# Best WhatsApp CRM for small business in 2026 (8 tools compared)

> Kommo, WATI, respond.io, Zoho, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gallabox and LVLZ, with prices taken from each vendor page on 25 October 2026 and a plain recommendation for owners.

Published October 26, 2026, updated October 26, 2026, by The LVLZ team. Tags: Comparisons, WhatsApp, CRM.

**In short:** Two products share one name. A sales team that needs seats on the official WhatsApp Business API should look at Kommo, WATI, respond.io or Gallabox. If WhatsApp is one channel on a CRM you already use, look at Zoho or HubSpot. An owner who wants the CRM filled from their own chat fits LVLZ.

## Key takeaways

- On 25 October 2026 public prices ran from Zoho at $14 per user a month, billed annually, to HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional at $800 a month.
- Per-seat tools get expensive as soon as a second person needs a seat.
- From 1 October 2026 Meta charges service messages after a free allowance, on top of most subscriptions.
- LVLZ is priced per workspace, not per seat, and it does not send broadcast campaigns.

## The short answer

There is no single best WhatsApp CRM for a small business in 2026. There are two different products wearing the same name.

If you run a sales team, and each person needs a seat in a shared inbox on the official WhatsApp Business API, start with [Kommo](https://www.kommo.com/buy/tariff/), [WATI](https://www.wati.io/pricing/), [respond.io](https://respond.io/pricing) or [Gallabox](https://gallabox.com/pricing). If WhatsApp is one more channel on a CRM you already live in, look at [Zoho CRM](https://www.zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing-enterprise.html) or [HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/products/whatsapp-integration). If you are the owner, and you would rather send a voice note than open a pipeline, [LVLZ](/pricing) is built for that job: you message an agent, and the leads, bookings and follow-ups get filed.

Figures below were read from each vendor's own page on 25 October 2026. LVLZ against Kommo, as a table, is at [/compare/kommo](/compare/kommo). The full set is at [/compare](/compare).

## How we compared them

Each price comes from the vendor's pricing page, the help article behind it, or the legal catalog or edition PDF when the marketing page hid the number. Review roundups were not a source. Contradictions are quoted both ways. A monthly price that was not on the page is not invented here.

WhatsApp message fees sit under almost every subscription. From 1 October 2026, service messages inside the customer-service window are charged after a free allowance. [WATI](https://support.wati.io/en/articles/11462997-understanding-wati-s-pricing-plans) and [respond.io](https://respond.io/help/organization-settings/whatsapp-fees) both describe it. respond.io states 1,000 free service messages per number each month.

## Prices on 25 October 2026

| Tool | Public price we found | How it is billed | Best fit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kommo | Base $25, Advanced $35, Pro $45 per user | Six months minimum. No monthly billing on the page | A sales team in pipelines |
| WATI | Growth $59, Pro $119 a month | Those figures are the annual prices. Monthly exists, the page does not state it | Shopify and broadcasts |
| respond.io | Starter $79, Growth $159, Advanced $279 a month | Yearly view. Monthly costs more; the fetched page did not list it | Several channels, one inbox |
| Zoho CRM | Standard $14, Professional $23, Enterprise $40, Ultimate $52 per user | Annual. Monthly is $20, $35, $50, $65 | A CRM you already run, plus WhatsApp |
| HubSpot | Service Hub Professional from $100 a seat. Marketing Hub Professional from $800 | Annual, plus required onboarding | Teams already on HubSpot |
| GoHighLevel | Starter $97, Unlimited $297, Pro $497 | Or $970, $2,970 and $4,970 a year. WhatsApp is a $10 add-on | Agencies and funnels |
| Gallabox | Basic $112, Essential $248, Advanced $474 a month | Annual. Quarterly is $150, $331 and $632 | A WhatsApp-first team in one inbox |
| LVLZ | Personal $29, Pro $59, Business $149 | Monthly, or ten months for the year. Not per seat | An owner who texts the work |

Sources for that table, in order: [Kommo's tariff page](https://www.kommo.com/buy/tariff/), [WATI pricing](https://www.wati.io/pricing/), [respond.io pricing](https://respond.io/pricing), [Zoho's USD edition PDF](https://www.zoho.com/sites/zweb/images/crm/zohocrm-edition-comparison-usd.pdf), [HubSpot's product catalog](https://legal.hubspot.com/hubspot-product-and-services-catalog/products), [HighLevel pricing](https://www.gohighlevel.com/pricing), [Gallabox pricing](https://gallabox.com/pricing) and [LVLZ pricing](/pricing).

## Kommo

Kommo is a team CRM you work inside. The [tariff page](https://www.kommo.com/buy/tariff/) lists Base at $25, Advanced at $35 and Pro at $45 per user a month, billed for six months at $150, $210 or $270 per user. The FAQ on that page says monthly payment is not available. Enterprise is custom. The trial is 14 days, no card, with Pro features and 10GB of storage.

