Updated November 6, 2026: prices, plans and features checked on each tool's official website on this date.
TL;DR: SendPulse is the WhatsApp marketing automation tool we recommend for most small and medium businesses in 2026: it is an official WhatsApp Business API provider and Meta partner, and its Pro plan, from $12/month plus Meta fees, includes a CRM, in-chat payments and click-to-WhatsApp ads. ManyChat is better for businesses coming from Instagram, Chatfuel for AI agents, WATI for Shopify stores and RD Station for teams that want to pay in Brazilian reais.
Many Brazilian businesses handle customer service on WhatsApp, but few do marketing on the channel. A Blip study reported by Mobile Time in October 2026 found that 98% of the messages infotech companies send are one-way notices or links: WhatsApp ends up as a reactive SMS.
The channel has also become more expensive: since October 1, 2026, Meta charges even for service messages from the 1,001st of the month, according to its official pricing table. A WhatsApp marketing automation tool turns the channel into a funnel and shows what each stage costs. We compared 5 options connected to the official WhatsApp Business API.
How we chose the tools
We included tools with access to the official WhatsApp API (as BSP providers or Meta partners), campaigns with approved templates, public prices checked on November 6, 2026 and reviews on Capterra. Zenvia and Blip, which focus on customer service for large operations, are covered in our separate comparison of WhatsApp chatbot platforms.
WhatsApp marketing automation tools compared in 2026
None of the five includes WhatsApp in a free plan. The differences are in the entry price, the billing currency, how Meta fees are passed on and what comes built in.
| Criterion | SendPulse | ManyChat | Chatfuel | WATI | RD Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp access | Official API provider and Meta partner | Official Meta partner | BSP and official Meta partner | BSP and Meta partner | Official Meta BSP |
| WhatsApp on the free plan | No | No | No free plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Free trial | 7 days, card required | 14 days on Pro | 7 days, no card | 7 days, no card | 10 days on RD Marketing |
| Cheapest plan with WhatsApp | Pro: $12/month | Pro: $39/month | Business: $20/month | Growth: $69/month | Light: from R$ 50/month |
| Billing currency | US dollar | US dollar | US dollar | US dollar | Brazilian real |
| Meta fees | Separate, in dollars | Separate | Separate, via wallet | Separate | R$ 0.45 per marketing message |
| CRM | Built in | HubSpot and Klaviyo (Pro) | Built-in WhatsApp CRM | HubSpot and Salesforce | RD Vendas |
| AI | AI assistant and ChatGPT | Manychat AI | AI agent | Astra agents | AI copilot |
| Capterra rating | 4.6 (773) | 4.6 (72) | 4.3 (28) | 4.6 (207) | 4.3 (53) |
Source: the tools' official websites and Capterra, checked on November 6, 2026. Monthly prices exclude taxes; at RD Station, R$ 50/month applies to the first 3 months for new accounts.
WhatsApp marketing automation matrix 2026: what each tool does at each funnel stage
The matrix shows what each tool automates at each stage of the funnel, from the ad to the repeat purchase.
| Funnel stage | SendPulse | ManyChat | Chatfuel | WATI | RD Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | Click-to-WhatsApp ads, widget and QR code | Meta ads, links and QR code | Click-to-Chat ads and website button | Click-to-WhatsApp ads and forms | Landing pages, pop-ups and WhatsApp button |
| Bulk campaigns | Approved templates on Pro | Approved templates from Pro | Immediate or scheduled sends | 15,000 per month on Growth | Scheduled broadcasts |
| Nurturing | Automated flows and funnels | Automations with conditions | AI follow-ups | Drip campaigns | Flows with email and WhatsApp |
| Qualification | Tags, variables and CRM | Data collection and AI Step | Lead scoring and AI agent | Astra AI agents | Lead scoring (Pro) |
| In-chat sales | Payments and catalog | Stripe and PayPal (Pro) | Payment links and catalog | Catalog and Shopify abandoned cart | Shopify integration |
| Post-sale and repeat purchase | Repeat purchase, upsell and cross-sell | Remarketing broadcasts | Campaigns and follow-ups | Retargeting and retries | Post-sale automation |
Source: official websites, checked on November 6, 2026.
