respond.io vs Trengo: which WhatsApp inbox should you choose in 2026?
respond.io and Trengo both run WhatsApp, email and social chats in a shared inbox. Pricing, broadcasts, AI agents and CRM links compared plan by plan.
Published 20 October 2026. Prices and features from each vendor's own pages.
The short answer
respond.ioPaid from $79/workspaceChoose it if you want broadcasts, workflows and AI agents in one monthly price from the $159 plan.
TrengoPaid from €299/workspaceChoose it if you want an AI agent and AI journeys included from the €299 plan.
PromptLabIn the CRM from $11.99/seatChoose it if your buyers message on WhatsApp and Telegram as well as email.
respond.io and Trengo both put WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger and email conversations into one team inbox. Both price per workspace rather than per user, with a set number of users included.
Below, the two are compared on price, how each one counts usage, broadcasts, AI and chatbots, and CRM links. Every figure comes from the vendors' own pricing and product pages; prices are per workspace a month, billed annually, unless we say otherwise. Trengo publishes its prices in euros, so those are shown in euros.
respond.io vs Trengo at a glance
With PromptLab in the third column: the same job done inside a CRM.
| Checked on 20 October 2026 | respond.io | Trengo | PromptLab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | |||
| Free plan | |||
| Paid plans, a month | $79 – $279per workspace | €299 – €499 per workspace | $11.99per seat on Basic |
| Free trial | 7 days | ||
| Billing | Billed annually | Billed annually | Billed monthly |
| WhatsApp inbox | |||
| Telegram | |||
| Email in the same inbox | |||
| Instagram and Messenger | |||
| WhatsApp broadcasts | From$159/month | Add-on | |
| Chatbots and auto-replies | From$159/month | ||
| CRM integrations | From$159/month | HubSpot, Salesforce | Built in |
Pricing: $79 to $279 against €299 to €499
respond.io has four plans. Starter is $79 a month, Growth $159 and Advanced $279, with Enterprise on quote. Those figures are for 1,000 monthly active contacts, and the price rises as you move up the contact tiers. Starter includes 5 users, and extra users cost $12 a month each. Growth and Advanced include 10 users, with extras at $20 and $24.
Trengo has three plans. Boost is €299 a month and Pro €499, with Enterprise on quote. Boost includes 10 users and Pro 20, and extra users cost €25 and €40 a month. Trengo meters conversations instead of contacts: 6,000 a year on Boost and 18,000 on Pro, with more at €15 per 100. Neither lists a free plan. respond.io offers a 7-day trial, and Trengo has a free trial.
How each one counts usage and WhatsApp fees
respond.io counts monthly active contacts, meaning the people you talk to in a month. Trengo counts conversations, where a conversation is any reply within a 7-day window. Which one costs less depends on how many people you talk to and how often.
WhatsApp fees sit outside both subscriptions in different ways. respond.io says Meta charges its fees by usage and you can top up WhatsApp credit on the platform. Trengo's pricing page lists all WhatsApp service conversations as free, and charges additional WhatsApp, voice and SMS with an AI surcharge per usage.
Channels and email in one inbox
Both cover the same core. respond.io includes WhatsApp, the Telegram bot, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, Viber, LINE and WeChat on every plan, plus Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft 365, Yahoo and custom SMTP email.
Trengo's inbox handles email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, and its help centre has guides for Telegram and TikTok. respond.io lists more messaging channels by name. Trengo's WhatsApp page also says several teammates can share one number.
Broadcasts, chatbots and AI
This is the clearest split on price. respond.io's broadcasts and its workflow builder start on Growth at $159, so Starter has neither. AI Agents also start on Growth. Starter keeps AI Assist and chat summaries.
Trengo includes its AI Agent (HelpMate), AI Journeys and auto replies on every plan, Boost included. Broadcasting is an add-on on every plan. Third-party AI actions are not supported on Boost, and Pro adds API actions.
CRM links and support
respond.io links to HubSpot from Growth and to Salesforce from Advanced. Its integrations page also lists Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign and Zendesk, and an MCP server for connecting Claude or ChatGPT. 24/7 support is on every plan.
Trengo's integrations page lists HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, MS Dynamics and Copper. Boost has email and messaging support. Live chat and phone support start on Pro.
We make PromptLab, so here is where it fits.
Or run WhatsApp from inside your CRM
PromptLab's inbox puts WhatsApp, Telegram and email threads in one place, each linked to its contact and deal. Connect a WhatsApp Business number, or a personal WhatsApp or Telegram account by scanning a QR code.
Assign a conversation to a teammate and leave internal notes on the thread. There are no chatbots or broadcasts, so it suits teams that sell one conversation at a time rather than run support at volume.
Which should you choose?
Choose respond.io if…
- You want broadcasts, workflows and AI agents in one monthly price from the $159 plan.
- Your price should follow the number of contacts you talk to, not conversations.
- You want Telegram, Viber, LINE and WeChat named on every plan.
Choose Trengo if…
- You want an AI agent and AI journeys included from the €299 plan.
- You want 10 users included on the entry plan and 20 on Pro.
- You want live chat and phone support from the Pro plan, and CRM links such as Pipedrive, Zoho CRM and MS Dynamics.
Choose PromptLab if…
- Your buyers message on WhatsApp and Telegram as well as email.
- You want every chat on the contact and deal it belongs to.
- You want the inbox, quotes and orders in one CRM, priced per user.
Frequently asked questions
Is respond.io cheaper than Trengo?
On the headline price, yes: respond.io runs from $79 to $279 a month and Trengo from €299 to €499, both billed annually. The two meter usage differently, by monthly active contacts at respond.io and by conversations at Trengo, so the real bill depends on your volume.
Does Trengo have a free plan or trial?
Trengo's pricing page lists no free plan, but it offers a free trial. respond.io lists none either, and gives a 7-day free trial.
Which one supports Telegram?
Both. respond.io includes the Telegram bot on every plan. Trengo's help centre has a guide for setting up Telegram.
Can I send WhatsApp broadcasts on each?
On respond.io, broadcasts start on the Growth plan at $159 a month. On Trengo, broadcasting is an add-on on every plan, Boost and Pro included.
Do the prices include WhatsApp message fees?
No on respond.io, where Meta charges its fees by usage. Trengo lists all WhatsApp service conversations as free, with additional WhatsApp, voice and SMS with an AI surcharge charged per usage.
Is there a CRM with a WhatsApp inbox built in?
Yes. PromptLab's shared inbox handles WhatsApp, Telegram and email on every plan, from $11.99 a user a month, with each conversation linked to its contact and deal and a 14-day free trial.
Sources
- respond.io, checked on 20 October 2026: respond.io pricing, respond.io integrations
- Trengo, checked on 20 October 2026: Trengo pricing, Trengo WhatsApp, Trengo integrations, Trengo help centre
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