# Trengo Alternatives: 9 Tools by What You Need (2026) Trengo alternatives for two needs: WhatsApp sales for a store (Kanal, Zoko, Wati) or a shared inbox (respond.io, Gorgias, Crisp). Prices read Oct 30, 2026. Source: https://getkanal.com/blog/trengo-alternatives Last updated: 2026-10-30 ## Key takeaways - People leaving Trengo usually want one of two things: WhatsApp marketing and sales for an online store, where our pick is Kanal, or a shared inbox across channels, where respond.io, SleekFlow, Superchat, Gorgias, Crisp and Zendesk fit. - Kanal starts from €89 a month and is built for online stores, deepest on Shopify. It is not an email helpdesk: it passes conversations that need a human to Gorgias or Crisp, and turns WhatsApp conversations into Zendesk tickets. - On October 30, 2026, Trengo started at €299 a month billed annually for 10 users. The alternatives bill on other units: conversation fees, messages, monthly active contacts, tickets, workspaces or agents. - Meta does not currently deliver WhatsApp marketing templates to US phone numbers. That applies to every tool on this page, Trengo and Kanal included. The right Trengo alternative depends on why you are leaving. Trengo is a general omnichannel inbox, and people who move away from it usually want one of two things: WhatsApp marketing and sales for an online store, or a shared inbox across channels. For an online store that sells through WhatsApp, our pick is [Kanal](https://getkanal.com/demo), from €89 a month. It is built for online stores and goes deepest on Shopify. It is not an email helpdesk: it passes the conversations that need a human to Gorgias or Crisp, and turns WhatsApp conversations into Zendesk tickets. For a shared inbox, the closest tools are respond.io, SleekFlow and Superchat on messaging, and Gorgias, Crisp and Zendesk if email tickets are the center of your support. Below, we compare 9 tools on the need they answer, what they charge for and the starting price each vendor publishes, read on October 30, 2026. For a one-to-one view, see our [Kanal vs Trengo comparison](https://getkanal.com/alternatives/trengo). ## Why people look at Trengo alternatives Trengo sells one inbox for a whole team, across industries: its site is organized around retail, travel and hospitality, health and wellness, leisure, automotive, financial services and education. The reasons to look elsewhere usually come from how that shape fits your own needs. - **The entry plan is sized for a team.** On October 30, 2026, Boost was €299 a month billed annually (€349 month to month), with 10 users and 6,000 conversations a year (500 a month on monthly billing). Pro was €499 billed annually (€599 month to month), with 20 users and 18,000 conversations a year. - **Several lines are metered.** A conversation is any reply within a 7-day window. 100 extra conversations cost €18 (€15 on yearly billing). An extra user on Boost costs €30 (€25 on yearly billing). AI conversations carry a surcharge of €0.30 each (€0.25 on yearly billing). - **Campaigns are an add-on.** The plan table lists broadcasting as an add-on on every plan. If outbound WhatsApp is the main job, that is the line to price first. Trengo's page quotes euros. Its USD tab converts them in your browser at a live exchange rate, so we quote the euro prices here. ![Trengo pricing page on annual billing, with Boost at €299 a month for 10 users and Pro at €499 a month for 20 users](https://getkanal.com/images/screenshots/trengo-pricing-plans-oct30.webp) _Source: [Trengo pricing page](https://trengo.com/prices), read on October 30, 2026._ So the first question is which job the replacement has to do. If your team needs one place to answer email, chat, social and WhatsApp, you want another shared inbox. If your online store wants WhatsApp to bring in sales, with campaigns and automations on store events, you want a WhatsApp marketing tool, and a helpdesk can keep the email. ## What Trengo does well Trengo does what an omnichannel inbox is for. [Its site](https://trengo.com/) describes WhatsApp, email, live chat, social and voice in one shared inbox, with the customer's details next to every conversation. Its plans include conversation assignment, labels, @mentions, internal comments and custom fields, and voice calling is an add-on on Boost and Pro. It is also more than a support tool for stores. [Its integrations page](https://trengo.com/integrations) lists Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento 2, Lightspeed, Shopware and BigCommerce, and on [Shopify](https://trengo.com/integrations/shopify) its AI agent can answer availability questions and recommend products from your live catalog. The team behind Trengo has also launched [Dessa](https://heydessa.ai/), an AI agent for e-commerce brands that works with other helpdesks and is priced at €0.75 per successful outcome. If several people answer many channels and you want them all in one place, Trengo remains a sensible choice, and a WhatsApp marketing tool is not a substitute for it. ## How we compared the tools We read each tool's pricing page, and its Shopify App Store listing when it has one, on October 30, 2026. Each tool was checked on four points: - **Need**: WhatsApp marketing and sales for an online store, or