The 5 best WhatsApp marketing automation tools
SendPulse
SendPulse is an AI-driven marketing platform that helps businesses ready to scale automate email marketing and WhatsApp chatbots. It is an official WhatsApp Business API provider and Meta partner, with a significant operation in Brazil. The same dashboard serves Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and Viber, with a CRM that brings channels and contacts together, and the SendPulse WhatsApp chatbot covers everything from the ad to the payment.
Best for: SendPulse is ideal for small and medium businesses and online stores that want to capture, nurture and sell on WhatsApp with CRM and payments on the same plan.
Key features
- Visual chatbot builder: drag-and-drop flows with ready-made templates, no developer needed.
- Campaigns with approved templates: promotions, reminders and order notices at scale.
- Segmentation by tags and variables: campaigns only for people who showed interest, with less spent on messages.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads: a dashboard that compares conversations, leads and purchases with ad spend.
- In-chat payments and catalog: the customer buys without leaving the conversation.
- Built-in CRM: deals created from the chat, with marketing and sales in the same history.
- AI assistant and ChatGPT (Pro): answers off-script questions without losing the lead.
Pricing
Free plan: Basic, no card, with 3 chatbots, up to 500 subscribers and 10,000 messages per month; WhatsApp is not included. Trial: 7 days of WhatsApp, credit card required.
Pro: the only paid plan, priced by subscribers: $12/month (500), $22 (2,000), $48 (5,000), $74 (10,000), $99 (15,000), $119 (20,000), $154 (30,000), $187 (40,000), $219 (50,000), $280 (70,000) and $425 (100,000). It includes unlimited chatbots, live chats and messages, team tools, payments, API, webhooks and ChatGPT; 20% off on annual billing.
Meta fees: separate, in dollars. In Brazil, $0.075 per marketing message and $0.0098 per utility or authentication message. See the official pricing.
Rating: 4.6/5 on Capterra, from 773 reviews.
What I like about this platform: the ads dashboard shows purchases next to the amount spent, and payment happens in the same chat. With the 500-subscriber plan at $12/month (plus Meta fees), I can test the full funnel before scaling.
Pros
- Official API and Meta partnership, with no setup fee.
- CRM, payments and click-to-WhatsApp ads on the same Pro plan.
- Six messengers and email marketing in one dashboard.
Limitations
- WhatsApp is not on the free plan.
- The 7-day trial requires a credit card.
- Plan and Meta fees in dollars, subject to the exchange rate.
ManyChat
ManyChat, an official Meta partner, is known for Instagram automation and also serves WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, SMS and email. Since 2026 it charges by active contacts per month, and WhatsApp is only available from the Pro plan.
Best for: ManyChat is ideal for creators and brands that capture leads on Instagram and want to bring those contacts to WhatsApp.
Key features
- More than 60 automation templates: the first campaign goes out quickly.
- Broadcasts with WhatsApp templates (Pro): reactivates the list with one message.
- Conversations from Meta ads: from the click straight to the conversation.
- Links, QR codes and keywords: each entry point starts a flow and identifies the lead's source.
- Tags, conditions and data collection: personalized journeys without one flow per customer.
- Manychat AI: the AI Step qualifies leads and answers frequent questions.
- Integrations on Pro: Google Sheets, Zapier, Make, HubSpot, Klaviyo, Hotmart, Stripe and PayPal.
Pricing
Free plan: 25 active contacts and 2 channels, without WhatsApp. Trial: 14 days on Essential and Pro.
