What "free WhatsApp API" actually means
Search for a free WhatsApp API and you'll find two kinds of offers. The first is unofficial software that automates the normal WhatsApp app, genuinely free, right up until Meta bans the number, which for a business number is an expensive kind of free.
The second is a free tier or trial on the official API, where the platform waives its own fee but Meta's per-conversation charge still exists, because Meta bills it regardless of which provider you use.
Growcord's version is the second kind, structured as a free tier rather than a countdown clock. You get 1 WhatsApp number and 50 conversations every month, indefinitely. Service conversations, replying to a customer who messaged you first, inside the 24-hour window, are free on Meta's side too, so a small shop answering enquiries and sending a handful of order updates can run a real test without paying anyone anything.
Why there's no card wall
A trial behind a card number isn't really an offer to evaluate; it's an offer to forget to cancel. The free tier needs no payment details because the way it converts is simpler: you connect a number, wire up order alerts, watch replies arrive, and when 50 conversations stops being enough, the ₹99/month billed yearly Basic plan is a small step, not a leap of faith.
What the free tier includes
1 WhatsApp number on the official Meta Cloud API
50 conversations every month, resets monthly, never expires
Order, shipping and payment alerts for your store
REST API access with an API key, for developers who want to test integration
Media gallery for the images and PDFs you send
No credit card, no setup fee, no time limit
Start the trial in an afternoon
Sign up on growcord.in
Email and password. You land in the dashboard on the free tier, nothing to configure first.
Connect a WhatsApp number
Meta's embedded signup walks you through linking a number to your business. A fresh SIM or virtual number works; the number can't be active on the WhatsApp app at the same time.
Send your first messages
Message your own phone, set up an order-confirmation alert, or call the REST API with your key. This is the real product, not a sandbox.
Upgrade when 50 stops being enough
Plans start at ₹299/month, ₹99/month billed yearly, and add bulk campaigns, auto-replies and more conversations. Your number and chat history carry over.
What each step up adds
| Free tier | Basic (₹99/mo yearly) | Startup (₹399/mo yearly) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Conversations per month | 50 | 200 | 1,000 |
Bulk campaign messages | ✗ Not included | 2,000 | 10,000 |
Keyword auto-replies | ✗ Not included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
Chatbot flow builder | ✗ Not included | ✗ Not included | ✓ 3 flows |
Shared team inbox | ✗ Single login | ✗ Single login | ✓ 3 team members |
Order & shipping alerts | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
REST API access | ✓ 1 API key | ✓ 1 API key | ✓ 3 API keys |
Free tier and paid plans on Growcord. Yearly prices are the per-month equivalent of a twelve-month payment; Meta conversation fees are billed separately at cost.
What a good trial should prove
Fifty conversations is not a marketing budget, it's a proof budget. Use it to answer the questions that actually decide the purchase: does the number connect cleanly, do template messages get approved, do order alerts fire when your store ships something, do replies land somewhere your team will see them. If you're technical, hit the API and confirm the webhooks arrive. A week of real traffic answers all of it.
For comparison, checked August 2026: Wati's Growth plan is listed at ₹2,499/month and Interakt charges per conversation from about ₹0.97, so evaluating either means committing money on a clock. A free tier lets you evaluate on your own schedule, and it keeps working as a fallback if the project pauses for a month while Diwali stock arrives.
One honest caveat: the free tier is for testing, not for running a business indefinitely. Fifty conversations, one login and no bulk sends is deliberately small. When you do upgrade, the first paid month is covered by an unconditional 7-day money-back guarantee, ask within seven days and the ₹99/month plan fee comes back in full.
Try the API on a real order today
Free tier: 1 number, 50 conversations a month, no card. If it doesn't prove itself, you've spent nothing.
Start free, no card neededWhy Growcord
What you get here that you don't get elsewhere
Frequently asked questions
Is the WhatsApp Business API really free?
The platform can be free; the API itself never fully is. Growcord's free tier costs nothing, 1 number, 50 conversations a month, but Meta charges per conversation for template messages you initiate (roughly ₹0.78–0.88 for marketing, ₹0.115–0.13 for utility in India). Replies to customers who message you first are free. Anyone promising unlimited free WhatsApp messaging is using unofficial tools that get numbers banned.
Do I need a credit card to start the trial?
No. Growcord's free tier requires no card, no payment details and no setup fee. You sign up, connect a number through Meta's embedded signup, and start messaging. Payment details only enter the picture when you choose a paid plan or top up credits for Meta's fees.
How long does the WhatsApp API free trial last?
It doesn't expire. Growcord's trial is a free tier, not a 7- or 14-day countdown: 50 conversations a month, resetting every month, for as long as you want. That means you can evaluate at your own pace, or keep a low-volume number on it indefinitely.
What happens when I use up the 50 free conversations?
Sending pauses until the monthly reset, or until you upgrade. Nothing is billed silently. The Basic plan at ₹299/month (₹99/month billed yearly) raises the ceiling to 200 conversations and adds 2,000 bulk messages and auto-replies. Your number, contacts and history carry over unchanged.
Can I use my existing WhatsApp number for the trial?
Yes, but understand the trade: a number on the API can't simultaneously run the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, and moving it requires deleting the app account first. Most businesses trial with a fresh number, prove the workflow, then decide whether to migrate the main number or keep both.
Is the free tier the real product or a demo?
The real product on the official Meta Cloud API, real number, real deliveries, real webhooks. The limits are smaller (50 conversations, one login, no bulk campaigns), but nothing is simulated, which is why a free-tier test tells you more than a scripted sales environment. If you would rather be shown around first, the demo page has the walkthrough options.
Why businesses pick Growcord
Official WhatsApp Business API
Built on Meta's Cloud API, the sanctioned channel, not a modded app. No number-ban roulette.
Indian pricing, GST invoice
Plans from ₹99/month billed yearly. Paid in ₹ via Razorpay, with a proper GST invoice every time.
Free tier, no card needed
1 number and 50 conversations a month to prove it on real customers before paying anything.
Support from New Delhi, in IST
A real team on email and WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday 10:00–19:00 IST, not a ticket void.
Talk to us
Get set up on WhatsApp this week
Tell us what you sell and how many customers you message. We'll reply on WhatsApp with the plan that fits and, if you want it, walk you through the Meta approval step.
- No sales call unless you ask for one
- Answers from the team that builds it, in IST hours
- Free tier available. You can start before you decide
Keep reading
Related guides and comparisons
Last updated: 2026-08-07