If you are comparing WATI, AiSensy, Interakt or similar WhatsApp API tools, most of them cover the basics: a shared inbox, templates and broadcasts. The differences show up in how billing works, how much setup you must do yourself, and what you get beyond the inbox. This page lists what to compare, and what Relay offers on each point.
WATI, AiSensy and Interakt are trademarks of their respective owners. Relay is not affiliated with them. We do not compare prices here because every provider changes its plans often; check each provider's current page.
What to compare before you switch
| Question to ask any provider | What Relay offers |
|---|---|
| How are Meta's message charges billed? | Prepaid wallet topped up with Razorpay. Every debit is listed by category, and undelivered messages are refunded to the wallet. |
| Can I see the cost before I send a campaign? | Yes. The total is shown before sending, and the campaign pauses if the wallet runs out. |
| Do Instagram and Messenger chats come into the same inbox? | Yes. WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger and your website chat share one inbox. |
| Is there a shared team inbox with assignment and notes? | Yes: assignment, auto-assign, tags, internal notes, quick replies, reply-to, reactions. |
| Automation and chatbot? | Keyword replies, menu flows, away message and business hours, plus an optional AI bot that answers from your own business information. |
| Do leads from my Meta ads land in the same inbox? | Yes. Click-to-WhatsApp ad source is shown on the chat, and lead-form submissions become chats. |
| Opt-out handling for marketing? | Customers who reply STOP are skipped automatically in marketing campaigns, and START re-subscribes them. |
| Reports? | Response time, active chats, ratings, spend by category and ad-wise chats, with CSV export. |
| Integrations? | API access and signed outgoing webhooks for chat created, message received, chat resolved and chat rated. |
| Can I build landing pages that feed the inbox? | Yes. A drag-and-drop page builder (or your own HTML). Form leads arrive as WhatsApp chats and can start automations. |
| Can I sell a course from the same account? | Yes. Sales page, Razorpay checkout, student login, release-per-day and a watermark on every video. |
| Can an agency manage many clients? | Yes. A reseller panel with a separate workspace, plan and wallet for each client, and country-wise rate settings. |
| Support in your language and time zone? | Indian team, WhatsApp support, Hinglish tutorials. |
When Relay is a good fit
- You get leads from Meta ads and want them handled by a small team on one number
- You want prepaid, transparent message billing with a GST invoice
- You are an agency and want a separate workspace and wallet per client
- You want a simple panel instead of a long list of add-ons
When another tool may suit you better
- You need a very large library of native integrations with specific third-party apps. Relay offers an API and webhooks, so connections are built through those.
- You need voice calling inside the panel. That is not part of Relay at the moment.
How to switch without losing your chats
- Export your contacts from your current tool as CSV.
- Create your Relay workspace and connect your WhatsApp Business number (the number can only be on one API provider at a time).
- Import contacts, recreate your approved templates and quick replies, and test with your own number.
- Move your Meta ads and website buttons to the new inbox.
Frequently asked questions
Is Relay an official WhatsApp Business API provider?
Relay connects to the official WhatsApp Business Cloud API from Meta. You connect your own WhatsApp Business account through Meta's sign-in popup.
Can I move my existing number to Relay?
A number can be active on only one API provider at a time. You disconnect it from the old provider and connect it in Relay. Plan the switch for a quiet time.
Will my approved templates move with me?
Templates are tied to your WhatsApp Business account. If your account stays the same they may remain; otherwise recreate and re-submit them for approval.
How is Relay different from the normal WhatsApp Business app?
The app is for one owner and a few linked devices. Relay uses the API, so a whole team can work together, send campaigns with approved templates and use automation and reports.