Plans (monthly or annual, per month): Essential, $17 or $14 (250 contacts, no WhatsApp); Pro, $39 or $29 (2,500 contacts, 3 channels including WhatsApp, broadcasts and AI); Business, $99 or $69 (7,500 contacts, unlimited channels); Advanced, $199 or $139 (25,000 contacts). Extra contacts and Meta fees are billed separately. See the official pricing.
Rating: 4.6/5 on Capterra, from 72 reviews.
What I like about this platform: the builder is the same for Instagram and WhatsApp, so anyone who already automates Instagram can build the WhatsApp flow without relearning the tool.
Pros
- Official Meta and TikTok partner.
- Native A/B testing and more than 60 templates.
- 14-day free trial, the longest on this list.
Limitations
- WhatsApp only from Pro ($39/month).
- Pro connects only 3 channels.
- No CRM of its own: it relies on integrations.
Chatfuel
Chatfuel is an official Meta partner and WhatsApp BSP, focused on AI agents that serve, qualify and sell on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. On the Business plan, contacts and team members are unlimited.
Best for: Chatfuel is ideal for service businesses and digital product sellers that want an AI agent qualifying leads and booking meetings on WhatsApp.
Key features
- 24-hour AI agent: qualifies, books and hands off to a person when needed.
- Bulk campaigns: immediate or scheduled sends, with segmentation.
- Click-to-Chat ads with the Conversions API: sends sales back to Meta and improves optimization.
- AI follow-ups: revives conversations that went cold.
- WhatsApp CRM with lead scoring: each conversation becomes a lead card.
- In-chat payments and catalog: the sale closes in the same channel.
- Coexistence and integrations: keeps the WhatsApp Business app on the number and connects Google Sheets, Zapier, Stripe, HubSpot and Shopify.
Pricing
Free plan: none. Trial: 7 days, no card.
Business: $20/month or $18/month billed annually, with $20 in AI credits and unlimited contacts and team members. Agency S: $90/month billed annually, with $100 in credits and 3 businesses. Meta fees come out of a dollar wallet, separate from the plan. See the official pricing.
Rating: 4.3/5 on Capterra, from 28 reviews.
What I like about this platform: the $20/month Business plan does not charge per contact or per seat, so the platform cost does not grow with the lead base.
Pros
- Unlimited contacts and team members.
- AI credits included in the plan.
- Coexistence with the WhatsApp Business app.
Limitations
- No free plan.
- AI credits and Meta fees come out of the same dollar wallet.
- Cart recovery is not listed among the features.
WATI
WATI is a BSP and Meta partner with a website and support in Portuguese, and says on its official website that it serves more than 16,000 businesses. It combines campaigns, no-code chatbots and Astra AI agents in an omnichannel inbox.
Best for: WATI is ideal for Shopify stores that want to recover carts and sell through a catalog on WhatsApp.
Key features
- Scheduled broadcasts: 15,000 per month on Growth, unlimited from Pro.
- Drip campaigns: sequences that nurture leads without manual sends.
- Segmentation and retargeting: re-engages people who have already interacted.
- Astra AI agents: run conversations end to end.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads (Pro): measures return with conversion events.
- Abandoned cart and Shopify catalog: recovers sales from Growth.
- More than 100 integrations: HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, WooCommerce, Klaviyo and Zapier.
Pricing
Free plan: none. Trial: 7 days, no card.
Growth: $69/month or $59 billed annually, with 3 users, 1,000 automation triggers and 1 Astra agent. Pro: $149 or $119, with 5 users, unlimited broadcasts and HubSpot. Business: $349 or $279, with unlimited integrations, Salesforce and unlimited agents. Meta messages are billed separately. See the official pricing.
Rating: 4.6/5 on Capterra, from 207 reviews.
What I like about this platform: Shopify cart recovery already comes with Growth, and Pro connects ad accounts to conversion events, showing the return on each campaign.
Pros
- E-commerce ready for Shopify.