WhatsApp numbers: Base includes one, plus one more per extra user; Advanced includes three; Pro is unlimited. AI credits conflict on the same page. The feature table and the FAQ say 750, 1,250 and 2,250 per user a month, and the FAQ's example is that a Pro seat grants 2,250. The plan cards show 2,500 and 5,000. Quote the FAQ, and recheck the cards before you buy. From 1 September 2026, new Base and Advanced customers in some regions pay a different price. Kommo documents it in [the pricing update](https://www.kommo.com/blog/kommo-pricing-update/) and the [subscription overview](https://support.kommo.com/docs/kommo-subscription-plans-overview). Existing customers keep the old price, and Pro stayed at $45. Pick it for a shared pipeline, broadcasts and more than one number. The row-by-row version is [LVLZ vs Kommo](/blog/lvlz-vs-kommo).

## WATI

WATI is a WhatsApp inbox for teams that broadcast and sell, with a Shopify add-on. On [the pricing page](https://www.wati.io/pricing/), Growth is $59 a month billed annually: 3 users, no extra users, 1,000 automation triggers, 15,000 broadcasts and 250 AI credits. Pro is $119 a month billed annually: 5 users, extra users at $39, 2,000 triggers and 500 AI credits. Business is custom, with extra users at $89. Meta message charges are on top. The trial is 7 days, with no setup fee. Another WhatsApp number is $29 a month, and the Shopify add-on is $4.99 a month.

Those are annual prices. A FAQ mentions a switch from monthly to annual, so monthly billing exists, but no monthly dollar amount was published. The [pricing help](https://support.wati.io/en/articles/11462997-understanding-wati-s-pricing-plans) also describes Meta charging service messages inside the 24-hour window after a free allowance, from 1 October 2026. Pick WATI when someone will sit in the inbox. Skip it when that person is you, between clients.

## respond.io

respond.io is an omnichannel inbox. WhatsApp is one channel, and the subscription does not include WhatsApp fees. The yearly view of [the pricing page](https://respond.io/pricing), fetched on 25 October 2026, shows Starter at $79 a month ($948 a year, down from $1,188), Growth at $159 ($1,908 a year) and Advanced at $279 ($3,348 a year). Growth and Advanced start at 1,000 monthly active contacts. AI agents start on Growth. Extra users on the yearly plans are $12, $20 and $24. The trial is 7 days, no card.

A monthly toggle exists. Prices quoted for it in third-party articles were not on the official page, so they are not repeated here. Monthly costs more than the yearly figures. The [fees article](https://respond.io/help/organization-settings/whatsapp-fees) is the source for 1,000 free service messages per number each month from 1 October 2026. Pick respond.io when several channels should land in one queue.

## Zoho CRM

Zoho is a CRM that can add WhatsApp, not a WhatsApp product that grew a CRM. The current USD PDF, [zohocrm-edition-comparison-usd.pdf](https://www.zoho.com/sites/zweb/images/crm/zohocrm-edition-comparison-usd.pdf), lists annual and monthly prices per user: Standard $14 or $20, Professional $23 or $35, Enterprise $40 or $50, Ultimate $52 or $65. A free edition covers 3 users. The [Enterprise page](https://www.zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing-enterprise.html) confirms $40 a year or $50 a month. We are not using the older PDF last updated on 1 February 2022. The public pricing page did not render dollar amounts, which is why the PDF is the source.

WhatsApp is available on the trial and on every paid edition, per [Zoho's help article](https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/crm/connect-with-customers/business-messaging/articles/business-messaging-using-whatsapp-for-business-integration-with-zoho-crm). Message credits are extra. Pick Zoho when you already run the business there and WhatsApp should file into leads you track. Do not pick it only to answer chats.

## HubSpot

WhatsApp is not on Starter. [The knowledge base](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/inbox/connect-whatsapp-to-the-conversations-inbox), updated 20 October 2026, requires Marketing Hub or Service Hub Professional or Enterprise. The [product FAQ](https://www.hubspot.com/products/whatsapp-integration) says the same.

[Service Hub](https://www.hubspot.com/products/service) and the [legal catalog](https://legal.hubspot.com/hubspot-product-and-services-catalog/products) put Professional at $100 per Service Seat a month, with required onboarding of $1,500. One Service Seat is included, an extra Service Seat is $100, and a Core Seat is $50. A HubSpot blog has said $90 a seat billed annually. The catalog and the product page are the numbers used here. The Service Hub pricing page failed to load figures when we checked it. [Marketing Hub Professional](https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/marketing) starts at $800 a month billed annually, or $890 monthly, includes 3 core seats, and requires $3,000 of onboarding. The [add-ons catalog](https://legal.hubspot.com/hubspot-product-and-services-catalog/add-ons) lists 1,000 extra WhatsApp messages at $70 a month. Pick HubSpot only if you are already on it and Professional is justified.