a shared inbox across channels. - **Channels**: as the vendor lists them. - **What it charges for**: the units on the bill, including who collects Meta's WhatsApp fees. - **Starting price**: the first paid plan on the vendor's page, in the currency it displays. Some pages change currency by country: Wati served us euros from Europe, so we also give the dollar price on its Shopify listing. Kanal is our product. It comes first because this list starts with online stores that sell through WhatsApp, the need it is built for. If you need a shared inbox built around email, it is not the right tool on its own, and the entries below say so. The other entries stay factual. We did not assign scores. Prices change often, so check the vendor's page before you buy. ## Trengo alternatives compared | Tool | Need it answers | Channels | What it charges for | Starting price (read October 30, 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---| | Kanal | WhatsApp marketing and sales for online stores | WhatsApp; RCS and SMS from Scale; no email | Monthly plan, Meta's WhatsApp fees at cost, each AI reply | From €89/month | | Zoko | WhatsApp marketing and sales for Shopify stores | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger | Monthly plan, a fee per conversation on Starter, custom flows, AI agents | Starter $49.99/month plus $0.015 per conversation | | Wati | WhatsApp campaigns, chatbots and team inbox | WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, website widget | Monthly plan, messages on its rate card, automation and AI packs | Growth $69/month (Shopify listing); €59/month billed annually (wati.io) | | respond.io | Shared inbox, messaging first | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, SMS, email, website chat and more | Monthly plan, users, monthly active contacts from Growth | Starter $79/month billed yearly | | SleekFlow | Shared inbox, messaging first | Chat, call and email channels | Monthly plan, monthly active contacts, seats, per-message fees | Essential $49/month billed yearly, rolling out by country; Pro $109/month billed yearly | | Superchat | Shared inbox, messaging first | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, live chat, email, SMS | Monthly plan on a 12-month term, company-initiated WhatsApp conversations | Free plan; Basic €89/month | | Gorgias | Helpdesk for online stores | Email, live chat, SMS, social, voice, WhatsApp | Tickets, automated AI interactions | Starter $10/month for 50 tickets | | Crisp | Support suite, flat price | Website chat, email from Mini, WhatsApp and SMS from Essentials | Workspace | Free plan; Mini $45/month per workspace | | Zendesk | Customer service suite | Email and tickets on Support; messaging, live chat and telephony on Suite | Agents, automated resolutions | Support Team $19 per agent/month paid yearly | | Trengo (reference) | General omnichannel inbox | WhatsApp, email, Instagram, Facebook, live chat, SMS, voice | Monthly plan, conversations, users, AI surcharge | Boost €299/month billed annually | ## The 9 Trengo alternatives, by need Tools 1 to 3 answer WhatsApp marketing and sales for an online store. Tools 4 to 6 are shared inboxes centered on messaging. Tools 7 to 9 are helpdesks where email tickets sit at the center. ### 1. Kanal, WhatsApp marketing and sales for online stores ![Kanal automations list with Shopify triggers and attributed revenue](https://getkanal.com/images/screenshots/app-automations.webp) _The Kanal app: automations._ Kanal is a WhatsApp marketing and automation platform used by 500+ brands. It is built for online stores and goes deepest on Shopify, where it installs from the [Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/kanal-marketing-ai). It also connects PrestaShop stores. - **Channels**: WhatsApp, with RCS and SMS included from the Scale plan and iMessage coming soon. Kanal does not send email. - **Selling**: campaigns sent to segments (order count, orders over a period, WhatsApp events, phone country, group membership, or a one-time import of a Shopify or Klaviyo segment), and automations triggered by an order created, an abandoned cart, a shipping status, a WhatsApp keyword or an incoming webhook. - **Replies**: a team inbox, and on the Scale and Business plans an AI agent that tracks an order after checking the customer's email and order number. It never handles refunds, discounts or cancellations: those go to your team. - **Not an email helpdesk**: Kanal does not replace Trengo as one inbox for email and voice. It passes the conversations that need a human to [Gorgias](https://getkanal.com/integrations/gorgias) or [Crisp](https://getkanal.com/integrations/crisp), and turns WhatsApp conversations into [Zendesk](https://getkanal.com/integrations/zendesk) tickets, so your agents keep working in their helpdesk. The Gorgias and Crisp handoffs are included from the Scale plan. - **Not supported**: Meta's catalog, WhatsApp Flows forms and the Conversions API. - **Pricing**: from €89 a month on October 30, 2026. You pay for the plan, Meta's WhatsApp fees at cost and, on plans with the AI agent, each AI reply. There is no commitment. **Worth a look if** you run an online store, you want WhatsApp to bring in sales, and a helpdesk can keep your email. ### 