Free WhatsApp Chatbot: 6 Best Options in 2026
You want to automate responses on WhatsApp without spending a euro. We get it. The good news: there are options. The bad news: none are truly unlimited. In this guide we analyze the six most relevant free alternatives in 2026, their real limitations and at what point it makes sense to stop looking for free and bet on a solution that actually works. If you're not yet clear on what a chatbot applied to this channel is, start with our guide on WhatsApp Business Chatbot.
Can You Have a Free WhatsApp Chatbot
Yes, but with important nuances you should know before investing time setting up something that might not cover your needs.
The WhatsApp Business App includes quick replies and away messages as standard. This is free, works and requires no technical knowledge. But it's not a chatbot: there's no conditional logic, it doesn't interpret natural language and doesn't connect with your CRM or any external system. It's basic automation, not conversational intelligence.
To have a free WhatsApp chatbot with real conversation capability, you need to turn to third-party platforms with freemium plans. These platforms offer a free tier with volume restrictions, limited functionalities and, in many cases, the platform's brand visible in your conversations. For a business just starting or wanting to validate an idea, it might be enough. For a company managing dozens of daily queries, it's not.
The qualitative leap comes with the WhatsApp Business API, which allows you to connect advanced chatbots, AI agents and any business integration. But the API itself isn't free in operational terms: it requires a BSP provider and has per-conversation costs. You can check the details in our guide on WhatsApp Business API.
Comparison Table: 6 Free Options
Before diving into each tool, here's the overview. The table compares the six options worth attention in 2026 for those looking for a free WhatsApp chatbot:
| Tool | Free plan | Main limits | AI included | WhatsApp API |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp Business App | Completely free | Only quick replies, no logic | No | No |
| ManyChat | Freemium | 1,000 contacts | Basic (rules) | Yes (paid plan only) |
| Tidio | Freemium | 100 conversations/month | Lyro AI (50 conv.) | Yes (paid plan only) |
| Botpress | Freemium | 2,000 messages/month | GPT integrated | Yes |
| Respond.io | 7-day trial | Temporary full access | Yes | Yes |
| Landbot | Freemium | Web chatbot only (WA paid) | Basic | Yes (paid plan only) |
Notice a clear pattern: truly free options either don't offer WhatsApp API or limit volume to levels that only work for testing. No platform gives away unlimited access to a channel that generates real per-conversation costs. If someone tells you otherwise, be skeptical.
Analysis of the 3 Best Free Options
Of the six options, three stand out for offering a reasonable balance between free functionality and real capability.
ManyChat: Ideal for Marketing
ManyChat is the most popular platform for automation on messaging channels. Its free plan allows up to 1,000 contacts with basic flows and rule-based automations. The drag-and-drop visual interface is intuitive and requires no programming. Its strength is in lead capture flows, welcome sequences and automated responses to Instagram comments that redirect to WhatsApp.
The main limitation: WhatsApp access is only available on the Pro plan ($15/month). In the free tier you operate on Instagram and Facebook Messenger. If your goal is exclusively WhatsApp, the free plan won't work for real production.
Botpress: Ideal for Developers
Botpress stands out for natively integrating GPT in its free plan, which allows creating chatbots with natural language understanding at no initial cost. The 2,000 monthly messages in the free tier include WhatsApp API access, something few platforms offer without charging. Its visual editor combines logic nodes with generative AI capabilities.
The tradeoff: the learning curve is steeper than ManyChat or Tidio. Botpress is designed for technical profiles who want control over bot behavior. If you're not comfortable configuring intents, entities and conditional flows, it might not be your best option.
Tidio: Ideal for E-commerce
Tidio combines live chat with chatbot and an AI assistant called Lyro AI that resolves queries using your knowledge base. The free plan includes 100 chatbot conversations per month and 50 conversations with Lyro AI. For an online store with moderate volume of queries about shipping, returns and order status, it's a solid option.
Its main limitation is that WhatsApp integration requires the Communicator plan or higher (€29/month). In the free tier you operate with the web widget and email. Still, the 50 conversations with Lyro AI let you validate whether AI automation works for your business before investing.
Limitations of Free Chatbots
All free options share restrictions you should be clear about before committing to a platform:
Limited volume. Between 100 and 2,000 messages or conversations per month. A business with 50 daily queries exhausts the free quota in the first week. It's not viable for sustained real operations.
No advanced AI. Free plans offer rule-based chatbots or AI with very cut-down capabilities. Don't expect deep contextual understanding, memory of previous conversations or ability to execute actions in your systems.
No CRM integrations. Connecting the chatbot with your CRM, ERP or ticketing system usually requires a paid plan. Without this connection, the chatbot operates as an island: it answers questions but doesn't update data or trigger internal processes.
Platform branding. Most free plans include the tool's logo or brand in conversations. For a brand that cares about its image, this can be a problem. For more context on free options on other channels, check our guide on Free Chatbot.
No priority support. When something fails in a free chatbot, you're alone with documentation and community forums. On a critical channel like WhatsApp, where customers expect immediate response, that's an operational risk.
The question isn't whether to pay or not, but when. If your chatbot manages more than 500 monthly conversations or needs to connect with internal systems, you've exceeded what any free plan can offer.
From Free Chatbot to AI Agent
Free chatbots serve a valid function: they let you experiment, validate demand and understand what type of queries you receive. But they have a ceiling that's quickly reached.
A rule-based chatbot only responds to what you've anticipated. A free AI agent goes a step further: it understands context, maintains memory between conversations and can execute actions like checking an order, scheduling an appointment or escalating to a human with all previous context. The difference isn't one of degree, it's one of nature. If you want to dive deeper into this distinction, check our guide on business chatbots.
GuruSup offers complete AI agents for WhatsApp that go far beyond what any free chatbot can do. Advanced natural language understanding, integration with your systems, conversational memory and autonomous resolution capability. It's not a chatbot with predefined responses: it's an agent that understands, decides and acts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free chatbot for WhatsApp?
It depends on your profile. For marketing, ManyChat for its ease of use. For AI development, Botpress for including GPT and WhatsApp API access in its free plan. For e-commerce, Tidio for its Lyro AI assistant. None is "the best" in the abstract: choose based on your use case and technical capability.
Is ManyChat free for WhatsApp?
Not exactly. ManyChat has a free plan, but WhatsApp integration is only available on the Pro plan ($15/month). The free tier works with Instagram DM and Facebook Messenger. For WhatsApp you need to pay.
Can I create a WhatsApp chatbot without programming?
Yes. Platforms like ManyChat, Tidio and Landbot offer drag-and-drop visual editors that don't require writing code. Botpress also has a visual editor but is more oriented to technical users. The WhatsApp Business App allows configuring quick replies without any external tool, although its capability is very basic.
GuruSup lets you deploy AI agents on WhatsApp with real resolution capability: contextual understanding, memory, integration with your systems and autonomy to resolve queries without human intervention. No programming, no infrastructure management and with native Spanish support. Try GuruSup for free and discover the difference between a free chatbot and an AI agent that actually works.
