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Chat ON Desk Basic vs Pro Plan — Which one’s best for you?
Choosing the right messaging plan can be tricky — especially when every plan sounds powerful on paper. With Chat ON Desk, both the Basic (Essential) and Pro (Engage) plans are designed to help businesses grow through WhatsApp automation, real-time communication, and smart customer engagement. But which one truly fits your business goals, team size, and automation needs? Whether you’re a startup looking to send order updates and promotions, or a growing brand ready to automate customer conversations and campaigns, understanding the difference between Basic and Pro can help you make the right investment. we’ll break down each plan’s features, benefits, pricing, and use cases — so you can confidently choose the plan that drives the best results for your business.
What each plan includes (straight from the pricing sheet)
Basic — “Essential” (Best for launch phase)
- Price: https://www.chatondesk.com/pricing
- Core features: WhatsApp Business API access, unlimited free service conversations (live chat replies), unlimited contacts, template manager & analytics, Shopify/WooCommerce integration (one site), broadcast/campaign scheduler, template library, quick replies, and 30 days of archived reports. Support via email & WhatsApp.
Who it fits: small stores, early-stage startups, solo founders, and businesses that need reliable transactional messages and occasional campaigns without automation complexity.
Pro — “Engage” (Best for automation & growth)
- Price:https://www.chatondesk.com/pricing/
- Adds to Essential: Flowbots (automated conversational flows), up to 20 custom fields, customer tags, internal notes, chat widget, webhooks, 60 days of archive data, and priority email & WhatsApp support.
- Same template message rates as Essential.
Who it fits: growing e-commerce businesses, companies that want to automate lead capture, cart recovery, and multi-step customer journeys without building their own backend.
The step-up option — Business Suite (quick note)
If your needs include multi-user support, chat auto-assignment, shared templates, WhatsApp catalogue, and year-long archives, the Business Suite is the scale option https://www.chatondesk.com/pricing/ — useful for small support teams and mid-market businesses.
Side-by-side comparison (readable at a glance)
| Capability | Basic (Essential) — | Pro (Engage) — |
| WhatsApp Business API | ✔ | ✔ |
| Unlimited contacts & service conversations | ✔ | ✔ |
| Template Manager & Analytics | ✔ | ✔ |
| Integrations (Shopify/WooCommerce) | 1 site | 1 site |
| Broadcast scheduler | ✔ | ✔ |
| Quick replies | ✔ | ✔ |
| Automation (Flowbots) | ✖ | ✔ |
| Custom fields & tags | ✖ | ✔ (up to 20 fields) |
| Webhooks & chat widget | ✖ | ✔ |
| Archive days | 30 | 60 |
| Support level | Email & WhatsApp | Priority Email & WhatsApp |
| Best for | Launch / simple needs | Automation / growth |
How to decide — questions to ask yourself
- Do you need automation now?
- If yes (cart recovery bots, auto-replies, qualifier flows) — Pro is worth the extra investment. Flowbots save agent time and boost conversions.
- If yes (cart recovery bots, auto-replies, qualifier flows) — Pro is worth the extra investment. Flowbots save agent time and boost conversions.
- How many team members will manage messages?
- Solo or one admin? Basic might be enough.
- Multiple agents or planned expansion? Consider Pro now or Business Suite later for multi-user features.
- Solo or one admin? Basic might be enough.
- Are detailed customer profiles important?
- If you need custom fields (order IDs, VIP status) or tagging for segmentation, Pro gives up to 20 custom fields and tagging.
- If you need custom fields (order IDs, VIP status) or tagging for segmentation, Pro gives up to 20 custom fields and tagging.
- How long should message history be retained?
- Basic: 30 days archive; Pro: 60 days — useful for dispute resolution and analytics.
- Budget vs ROI:
- Basic costs less — good if you mainly send transactional messages. Pro will typically pay back via recovered carts, better lead handling, and hours if you use automation aggressively. saved agent.
Real-world scenarios — quick recommendations
- Single-founder D2C store (low order volume): Start with Basic. You get reliable templates, broadcasting and Shopify integration at a low monthly cost.
- Growing e-commerce brand (high cart abandonment): Pro — Flowbots + tags will increase recovery rates and lead conversion.
- Service business with multiple agents (support team): Consider Business Suite for multi-user login and chat assignment; if you’re testing automation first, start with Pro then upgrade.
Cost considerations beyond monthly price
- Template message charges are identical across plans
- . Factor per-message costs into campaign ROI.
- Annual savings: The pricing sheet mentions 10% off + free dedicated onboarding for annual subscriptions — worth calculating if you’re committed for a year.
- Agent add-ons: For multi-agent needs, Business Suite charges extra per agent (example: additional agent ₹799/month as listed in the sheet). Plan team size and costs accordingly.
Tips to get the most value
- Start with a 7-day test: Use Basic to validate volume and messaging types. If you hit automation pain points (manual follow-ups, slow lead qualification), upgrade.
- Design templates carefully: Since DLT template approval and message rates apply, reuse approved templates smartly to minimize rejections and costs.
- Use tags and custom fields: If you upgrade to Pro, immediately tag high-value customers and use custom fields to personalize messages — small personalization increases CTRs substantially.
- Leverage the campaign scheduler: Broadcast timing matters. Use the scheduler in both plans to reach customers at optimal times without manual effort.
FAQs
The Basic (Essential) plan focuses on core WhatsApp Business API features like broadcasting, template messaging, and eCommerce integration — ideal for startups.
The Pro (Engage) plan adds automation tools like Flowbots, custom fields, customer tags, and priority support, making it perfect for growing businesses that need advanced engagement and workflow automation.
Yes, you can easily upgrade anytime without losing your existing data or templates. Chat ON Desk allows seamless plan upgrades as your business needs evolve.
Yes! Both Basic and Pro plans provide verified WhatsApp Business API access for sending template messages, automating replies, and managing customer conversations securely.
No, template message rates are the same across all plans.
If you run an online store and want to send order updates, recover carts, or automate customer journeys, the Pro plan is the better choice. It supports integrations, tagging, and automation — perfect for platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
- Basic Plan: Standard support via email & WhatsApp.
- Pro Plan: Priority support, ensuring faster response and resolution for critical business issues.
If your business outgrows the Basic plan’s capabilities (like needing automation or more archive days), you can upgrade instantly to the Pro plan. Your data, templates, and chat history remain intact after upgrading.
If you’re starting out and need dependable WhatsApp + basic broadcasting and e-commerce integration: pick Basic (Essential).If you want to automate customer journeys, qualify leads, and use richer data (tags/custom fields), choose Pro (Engage) — the automation ROI typically outweighs the extra monthly cost for growing businesses.