- More than 100 integrations.
- Website and support in Portuguese.
Limitations
- The most expensive entry plan among the dollar-billed tools.
- Automation triggers limited by plan.
- No refund on cancellation.
RD Station
RD Station is the Brazilian suite from the company of the same name, an official Meta BSP, billed in reais. In 2026, RD Station Marketing became RD Marketing and RD Station Conversas became RD Atendimento (new names). RD Marketing sends WhatsApp messages inside automation flows; two-way conversations live in RD Atendimento.
Best for: RD Station is ideal for Brazilian businesses that already nurture leads by email and want WhatsApp in the same flows, paying in reais.
Key features
- WhatsApp in automation: email and WhatsApp in the same flow, on every RD Marketing plan.
- Official API account created inside the platform: setup without a technical team.
- Templates submitted to Meta from the tool: approval without leaving RD Marketing.
- Segmentation and lead scoring (Pro): prioritizes the hottest leads.
- Landing pages, pop-ups and WhatsApp button: lead capture on the website.
- AI copilot: speeds up content and lead triage.
- RD Vendas integration: a deal is created in the CRM when the conversation starts.
Pricing
Free plan: none. Trial: 10 days on RD Marketing, no card; RD Atendimento has no trial.
RD Marketing: Light from R$ 50/month for the first 3 months, Basic R$ 309, Pro R$ 1,121 (plus R$ 1,499 implementation) and Advanced R$ 1,699 (plus R$ 1,999); WhatsApp at R$ 0.45 per marketing message and R$ 0.05 per service message. RD Atendimento (annual): Basic R$ 989/month, Pro R$ 2,699 and Advanced on request, with WhatsApp activation for R$ 1,999. See the official RD Marketing pricing and the RD Atendimento pricing.
Rating: 4.3/5 on Capterra, from 53 reviews.
What I like about this platform: WhatsApp becomes one more step in email flows, and every send shows up in reais on the invoice, with no exchange rate.
Pros
- Billing in reais, including messages.
- Email and WhatsApp in the same flow from Light upward.
- CRM and customer service from the same company.
Limitations
- In RD Marketing, WhatsApp only sends; two-way conversations require RD Atendimento.
- RD Atendimento starts at R$ 989/month, with no trial.
- Pro and Advanced carry a paid implementation and a 12-month contract.
How much WhatsApp marketing automation costs in 2026
The cost is the tool's monthly fee plus Meta's per-message fees. Since July 2026, Meta has published rates in reais for Brazil: R$ 0.3217 per marketing message and R$ 0.035 per utility or authentication message, according to Mobile Time, which also reports a test of a maximum-price model that becomes mandatory from the second quarter of 2027.
Example: a base of 500 contacts with two marketing campaigns per month (1,000 messages).
| Item | SendPulse | ManyChat | Chatfuel | WATI | RD Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan with WhatsApp | $12 (Pro, 500 subscribers) | $39 (Pro) | $20 (Business) | $69 (Growth) | R$ 50 (Light, first 3 months) |
| 1,000 marketing messages | $75 ($0.075 each) | Meta rate, separate | Meta rate, via wallet | Meta rate, separate | R$ 450 (R$ 0.45 each) |
| Monthly total | $87 | Plan + Meta rate | Plan + Meta rate | Plan + Meta rate | R$ 500 |
| Currency | US dollar | US dollar | US dollar | US dollar | Brazilian real |
Source: official pricing pages, checked on November 6, 2026. ManyChat, Chatfuel and WATI follow Meta's rates by country and category.
Conclusion
SendPulse comes first because it is an official WhatsApp Business API provider and Meta partner, covers every stage of the matrix and offers Pro with WhatsApp from $12/month, plus Meta fees. ManyChat suits businesses coming from Instagram; Chatfuel, those who want an AI agent with unlimited contacts; WATI, Shopify stores; and RD Station, those who prefer to pay in reais.
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