MSG91 pricing in 2026 is Meta's WhatsApp rate at cost (₹0.8631 per marketing and ₹0.115 per utility or OTP message) plus ₹500 a month on the Titan plan, with SMS at ₹0.16–₹0.25 and SMS OTP at ₹0.18–₹0.25 per message. Gupshup's self-serve WhatsApp API adds US$0.001 (about ₹0.088) per message to Meta's fee, about ₹0.951 marketing and ₹0.203 utility with no plan fee, its India CX plan is ₹5,000 a month plus ₹0.32 per message, and Gupshup SMS pricing is quote-only; so MSG91 is cheaper on WhatsApp above about 5,700 messages a month and Gupshup self-serve below that.
Published by RichAutomate, a WhatsApp Business API provider that competes with MSG91 and Gupshup. Competitor prices were read from each vendor's public pricing page and checked on 29 Oct 2026; they exclude 18% GST unless stated. Where a figure was not re-checked we say so. Verify the live rate card before you budget.
MSG91 vs Gupshup pricing in INR (checked 29 Oct 2026)
| Item (India) | MSG91 | Gupshup self-serve | Gupshup India CX plan | RichAutomate Client Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | ₹500 (Titan) | None listed | ₹5,000 | ₹0 (optional plans ₹499 / ₹899 / ₹1,199) |
| WhatsApp marketing message | ₹0.8631 (Meta at cost) | ≈₹0.951 (Meta + US$0.001) | ₹1.1831 (Meta + ₹0.32) | ≈₹0.96 (Meta + ₹0.10) |
| WhatsApp utility message | ₹0.115 | ≈₹0.203 | ₹0.435 | ₹0.215 |
| WhatsApp authentication (OTP) | ₹0.115 | ≈₹0.203 | ₹0.435 | ₹0.215 |
| SMS (India) | ₹0.16–₹0.25 by pack size | Quote-only, not published | Not offered | |
| SMS OTP | ₹0.18–₹0.25 by pack size | Quote-only, not published | Not offered | |
Meta's India rates are ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility or authentication message; since 1 October 2026 each number's first 1,000 service replies a month are free, then charged at the utility rate. Gupshup's fee is set in US dollars, so its rupee figures move with the exchange rate. RichAutomate sells WhatsApp only; if you need SMS from the same vendor, MSG91 or Gupshup fits better.
MSG91 pricing in 2026
MSG91 earns on the plan, not the message: WhatsApp messages are billed at Meta's own India rate and the Titan plan costs ₹500 a month. SMS is sold in packs from ₹0.25 per SMS at the small end down to ₹0.16 at the largest pack, and SMS OTP from ₹0.25 down to ₹0.18. On MSG91's own rates, a WhatsApp OTP at ₹0.115 is cheaper than an SMS OTP at ₹0.18–₹0.25. The full MSG91 rate card, pack by pack, is in our MSG91 pricing guide.
Gupshup SMS pricing and Gupshup WhatsApp pricing in India
Gupshup does not publish an SMS price for India; you get it through a sales quote. Ask for the per-SMS rate, DLT charges and any minimum commitment in writing, and compare it with MSG91's published ₹0.16–₹0.25. For WhatsApp, Gupshup publishes two options: the self-serve API at US$0.001 (≈₹0.088) per message plus Meta's fee, and the India CX plan at ₹5,000 a month plus ₹0.32 per message with Meta's fee at actuals. More detail: Gupshup pricing 2026 and the SMS API pricing guide for India.
Worked monthly WhatsApp bill: 2,000 to 1 lakh messages
Outgoing template messages to Indian numbers, before GST.