2. Zoko, WhatsApp for Shopify with add-ons priced one by one Zoko is a WhatsApp tool that installs from the [Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/whatsapp-button-chat), with a shared inbox, broadcasts to Shopify segments and a catalog synced from Shopify. [Its pricing page](https://www.zoko.io/pricing) says every feature is in every plan, so a bigger plan only buys volume. - **Channels**: WhatsApp, Instagram ($9.99 a month) and Facebook Messenger (no platform fee). - **Automation**: 11 pre-built flows on every plan, including abandoned checkout recovery, review collection and order notifications. A custom flow costs $5.99 a month. - **AI**: agents are add-ons at $24.99 a month plus $0.09 per resolution, or plus 3% of order value for the agent that takes orders in chat. The first 100 are included. - **Pricing**: on October 30, 2026, Starter was $49.99 a month plus $0.015 per conversation, with unlimited agents. Plus was $79.99 a month, with 5,000 conversations without that fee and 5 agents. You pay Meta's fees directly to Meta. There is a 7-day free trial. ![Zoko pricing page with the Starter plan at $49.99 a month, Plus at $79.99 and Elite at $139.99](https://getkanal.com/images/screenshots/zoko-pricing-plans-oct30.webp) _Source: [Zoko pricing page](https://www.zoko.io/pricing), read on October 30, 2026._ **Worth a look if** you sell on Shopify and want to start from a low monthly fee, then add custom flows and AI one at a time. ### 3. Wati, WhatsApp campaigns and chatbots with a team inbox Wati is a WhatsApp Business API platform with campaigns, no-code chatbots and a team inbox. Its Shopify app is listed as [Wati: WA Cart Recovery & AI](https://apps.shopify.com/wati-abandonedcart-recovery). - **Channels**: [its pricing page](https://www.wati.io/pricing/) lists WhatsApp, WhatsApp calling, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and a website widget in the inbox. Its Shopify listing also names RCS and SMS. - **Store connection**: on wati.io, the Shopify integration is a $4.99 a month add-on. - **AI**: Growth includes 250 Wati AI credits a month on wati.io. The Shopify listing places the AI agent for FAQs and product assistance on Pro. - **Pricing**: on October 30, 2026, the Shopify listing showed Growth at $69 a month and Pro at $149. Wati's own page, served to us in euros, showed Growth at €59 a month billed annually (€69 month to month), with 3 users, no additional users, 15,000 broadcasts a month and 1,000 automation triggers. Messages are extra, on Wati's rate card. There is a 7-day free trial. **Worth a look if** you want campaigns, chatbots and an inbox on one plan, with messages billed through the tool. ### 4. respond.io, an inbox priced on the contacts you talk to respond.io brings messaging, email and calls into one inbox. - **Channels**: [its pricing table](https://respond.io/pricing) lists WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, Viber, LINE, WeChat, SMS through providers such as Twilio, Gmail, Outlook and a website chat widget. - **Automation and AI**: broadcasts, workflows and AI agents start on Growth. - **Store connection**: the pricing page names no store integration. It lists Zapier and Make from Growth. - **Pricing**: on October 30, 2026, Starter was $79 a month billed yearly ($948 a year) for 5 users. Growth was $159 a month billed yearly for 10 users, starting with 1,000 monthly active contacts, then $12 per 100 extra. A monthly active contact is someone you talked to over calls or chat that billing month. WhatsApp fees are not included. There is a 7-day free trial. ![respond.io pricing page on yearly billing, with Starter at $79 a month and Growth at $159 a month](https://getkanal.com/images/screenshots/respond-io-pricing-plans-oct30.webp) _Source: [respond.io pricing page](https://respond.io/pricing), read on October 30, 2026._ **Worth a look if** your conversations run across many messaging apps and you prefer a bill tied to the contacts you talk to. ### 5. SleekFlow, an inbox with AI agents from the Pro plan SleekFlow brings chat, call and email channels into one inbox, with AI agents on its higher plans. - **Automation and AI**: AI agents, broadcasts and the Flow Builder start on Pro. Essential covers the inbox and simple automations. - **Store connection**: Shopify, Zapier and Make integrations start on Pro, and SleekFlow has a [Shopify App Store listing](https://apps.shopify.com/sleekflow). - **Pricing**: on October 30, 2026, [its pricing page](https://sleekflow.io/en-us/pricing) showed Essential at $49 a month billed yearly, rolling out by country, and Pro at $109 a month billed yearly ($1,308 a year) with 500 monthly active contacts and 10 seats. Extra contacts cost $20 per 100. A contact who only receives a one-way broadcast without replying does not count. WhatsApp and SMS have their own monthly hosting and per-message fees. There is a 7-day trial of Pro. **Worth a look if** you want an inbox now and the option to add AI agents and broadcasts on a higher plan. ### 6. Superchat, an inbox with a free starting plan Superchat groups WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, live chat, email and SMS in one inbox. - **Automation and AI**: Professional adds 1 AI agent, automations and a web