## GoHighLevel

HighLevel, still called GoHighLevel, is an agency platform of funnels, snapshots and sub-accounts. [Pricing](https://www.gohighlevel.com/pricing) is Starter $97 a month or $970 a year (3 sub-accounts), Unlimited $297 or $2,970, and Pro $497 or $4,970. The trial is 14 days. WhatsApp is not in the base fee. The [pricing guide](https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000001156-highlevel-pricing-guide) lists it as a resale add-on at $10 a month per sub-account, plus usage, marked subject to change. Pick it to sell funnels, or if you already run the business there. If you mostly keep contacts and follow-ups, [the switch guide](/switch/gohighlevel) says what moves. LVLZ does not rebuild funnels or bulk SMS.

## Gallabox

Gallabox is a WhatsApp-first shared inbox, priced in USD, INR and AED. On the USD column of [the pricing page](https://gallabox.com/pricing), annual prices per month are Basic $112, Essential $248 and Advanced $474. Quarterly, the same plans show as $150, $331 and $632 a month. Basic caps you at 3 users and 500 AI credits. Essential includes 6 users, extra users at $18, 2,000 AI credits and AI agents. Advanced charges $24 per extra user and includes 8,000 credits. WhatsApp message charges are separate. Enterprise is custom. Pick it when several people will live in one WhatsApp inbox. Annual Basic already costs several times one LVLZ workspace.

## LVLZ

LVLZ is the tool we make, so read this section with that in mind. It is a WhatsApp CRM / AI CRM for small businesses. You message or call an agent on WhatsApp, including by voice note. It files leads, clients and bookings, runs follow-ups, and shows every action in the web app. It asks before anything is published, paid, or sent to someone new.

[Plans](/pricing) are Personal $29, Pro $59 and Business $149 a month. The year is ten months' price: $290, $590 and $1,490. LVLZ is free to start, with no card and no time limit, and the first 7 days come with everything. Personal and Pro are one owner's agent, not a seat per employee. Business adds a shared workspace, roles and a team inbox. The agent still talks with the account owner. It is not a multi-rep WhatsApp Business API inbox, and it does not send broadcast campaigns. If that is the job, buy Kommo, WATI, respond.io or Gallabox.

The fit we will defend is an owner who knows the clients, and whose CRM today is a chat plus a notebook. A sample day, messages included, is in [WhatsApp CRM for salons](/blog/whatsapp-crm-for-salons).

## How to choose

Count the people who answer customers tomorrow. One owner, and the work arrives as a voice note: LVLZ. [Pricing](/pricing) is a workspace. If today's system is a board or a contact list, the move is written for [monday.com](/switch/monday), [Airtable](/switch/airtable) and [GoHighLevel](/switch/gohighlevel). Two to ten people on one business number, with templates and campaigns: Kommo, WATI, respond.io or Gallabox. A CRM you already trust: Zoho or HubSpot, after you confirm the edition includes WhatsApp. HubSpot Starter does not. The same LVLZ facts, in a table, are at [/compare](/compare) and [/compare/kommo](/compare/kommo).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best WhatsApp CRM for a small business in 2026?

It depends on the job. A sales team that needs seats, broadcasts and the official WhatsApp Business API should look at Kommo, WATI, respond.io or Gallabox. An owner who wants the CRM filled from their own WhatsApp chat should look at LVLZ. HubSpot and Zoho fit when WhatsApp is one channel on a CRM you already pay for.

### How much does a WhatsApp CRM cost?

On 25 October 2026 the public pages ranged from Zoho at $14 per user a month, billed annually, to HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional at $800 a month before onboarding. LVLZ is $29, $59 or $149 a month for the workspace, and the year costs ten months. Per-user tools get expensive as soon as a second person needs a seat.

### Does LVLZ replace a shared team inbox?

No. The LVLZ agent talks with the account owner. The Business plan adds a shared workspace and a team inbox, but it is not a multi-rep WhatsApp Business API inbox, and it does not send broadcast campaigns.

### Were these prices checked recently?

Yes. Every figure in this article was read from the vendor page linked beside it on 25 October 2026. Plans change, and a few vendors show conflicting numbers on the same page. Where that happened, the article says so.

## Sources

- [Kommo: tariff page](https://www.kommo.com/buy/tariff/)
- [WATI: pricing](https://www.wati.io/pricing/)
- [respond.io: pricing](https://respond.io/pricing)
- [Zoho CRM: edition comparison (USD, PDF)](https://www.zoho.com/sites/zweb/images/crm/zohocrm-edition-comparison-usd.pdf)
- [HubSpot: product and services catalog](https://legal.hubspot.com/hubspot-product-and-services-catalog/products)
- [HighLevel: pricing](https://www.gohighlevel.com/pricing)
- [Gallabox: pricing](https://gallabox.com/pricing)
- [respond.io: WhatsApp fees](https://respond.io/help/organization-settings/whatsapp-fees)