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WhatsApp chatbot cost has two parts: Meta's messaging fees and your platform subscription. Here is how each works and how to estimate your real monthly total.
A WhatsApp chatbot has two costs. The first is Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform fees, which apply to template messages and vary by category and country. The second is your chatbot platform's subscription. Replies to customers who message you first are free within 24 hours, so a chatbot that mostly answers incoming questions pays Meta very little. SimplyBoost's platform fee is a flat €39, €89 or €169 a month.
WhatsApp chatbot pricing confuses a lot of people because two separate bills are involved. Below we explain how each one works, walk through three example budgets, and list the extra fees worth checking before you sign up.
Part 1: Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform fees
Since 1 July 2025, Meta has charged per message on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Only delivered template messages are charged, and the rate depends on the template category and the recipient's country. Check the current rates on Meta's pricing page. This is how the main message types work:
- Service replies: the customer messages you first and you reply within the 24-hour customer service window. These replies are free.
- Utility templates: transactional messages like order confirmations or shipping updates. They're charged when sent outside the service window and free when sent inside it.
- Marketing templates: promotional messages you start yourself. Usually the most expensive category, and the one where prices differ most between countries.
- Authentication templates: one-time passcodes and verification messages, priced separately by country.
Two habits keep this part cheap. Answer customers inside the 24-hour window whenever you can, and only use marketing templates when a free reply or a utility message won't do. One more detail: when someone reaches you through a click-to-WhatsApp ad, Meta gives you a 72-hour free window instead of 24 hours.
Part 2: your chatbot platform subscription
This is what you pay for the software that runs the AI agent. Pricing models vary a lot: per resolution, per seat, per conversation, or a flat fee. SimplyBoost is flat, and every plan includes WhatsApp, Instagram and website chat. Starter is €39 a month with 500 AI replies, Growth is €89 with 2,000 and adds the Shopify store assistant and advanced analytics, and Pro is €169 with 6,000 and adds analytics export and dedicated support. There are no per-seat or per-conversation fees. See full pricing for what each plan includes, or read our platform pricing comparison.
Three example cost scenarios
These are illustrations, not quotes. The platform prices are SimplyBoost's list prices. Meta's part depends on your country and how many templates you send, so look up your own rates.
Light: a small local business answering questions. Customers message first and the agent replies within 24 hours, using a few hundred AI replies a month. Platform: €39 on Starter. Meta: nothing for those replies, because they fall inside the free service window.
Growing: a busy shop or clinic. Up to 2,000 AI replies a month across WhatsApp, Instagram and the website. Platform: €89 on Growth. Meta: still nothing for replies inside the window. If you also send order updates or promotions as templates from your shop or marketing tool, add Meta's rates for those.
High volume: several locations or a larger online store. Up to 6,000 AI replies a month. Platform: €169 on Pro, with custom plans above that for larger teams. Meta: this is where template volume usually grows, so Meta's part depends mostly on how many marketing and utility templates you send and to which countries.
Look at what changes the total. With a flat platform, your software cost stays put, and Meta's fees grow only with the messages you start yourself. With per-conversation or per-resolution platform pricing, the software bill grows with every chat as well, which is where people get surprised.
Hidden fees to watch for
- Per-conversation platform fees: some platforms charge for each conversation or AI resolution on top of Meta's template fees, so your bill rises as you get busier.
- Per-seat fees: common on help desk tools, where every team member you add raises the price.
- Setup fees or minimum spend: some WhatsApp providers charge a one-time setup fee or require a minimum monthly spend.
- Bring-your-own AI keys: tools that ask for your own AI model API key add a separate usage bill that you have to keep an eye on.
- Overage charges: plans with a set number of conversations or credits may charge extra once you go over.
How to estimate your real total
- Estimate how many WhatsApp messages you handle a month, and how many are replies to customers versus messages you start yourself.
- Look up Meta's current template rates for your country. That's part 1.
- Add your platform subscription. That's part 2.
- Check for per-conversation, per-seat, setup or overage fees, since those are what push the bill up as you grow.
Frequently asked questions
Is the WhatsApp Business Platform free?
Getting access doesn't cost anything, and replies within 24 hours of a customer's message are free. Meta charges for delivered template messages, based on category and country. Your chatbot software is a separate subscription.
Does SimplyBoost charge per WhatsApp conversation?
No. SimplyBoost is a flat €39, €89 or €169 a month, depending on how many AI replies you need. The agent replies to customers who message you, and those replies fall inside Meta's free service window. SimplyBoost doesn't send template messages, so any Meta template fees come from other tools you use.
What's the cheapest way to run a WhatsApp chatbot?
Let customers start the conversation, reply within the 24-hour window, and choose a flat-priced platform so being busy doesn't push up your software bill. Per-conversation platform pricing combined with lots of marketing templates is the expensive combination.
How much should a small business budget for a WhatsApp chatbot?
Start with the platform fee, which is €39 to €169 a month for SimplyBoost. If the chatbot mainly answers customers who message you, Meta's part can be close to zero. Add Meta's template rates only for messages you plan to send first, like promotions or order updates.
The short version
The cost of a WhatsApp chatbot is Meta's template fees, set by category and country and billed by Meta, plus your platform subscription. Replies within the 24-hour window are free, and a flat-priced platform keeps the second part predictable. See SimplyBoost pricing.