messaging infrastructure company with two very different offers, and which one you get depends on your size.
The first is its self-serve WhatsApp API, with pricing published on its website. You pay per message from a prepaid wallet and connect it to your own systems. The second is Gupshup Conversation Cloud, which adds AI agents, Campaign Manager, Bot Studio and Agent Assist. Gupshup's pricing page sends you to its sales team for enterprise features and pricing, so there is no public price for these.
Instant Broadcast gives a small business the working tools on day one: bulk broadcasts with a scheduler, a shared inbox for your team, a chatbot flow builder, contact tags and lead integrations, at a price printed on the website.
How much do Instant Broadcast and Gupshup cost in India?
On messages alone, Instant Broadcast costs less for an Indian business, and its price includes the software. Gupshup's API fee is small, but it is charged on every message in both directions, in dollars, before taxes and before any inbox.
1. Per-message cost
Meta's rate card for messages delivered in India is ā¹0.8631 for marketing and ā¹0.115 for utility, authentication and service messages. In US dollars, the same card is $0.0118 and $0.0014.
- Instant Broadcast charges ā¹1.12 per marketing message and ā¹0.15 per utility, authentication or service message. These rates include GST and are billed in rupees.
- Gupshup charges Meta's fee plus $0.001 for each template message and each session message, incoming or outgoing. For India that is about $0.0128 per marketing message and $0.0024 per utility message: roughly ā¹1.23 and ā¹0.23 at ā¹96 per dollar, before taxes.
Gupshup's billing guide also describes a 6% markup on WhatsApp's fee for some marketing messages, which would lift the marketing figure to about ā¹1.30.
| Monthly volume | Instant Broadcast | Gupshup |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 marketing messages | ā¹56,000 | About ā¹61,440 |
| 20,000 utility messages | ā¹3,000 | About ā¹4,610 |
| 10,000 customer replies received | No charge listed | About ā¹960 |
| Message cost for the month | ā¹59,000, GST included | About ā¹67,010, before taxes |
On this volume, messages cost about ā¹8,000 a month less on Instant Broadcast, before taxes are added to Gupshup's side. Because Gupshup's wallet is in dollars, its rupee cost also moves with the exchange rate.
2. Platform and software
Instant Broadcast's starting plan is priced below ā¹1,500 a month and includes broadcasting, the chatbot flow builder, contact manager, tags and the multi-agent inbox.
Gupshup charges no subscription for self-serve API access. Its team inbox, campaign manager, bot builder and AI agents sit in Conversation Cloud, and you need a quote to know what they cost. For a small business, that means either building your own screens on the API or entering an enterprise sales process.
3. Wallet and currency
Gupshup's self-serve wallet works in US dollars, with a minimum recharge of $10 and a maximum of $10,000 per transaction. Instant Broadcast's wallet is in rupees, with message-by-message deduction logs.
Run your own volumes through the Instant Broadcast cost calculator.
Which one gives your money back?
Instant Broadcast. It refunds 100% of your subscription fee if you ask within 30 days. Gupshup's wallet documentation says credits are non-refundable, and its terms say no refunds are given for any reason, including unused services, apart from one narrow case.
How the Instant Broadcast guarantee works
- Subscribe to any Instant Broadcast plan and use the platform with your real customers.
- If you are not satisfied, contact support within 30 days of your payment.
- Your subscription fee is refunded in full.
The guarantee covers the platform subscription. Wallet balance spent on messages is not covered, because those charges are paid to Meta for messages already delivered. Third-party fees, such as number registration, are also outside it.
What Gupshup's terms say
Gupshup's wallet documentation states that credits added to the wallet are non-transferable and non-refundable. Its terms and conditions say no refunds will be given to customers outside Latin America for any reason, including unused services, and that subscription fees are payable for the full term even if you cancel early.
There is one exception for the WhatsApp self-serve platform. If you have not used it since recharging and you ask in writing within 7 days of the recharge, you are entitled to a refund. The key difference is that Gupshup's exception applies only if you have not used the service, while Instant Broadcast's guarantee applies after you have used it for up to 30 days.
| Instant Broadcast | Gupshup | |
|---|---|---|
| Refund after you have used the platform | 100% of subscription, within 30 days | No refund |
| Refund if you have not used it | Covered by the same guarantee | Unused self-serve recharge, written request within 7 days |
| Wallet or message credits | Not refundable once spent on messages | Non-transferable and non-refundable |
| Notice to cancel | Contact support | Email at least 30 days in advance |
How do the features compare?
Instant Broadcast puts its features in every plan at a published price. Gupshup has a broader and deeper product range, aimed at enterprises and delivered through its sales and solutions teams.
