Free WhatsApp Business API
The WhatsApp Business API, free to start — and what is never free
You can connect the official API, run a shared inbox and build chatbots on Trafficaro's free plan without a card. Meta also gives some messages free. But Meta always charges for template messages — no provider can make those free.
No card needed1,000 messages a month on our free planUpgrade from ₹499
What is free
| Free? | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Trafficaro free plan | Yes | 1,000 messages a month through Trafficaro, 500 contacts, 1 team member, shared inbox, chatbot flows, API access |
| Connecting your number | Yes | Through Meta's own sign-up inside Trafficaro |
| Customer replies (service messages) | First 1,000 a month per number | Meta charges ₹0.115 each after that |
| Messages after a click-to-WhatsApp ad | Yes, in the free window | Up to 7 days from your reply; you pay Meta for the ad |
| Messages customers send you | Yes | Incoming messages are never charged |
| Calls customers make to you | Yes | Free at Meta; the AI voice agent costs from ₹1 a minute |
| Marketing, utility and authentication templates | No | Meta charges per message (₹0.8631 marketing, ₹0.115 utility/authentication in India) |
Why "100% free WhatsApp API" offers do not add up
Meta charges every business for template messages, at the same published rate whichever provider you use. A provider that calls itself free either limits you to replies, recovers its costs elsewhere — often a margin on every Meta message — or is not using the official API at all. Ask where Meta's charges go and what is added to them.
On Trafficaro, Meta bills its charges to your WhatsApp Business Account directly at its own rate, and our free plan is genuinely free up to its limits.
When to move off the free plan
More than 1,000 messages a month
Starter (₹499) includes 10,000; Growth (₹1,999) 50,000.
A second or third person answering
Starter has 3 team members, Growth 10.
Campaigns to your list
Broadcasts and auto-replies are on Starter and above.
AI replies and revenue tracking
AI Autopilot and revenue attribution are on Growth.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free trial of the WhatsApp Business API?
Better than a trial: Trafficaro's free plan has no time limit. Use it as long as it fits.
Do I need a credit card?
Not for Trafficaro's free plan. To send template messages you add a payment method in Meta's billing, because Meta charges for those.
Can I use the free plan with my current WhatsApp Business app number?
Yes. Connect it as an existing Business app number and keep using the app.
Related
Pricing
Free, then ₹499, ₹1,999 or ₹5,999 a month. No markup on Meta.
WhatsApp API pricing in India
Meta's current rates, what is free, and what providers add.
WhatsApp Business API for India
The official API, connected in minutes, priced in rupees.
WhatsApp Business app vs API
When the free app stops being enough, and what changes.
Bulk WhatsApp sender (official)
Send to thousands without risking a ban — on the official API.
WhatsApp chatbot
Twenty ready-made flows and AI replies from your own knowledge.
Start with the free plan
Connect your number, import contacts who opted in, and send your first message today. No card needed.
Updated 24 Oct 2026