The Gupshup alternative
with self-serve AI.
Gupshup gives you the API at $0.001 per message, inbound included, but its AI agents go through sales on a quote. With 008 Engage you build your agent yourself and each AI reply costs from $0.002.
AI without a quote
Build and test your agent from day one, without going through sales.
From $0.002 per reply
AI is billed per generated reply, by model: with a low-cost model, each message costs very little.
Inbound isn't billed
You don't pay for the messages your customers send you.
Straight to Meta
The WhatsApp account is yours and you pay Meta at its rates, with no per-message markup.
Message our agent: it runs on WhatsApp with 008 Engage.
008 Engage vs Gupshup, point by point.
Gupshup is a huge messaging platform, very developer-focused. These are the differences when what you want is an AI agent.
| Criterion |  |  008 Engage |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $0.001 per message, sent or received, AI not included | From $0.002 per reply, AI included; inbound isn't billed |
| AI agents | Through sales, on a quote | Self-serve, on the model you choose |
| Meta messages | At cost, through Gupshup; 6% more on marketing since January 2026 | Straight to Meta, no markup |
| Channels | WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, Instagram, web and voice | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, webchat, SMS, email and voice |
| Volume | 120+ billion messages a year | Built for mid-size and large companies |
| How you start | Self-serve API; AI through sales | Everything self-serve, or with a demo |
Gupshup data taken from its public pages in October 2026; sources are listed at the bottom of the page. Prices exclude tax and may change.
What each message costs, both ways.
Gupshup's fee is tiny, but it also applies to the messages you receive and doesn't include its AI agents. With 008 Engage each AI reply costs from $0.002 and inbound costs nothing.
- Message sent or received$0.001
- Meta messagesAt costExtra
- Marketing outside MM Lite+6% since January 2026Extra
- AI agentsOn a quoteExtra
008 Engage- Monthly feeNone
- Team seatsNo feeIncluded
- AI replyFrom $0.002, by model
- Meta messagesPaid to Meta directly, no markupExtra
Since October 1, 2026, Meta also bills service messages, after 1,000 free per number each month. 008 Engage is a Tech Provider: the WhatsApp account is yours and Meta bills you directly.
Where Gupshup still wins.
Gupshup has clear advantages for technical teams moving a lot of volume.
Minimal fee
Its per-message charge is among the lowest and most transparent around.
Scale
Developer APIs proven on a huge volume of messages.
RCS and calling
Rich messaging over RCS, plus WhatsApp calling in Latin America.
If your technical team builds on the API and that's all you need, Gupshup fits. If you want an AI agent running without asking for a quote, look at 008 Engage.
Every message counts. And since October 1, every message is billed.
WhatsApp now charges every service message your business sends. A bot that greets, repeats itself and asks “anything else?” multiplies the bill. 008 Engage agents reply only when it's needed and stop once the conversation is resolved.
Only the replies that matter
It puts in one message what others send in three.
100% goal-oriented
Every reply moves the conversation toward the sale or the resolution.
Mutes the conversation
An “ok” or a “thanks” doesn't trigger another paid message.
Multimodal from the first message
It understands voice notes and images without asking customers to type.
No asking twice
It remembers every customer and never asks for the same details again.
Cost in plain sight
Cost analytics per agent, model and campaign.
008 EngageIt handles and closes on WhatsApp.
An autonomous agent runs the whole conversation end to end: it understands intent, answers questions, recommends, handles objections and closes the sale or case. Fully multi-turn with no human in the loop, leaving an internal summary of every chat for your team.
Voice and image, not just text.
Customers don't always type — they send a voice note or a photo. Your agent transcribes and understands the audio, and reads what's in the image — a product, a receipt, a document — to reply with the right context, just like a person would.
Voice notes
It transcribes them and gets the intent, even when they're long.
Photos and documents
It reads receipts, invoices, products and screenshots.
First time right
It answers with the full context in a single message.
0:18“The sneakers arrived but they're too small. Can I swap them for a 43?”
From Gupshup to 008 Engage, without downtime.
- 01
Migrate your number
Your number moves to your own WhatsApp Business account, connected to 008 Engage: it stays yours.
- 02
Bring your knowledge
Your catalog, FAQs and documents train the agent.
- 03
Test with real cases
Try it on your usual conversations before opening it to all your customers.
- 04
Open the channel
Once you're convinced, let it take over. No lock-in.
Yes: its $0.001 fee applies to session messages sent and received, and to templates, on top of what Meta charges.
Pay as you go with a prepaid balance: no license, no per-seat fee and no minimums. AI is billed per generated reply, from $0.002 with the lowest-cost models, and you pay Meta for the messages.
Your new account comes with $5 in credit to try it.
Yes. Your number moves to your own WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) connected to 008 Engage. Because we're a Tech Provider, the account is yours and Meta bills you.
Since October 1, 2026, Meta also bills replies inside the 24-hour window, after 1,000 free per number each month.
That's why the number of messages your agent sends matters: 008 Engage groups replies and doesn't answer a «thanks».
Compare 008 with other platforms.
Put an agent to the test.
Request a demo or talk to our agent on WhatsApp right now.
Sources
- Gupshup · Pricing
- Gupshup · Partner changelog (December 2025)
- Meta · WhatsApp Business Platform pricing
- 008 Engage · How it's billed
Gupshup and its logo are trademarks of their owner. 008 is not affiliated with or endorsed by Gupshup; we name it only for comparison, using public information.