WhatsApp API comparison
ZapZap vs Gupshup: per-message or per-number billing, and risk
Gupshup presents itself as a conversational AI platform for marketing, commerce and support, with WhatsApp, RCS, SMS and voice. ZapZap is WhatsApp only: a managed REST API that connects your number by QR code. The difference that weighs most is the billing model: Gupshup charges a per-message fee on top of the WhatsApp fee, while ZapZap charges per active number, with no per-message fee. The Gupshup data comes from its public pricing page and home page, read on 11/11/2026. Where the page does not say, we say it does not say.
Updated on
Side by side
ZapZap vs Gupshup
| Criterion | ZapZap | Gupshup |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Managed WhatsApp REST API, with a dashboard, webhooks and ready-made modules. WhatsApp only | A conversational AI platform for marketing, commerce and support, with WhatsApp, RCS, SMS and voice (gupshup.ai, 11/11/2026) |
| Billing model | R$15 per active number per month, prepaid, no per-message fee | A Gupshup fee per message plus the WhatsApp fee, billed "at actuals" (gupshup.ai/isv-partners/whatsapp-api/pricing, 11/11/2026) |
| Per-message fee | None | 0.0010 USD per template message and per session message; media above 64KB with no fee; voice at 0.0001 USD per second (gupshup.ai, 11/11/2026) |
| WhatsApp (Meta) fee | Does not exist: the channel does not go through Meta billing | Billed "at actuals". The table column shows 0.0000 and the page does not list Meta's rates by category. The first 1,000 service messages carry no fee; the page warns that Meta starts charging for service messages on 10/01/2026 (gupshup.ai, 11/11/2026) |
| Monthly fee | The monthly amount is the active number, with no separate platform fee | The pricing page does not say (gupshup.ai, 11/11/2026) |
| Trial | A welcome credit when you verify your phone, one per phone, subject to the current campaign | The pricing page does not mention a free trial and has a Get Started button. The home page offers Get started for free for voice agents and Request a demo (gupshup.ai, 11/11/2026) |
| Templates and the 24-hour window | Free text, with no prior template approval | The fee table distinguishes template messages from session messages. The page does not detail the service window rule (gupshup.ai, 11/11/2026) |
| Official or unofficial | Unofficial: it violates WhatsApp's terms, and the number can be limited or blocked | The pricing page does not use the phrase "official API". It bills the WhatsApp (Meta) fee separately from Gupshup's fee (gupshup.ai, 11/11/2026) |
| Other channels | WhatsApp only | RCS, SMS, voice and Instagram, according to the home page (gupshup.ai, 11/11/2026) |
Where ZapZap does better
- Billing per number, not per message: R$15 per active number per month, prepaid, in reais
- Free text through the API, with no prior template approval
- Support and documentation in Portuguese, with OpenAPI, a Postman collection, an MCP server and open SDKs
- A welcome credit when you verify your phone, subject to the current campaign
Where Gupshup makes sense
- A multichannel platform: WhatsApp, RCS, SMS and voice in one account, according to the home page
- AI agents for sales, marketing and support, with escalation to the human team, according to the home page
- The pricing page separates Gupshup's fee from the WhatsApp fee, and states that the first 1,000 service messages carry no WhatsApp fee
- Enterprise pricing on request, for large operations, on a separate page
Choose ZapZap if
Pick ZapZap if your use is WhatsApp only, you prefer a fixed cost per number in reais, want to send free text with no template and accept the risk of an unofficial service. It fits agencies and operations with many numbers and relationship conversations.
Prefer Gupshup if
Pick Gupshup if you need Meta's official channel, RCS, SMS or voice on the same platform, AI agents from a multichannel platform or an enterprise operation under contract. If your requirement is an official channel, ZapZap does not fit: use Meta's official API or a provider of it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gupshup an official WhatsApp API?
The pricing page read on 11/11/2026 does not use the phrase "official API", but it bills the WhatsApp (Meta) fee separately from the platform fee. ZapZap is unofficial and says so plainly: it violates WhatsApp's terms, and the number can be limited or blocked.
How much does Gupshup cost?
The self-serve page shows a Gupshup fee of 0.0010 USD per template and session message, plus the WhatsApp fee billed "at actuals" (read on 11/11/2026). The page does not state a monthly fee or Meta's rates by category, so the total depends on what you send. ZapZap costs R$15 per active number per month, with no per-message fee.
Which is better for an agency with many numbers?
It depends on the channel. For free conversation across many numbers, ZapZap's fixed price per number is easy to predict. If the client requires an official channel, approved templates and channels beyond WhatsApp, Gupshup covers that case and ZapZap does not.
Can I migrate from Gupshup to ZapZap?
Yes, if you accept an unofficial channel. You swap the send calls and the webhook reader and reconnect the number by QR code. Templates approved by Meta are not used on ZapZap, and your system's history does not migrate on its own.
Does ZapZap have a free plan?
There is no permanent free plan. There is a welcome credit when you verify your phone, one per phone and with no deposit, according to the current campaign.
Start now
Create your account, connect a number in minutes and test the API with warm-up and anti-ban. R$15 per active number/month, prepaid, no lock-in.