Get the India 2026 WhatsApp BSP price comparison
Wati vs AiSensy vs Interakt vs RichAutomate: Meta rates, platform fees and hidden costs, side by side. We send it to your WhatsApp in a minute.
| Monthly volume | MSG91 (Meta + ₹500) | Gupshup self-serve (Meta + ₹0.088) | Gupshup CX (₹5,000 + Meta + ₹0.32) | RichAutomate Client Pay (Meta + ₹0.10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 utility | ₹230 + ₹500 = ₹730 | ₹230 + ₹176 = ₹406 | ₹5,000 + ₹870 = ₹5,870 | ₹230 + ₹200 = ₹430 |
| 10,000 utility | ₹1,150 + ₹500 = ₹1,650 | ₹1,150 + ₹880 = ₹2,030 | ₹5,000 + ₹4,350 = ₹9,350 | ₹1,150 + ₹1,000 = ₹2,150 |
| 10,000 marketing | ₹8,631 + ₹500 = ₹9,131 | ₹8,631 + ₹880 = ₹9,511 | ₹5,000 + ₹11,831 = ₹16,831 | ₹8,631 + ₹1,000 = ₹9,631 |
| 1,00,000 utility | ₹11,500 + ₹500 = ₹12,000 | ₹11,500 + ₹8,800 = ₹20,300 | ₹5,000 + ₹43,500 = ₹48,500 | ₹11,500 + ₹10,000 = ₹21,500 |
| 1,00,000 marketing | ₹86,310 + ₹500 = ₹86,810 | ₹86,310 + ₹8,800 = ₹95,110 | ₹5,000 + ₹1,18,310 = ₹1,23,310 | ₹86,310 + ₹10,000 = ₹96,310 |
The break-even maths: MSG91's flat ₹500 beats Gupshup's ≈₹0.088 per message above ₹500 ÷ ₹0.088 ≈ 5,700 messages a month, and beats RichAutomate's ₹0.10 above ₹500 ÷ ₹0.10 = 5,000. Below those volumes the per-message models are cheaper. Gupshup self-serve is ₹0.012 a message cheaper than RichAutomate Client Pay at every volume, and Gupshup's CX plan is the most expensive line in every row because of its ₹5,000 floor and ₹0.32 fee.
Are there free trial credits for messaging APIs in India?
RichAutomate gives a 14-day free trial with 100 credits and ₹0 setup. MSG91 and Gupshup run their own sign-up offers that change over time, so check their pricing pages for the current terms before you plan around them. Whichever you try, send one real campaign and compare the invoice line by line rather than the headline rate.
Sending under 5,000 WhatsApp messages a month, or want an inbox and flow builder with the API? Start a 14-day free trial: 100 credits, ₹0 setup, Meta's rate + ₹0.10 per message.
Who should pick MSG91, Gupshup or RichAutomate
- MSG91: API-only teams sending well over 5,000 WhatsApp messages a month, and anyone who wants WhatsApp, SMS and OTP from one vendor at published prices.
- Gupshup self-serve: developer teams below about 5,700 messages a month who want no monthly fee, or teams that need RCS. Ask for an SMS quote if you need SMS.
- RichAutomate: businesses that want a shared team inbox, broadcasts and a no-code chatbot flow builder on top of the API with no monthly plan (optional plans ₹499, ₹899 or ₹1,199). Client Pay is about ₹0.96 marketing and ₹0.215 utility; SaaS Pay is ₹1.50 and ₹0.50 with Meta's fee included on one rupee invoice. See pricing.
Comparing more vendors? See the WhatsApp API pricing comparison for India 2026, Gupshup vs Wati vs Interakt, the Gupshup alternative guide, MSG91 alternatives and the four-way Wati vs AiSensy vs Interakt vs RichAutomate comparison.
Bottom line
MSG91 is Meta's WhatsApp rate at cost plus ₹500 a month, with published SMS (₹0.16–₹0.25) and OTP (₹0.18–₹0.25) prices. Gupshup is Meta's rate plus about ₹0.088 a message on self-serve, or ₹5,000 a month plus ₹0.32 a message on its CX plan, with SMS on quote. Above roughly 5,700 WhatsApp messages a month MSG91 costs less; below it, Gupshup self-serve does.