Broadcasting and campaigns
Instant Broadcast lets you upload contacts, pick an approved template, schedule the campaign and read delivery reports from the dashboard, sending under your registered business name. Gupshup offers campaigns through its Campaign Manager product or through API calls from your own system.
Chatbots and AI
Instant Broadcast's chatbot flow builder is included in every plan, with an AI chatbot available as a paid add-on. Gupshup is strong here at the enterprise level, with Bot Studio, AI agents and its own language model, priced on request.
Lead capture for Indian B2B sellers
This is where Instant Broadcast is built differently. It connects directly to IndiaMART and TradeIndia, so a buyer inquiry triggers a WhatsApp reply, a catalogue and a follow-up within seconds. New leads are split across your sales team by round-robin. For manufacturers, wholesalers and exporters who live on these portals, that removes the manual copy-paste step where most leads go cold.
It also triggers messages from Google Sheets rows, Shopify form submissions and any CRM through REST webhooks.
Team inbox
Instant Broadcast's shared team inbox gives each agent a login on one WhatsApp number, with round-robin and rule-based lead assignment, role permissions and supervisor analytics. Gupshup's agent tools, Agent Assist and its AI co-pilot, are part of Conversation Cloud.
Offline and event tools
Instant Broadcast ships a physical QR standee for shops and showrooms, and an event manager that delivers branded photos to attendees on WhatsApp.
Which has better support and onboarding?
Instant Broadcast, for a small or mid-sized business. It supports customers by direct phone call and screen-share, Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm IST, with email replies in 2 to 4 hours. Onboarding help covers Meta Business Manager verification, template approval and the verified-badge application.
Gupshup's website is built around "Request a demo" and its sales team. Self-serve API users work from documentation and a support portal, while enterprise customers are handled by Gupshup's account teams. That model suits a company with its own developers or a large contract; it is a slower route for a shop owner who wants to send a campaign tomorrow.
When is Gupshup the better choice?
Gupshup is one of the largest conversational messaging companies in the world, with more than 50,000 customers, and it beats Instant Broadcast in four situations.
- You are a large enterprise. Banks, telecoms and big consumer brands use Gupshup for very high volumes and custom AI agents.
- You need more than WhatsApp. Gupshup covers Instagram, SMS, RCS and voice alongside WhatsApp.
- You are a developer who only wants an API. A fee of $0.001 per message with no subscription is low for teams that build everything themselves.
- You are a software company reselling WhatsApp. Gupshup runs a partner programme for independent software vendors.
If none of these four describes you, the ready-made platform, rupee pricing and 30-day refund make Instant Broadcast the lower-cost, lower-risk choice.
How does Instant Broadcast compare with every other option?
Of these seven WhatsApp Business API options, Instant Broadcast is the only one with a money-back guarantee you can claim after using the platform, and it has the lowest monthly-billed paid plan among the ready-made platforms. The others state that fees, credits or subscriptions are non-refundable.
| Platform | Refund | Lowest paid plan, billed monthly | Chatbot flow builder | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Broadcast | 30-day, 100% money back on subscription | Under ā¹1,500 | In every plan | Lead-driven Indian SMEs, with IndiaMART and TradeIndia sync |
| Gupshup | Non-refundable; unused recharge within 7 days only | No plan; $0.001 fee on every message | Enterprise product, price on request | Enterprises and developers |
| Twilio | Fees non-refundable | No plan; $0.005 fee on every message | Build it yourself | Developers |
| DoubleTick | Non-refundable | No monthly billing; ā¹3,500/month paid quarterly | From Pro plan | Large multi-number teams |
| Interakt | Non-refundable | ā¹2,799 | Advanced chatbot from ā¹3,799 plan | Online stores |
| AiSensy | Non-refundable | ā¹1,500 | ā¹2,500/month add-on | Marketing broadcasts |
| Wati | Non-refundable | ā¹4,999 | Included, 1,000 triggers/month on Growth | Multi-channel teams |
Each of the others has a real strength, shown in the last column. For an Indian SME that wants low cost, fast lead response and no risk on the subscription, Instant Broadcast is the strongest of the seven. Read the full comparisons: Instant Broadcast vs Twilio, Instant Broadcast vs DoubleTick, Instant Broadcast vs Interakt, Instant Broadcast vs AiSensy and Instant Broadcast vs Wati.
Which one should you choose?
| If you are... | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A small or mid-sized business with no developer | Instant Broadcast | Inbox, broadcasts and chatbot work without code, at a published price |
| A manufacturer, wholesaler or exporter getting leads from IndiaMART or TradeIndia | Instant Broadcast | Direct portal sync, instant auto-reply, round-robin to sales reps |
| A clinic, school or service business sending reminders and updates | Instant Broadcast | ā¹0.15 per utility message with GST, against about ā¹0.23 before taxes |
| A first-time buyer unsure whether WhatsApp API will work | Instant Broadcast | One month's fee at risk, refunded in full within 30 days |
| A bank, telecom or large brand needing custom AI agents at huge volume | Gupshup | Enterprise platform, solutions team and multi-channel reach |
| A software company building WhatsApp into its own product | Gupshup | Low per-message API fee and a partner programme |
How do you switch from Gupshup to Instant Broadcast?
