respond.io alternative for teams that don't want to pay by contact count
respond.io starts at $79 a month on annual billing and meters by monthly active contacts, with workflows and AI agents on higher plans. It suits support and sales teams running many conversations. AutoPoster AI is a lighter option for teams who also publish and manage reviews.
Choose AutoPoster AI if
- You want a flat plan price and not an overage that grows with your active contacts.
- You want social publishing and review replies next to WhatsApp.
- You have a small team and your WhatsApp use is mostly replies and the occasional template broadcast.
Stay with respond.io if
- You need workflow automation and AI agents that route and answer at scale.
- You expect thousands of monthly active contacts and want a platform priced for that.
- You need a larger seat count with enterprise options.
respond.io in brief
respond.io treats messaging as a pipeline of conversations: shared inboxes on every plan, then broadcasts, workflows and AI agents as you climb tiers. Its bill follows how many contacts are active in a month, not just how many people sit in your team.
That model rewards teams with steady, high-volume chat. For a small business that mostly answers inbound WhatsApp messages and posts to social networks, the contact meter and the higher-tier gates for broadcasts are what to weigh against our simpler plan.
respond.io pricing
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/mo | $79/mo | 5 users, extra users $12, 5,000 AI credits, team inbox. No broadcasts or workflows |
| Growth | $199/mo | $159/mo | 10 users, 10,000 AI credits, broadcasts, workflows, AI agents. Overage $12 per 100 contacts |
| Advanced | $349/mo | $279/mo | 10 users, 20,000 AI credits, HTTP requests in workflows. Overage $15 per 100 contacts |
AutoPoster AI vs respond.io
| Feature | AutoPoster AI | respond.io |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp inbox, templates and broadcasts | Brand plan | Yes: Meta fees are billed separately from a WhatsApp credit balance |
| Unified comment inbox | Brand plan | Yes: team and custom inboxes from Starter |
| AI replies from your knowledge base | Business plan | Partial: AI Assist from Starter, AI Agents from Growth |
| DM inbox | Brand plan | Not listed: the pricing page lists chat, email and calls without naming social DMs |
| Comment-to-DM rules (Facebook, Instagram) | Brand plan | Not listed: we found no comment automation on the pages we could read |
| Reviews: Google Business, Facebook, App Store, Google Play | Brand plan | Not listed |
| Multi-platform scheduling | Yes | Not listed: broadcast pages don't mention scheduling either |
| API | Professional plan | Not listed: the pricing page doesn't list API limits |
| MCP for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor | Professional plan | Not listed |
| Link in bio pages | Yes | Not listed |
"Not listed" means we did not find the feature on respond.io's site on October 31, 2026. It may still exist or may ship later.
AutoPoster AI in practice
Where AutoPoster AI is stronger
No contact meter
respond.io adds $12 to $15 per 100 contacts over the plan allowance. Our plans are priced by accounts and members, so a busy month does not add a line to the invoice.
Learn more →Lower entry for broadcasts
Scheduled template broadcasts are on Brand at $24 a month, or $20 annually. On respond.io broadcasts start at Growth, $159 a month billed annually.
Learn more →Publishing and reviews included
Plan the posts, answer Google Business, Facebook, Google Play and App Store reviews, and keep the WhatsApp inbox in one account.
Learn more →A free plan with one account
respond.io's trial lasts 7 days and no free plan is listed. You can use AutoPoster AI free on one account.
Learn more →Where respond.io is stronger
Workflow automation
Workflows begin on Growth, with HTTP requests on Advanced. We have no multi-step automation.
AI agents at scale
AI Agents are on Growth and up, with credit allowances from 5,000 to 40,000 a month. Our AI replies draw on a knowledge base on Business.
Larger teams
Growth and Advanced include 10 users, and Enterprise is listed with unlimited users. Our largest plan has 15 members.
Broadcast tracking
Its broadcast page says opt-ins and opt-outs are handled automatically and delivery and engagement rates are tracked.
How to switch from respond.io
- 1
Check what you can export before cancelling. We couldn't find a help article on contact export, and its public roadmap lists a conversation and contact export API as under review.
- 2
Its help centre is split into Product, Channels, Broadcasts and Integrations categories. Cancellation and export questions can go through its contact page.
- 3
Your WhatsApp credit balance sits on respond.io. Spend or reclaim it before you move, since Meta fees are billed from that balance and not from the subscription.
Frequently asked questions
- How is respond.io priced?
By plan and monthly active contacts. Annual rates are Starter $79, Growth $159 and Advanced $279 a month, with monthly billing at $99, $199 and $349.
- Does respond.io include WhatsApp fees?
No. Its pricing page says Meta's charges are separate and you top up a WhatsApp credit balance on the platform.
- Is there a respond.io free trial?
Yes, 7 days with no credit card. It gives Growth-level features for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, but excludes broadcasts.
Other alternatives
Sources, checked on October 31, 2026
- https://respond.io/pricing
- https://respond.io/help/
- https://respond.io/broadcast
- https://roadmap.respond.io/feature-request/p/contacts-api-20
Pricing and features change, so check respond.io's site before buying. respond.io is a trademark of its owner. AutoPoster AI is not affiliated with it.
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