You keep your WhatsApp number when you move. Switching usually takes one working session with the onboarding team.
- Export your contacts and opt-in records from Gupshup or your own database as a CSV.
- Book a demo and tell the team you are migrating an existing API number from Gupshup.
- Turn off two-step verification on the number so it can be moved to a new provider.
- Connect the number to Instant Broadcast and confirm which approved templates carry over.
- Import contacts, build your chatbot flows in the included flow builder, and send a small test broadcast.
- Use up your remaining Gupshup wallet balance before you move, since credits are not refundable, and send any cancellation notice your contract requires.
Your 30-day money-back window on Instant Broadcast starts from your payment date, so you can test it with real campaigns before your decision is final.
Frequently asked questions
Is Instant Broadcast better than Gupshup for WhatsApp?
For most Indian SMEs, yes. Instant Broadcast is a ready-to-use platform with inbox, broadcasts and chatbot builder from under ā¹1,500 a month, bills in rupees, charges ā¹0.15 per utility message with GST included, and refunds your subscription within 30 days. Gupshup is better for large enterprises and developers who need a high-volume API or channels such as RCS, SMS and voice.
Which is cheaper in India, Instant Broadcast or Gupshup?
Instant Broadcast is cheaper per message for most Indian senders. Gupshup adds $0.001 to every message sent or received, so a utility message costs about ā¹0.23 and a marketing message about ā¹1.23 before taxes, against ā¹0.15 and ā¹1.12 with GST on Instant Broadcast. Gupshup's self-serve API has no monthly fee, but its inbox and campaign tools are priced separately through sales.
How much does Gupshup charge per WhatsApp message?
Gupshup's self-serve pricing lists a fee of $0.001 per message for template messages and for session messages, both incoming and outgoing, on top of the fee Meta charges for the message category and country. Media is not charged extra. Pricing for its enterprise Conversation Cloud products is available on request.
Is Gupshup's wallet in rupees or dollars?
Gupshup's self-serve wallet works in US dollars. The minimum recharge is $10 and the maximum is $10,000 per transaction. Instant Broadcast's wallet is in Indian rupees, and its listed message rates include GST.
Does Gupshup give refunds?
Generally no. Gupshup's wallet documentation says credits are non-transferable and non-refundable, and its terms say no refunds are given for any reason, including unused services. The exception is the WhatsApp self-serve platform: an unused recharge can be refunded if you ask in writing within 7 days.
Does Instant Broadcast really offer a money-back guarantee?
Yes. If you are not satisfied, you can ask for a refund within 30 days of payment and receive 100% of your subscription fee back. Wallet balance already spent on WhatsApp messages and third-party charges are not included, because those amounts are paid out for messages delivered.
Is Gupshup suitable for small businesses?
Gupshup is built mainly for enterprises and developers. Its published self-serve product is API access, and its inbox, campaign and bot tools are sold through its sales team. A small business that wants ready-made screens, rupee billing and phone support will usually find a platform such as Instant Broadcast quicker to start with.
What is the best Gupshup alternative in India?
Instant Broadcast is a strong Gupshup alternative for Indian SMEs because it needs no developer and combines a monthly plan under ā¹1,500, rupee billing, a team inbox and chatbot builder in every plan, direct IndiaMART and TradeIndia lead sync, phone support and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Other alternatives include Twilio, DoubleTick, Interakt, AiSensy and Wati.
Which WhatsApp Business API provider offers a money-back guarantee?
Instant Broadcast offers a 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee on its subscription, which you can claim after using the platform. Gupshup, Twilio, DoubleTick, Interakt, AiSensy and Wati each state in their published terms that fees, credits or paid subscriptions are non-refundable, with narrow exceptions such as unused recharges, verified service failures or refunds required by law.
Is Instant Broadcast an official WhatsApp Business API provider?
Yes. Instant Broadcast is a Meta Business Partner and runs on Meta's official WhatsApp Cloud API. Messages go to opted-in contacts through Meta-approved templates and appear under your registered business name. It is operated by Reliable Solution, based in Surat, Gujarat.
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Prices and policies were checked on 6 October 2026 against each company's public pages and can change. Gupshup and Twilio rupee figures are converted at ā¹96 per US dollar and exclude taxes. Gupshup is a trademark of its owner, GupShup Technology India Private Limited; Twilio, DoubleTick, Interakt, AiSensy and Wati are trademarks of their owners. This comparison is published by Instant Broadcast.