widget. - **Store connection**: [its pricing page](https://www.superchat.com/pricing) lists Zapier, Make, HubSpot and an API, and names no store integration. - **Pricing**: on October 30, 2026, the free plan covered 1 WhatsApp number, 1 user and 30 active contacts. Basic was €89 a month with 3 accounts and unlimited contacts, and Professional €149. Prices are net, with a 12-month minimum term. WhatsApp conversations started by your company cost €0.02 to €0.07, and the first 1,000 started by a contact each month are free of charge. A WhatsApp newsletter add-on is €49 a month. **Worth a look if** you want to start on one WhatsApp number, then move to a monthly plan that does not change with your contact count. ### 7. Gorgias, a helpdesk for online stores priced on tickets Gorgias is a helpdesk built for e-commerce. [Its Shopify listing](https://apps.shopify.com/helpdesk) describes a unified inbox for email, live chat, SMS, social and voice, with order and customer history, and [its WhatsApp page](https://www.gorgias.com/product/whatsapp) adds WhatsApp support that recognizes Shopify profiles from WhatsApp numbers. - **AI**: adding AI Agent to Starter costs $30 a month for 30 automated interactions, then $1.50 per interaction. - **Pricing**: on October 30, 2026, [its pricing page](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing) showed Starter at $10 a month for 50 tickets, then $0.40 per ticket, on monthly billing only. Basic was $60 a month ($50 billed annually) for 300 tickets. - **With Kanal**: Kanal can pass WhatsApp conversations that need a human to Gorgias, from Kanal's Scale plan. **Worth a look if** your support runs mostly on email and chat for an online store, and you prefer a bill based on tickets. ### 8. Crisp, a flat price per workspace Crisp is a customer support suite priced per workspace, with no limit on the number of conversations. - **Channels**: website chat and a shared inbox on the free plan, a shared email inbox from Mini, and WhatsApp Business, Instagram DMs and SMS from Essentials. - **Store connection**: [its Shopify page](https://crisp.chat/en/integrations/shopify/) describes an app that brings Shopify data into the inbox. - **Pricing**: on October 30, 2026, [its pricing page](https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/) showed a free plan with 2 seats, Mini at $45 a month per workspace with 4 seats and $5 of AI credits, and Essentials at $95 a month per workspace with 10 seats and $25 of AI credits. Any plan can be tried for 14 days. - **With Kanal**: Kanal can pass WhatsApp conversations that need a human to Crisp, from Kanal's Scale plan. **Worth a look if** you want a price that does not move with your conversation volume. WhatsApp in Crisp starts on Essentials. ### 9. Zendesk, a customer service suite priced per agent Zendesk is a customer service suite with ticketing, messaging, live chat, a help center and voice. - **Channels**: Support Team covers email and ticketing. Suite Team adds messaging, live chat and telephony. The pricing page lists WhatsApp among the social and business channels of Zendesk Suite, with a note that additional fees apply. - **AI**: AI agents are billed on automated resolutions, at $1.50 each when committed or $2.00 pay as you go. - **Pricing**: on October 30, 2026, [its pricing page](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/) showed Support Team at $19 per agent a month paid yearly ($25 monthly) and Suite Team at $55 paid yearly ($69 monthly). There is a 14-day free trial, and it has a [Shopify App Store listing](https://apps.shopify.com/zendesk). - **With Kanal**: Kanal can pass WhatsApp conversations to Zendesk as tickets. **Worth a look if** your support team has outgrown a shared inbox and needs routing across many channels. ## If your customers are in the United States Meta's page on [per-user marketing limits](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/marketing-templates/per-user-limits), read on October 30, 2026, says WhatsApp does not currently deliver marketing template messages to users with United States phone numbers. The rule comes from Meta, so it applies to every provider on this page, Trengo and Kanal included, and no tool can switch it off. Cart reminders and promotions are marketing templates, so they do not reach US numbers on WhatsApp. Order and shipping updates, and replies to customers who write first, are separate categories. Our guide to [WhatsApp marketing in the USA](https://getkanal.com/blog/whatsapp-marketing-usa-2026) covers what still works. If most of your customers have US numbers, weigh this before you pick a WhatsApp marketing tool. A shared inbox or SMS may be the more useful purchase. Kanal includes SMS from the Scale plan, and Gorgias, respond.io, SleekFlow, Superchat and Crisp also list SMS. ## How to choose a Trengo alternative Start from the job, then from the unit you want on your bill. **You want WhatsApp to bring in sales for an online store:** - Campaigns and automations on store events, with a handoff to your helpdesk: Kanal. - A low monthly fee on Shopify, with add-ons priced one by one: Zoko. - Campaigns and chatbots, with messages billed through the tool: Wati. **You want one inbox across channels:** - Many messaging apps, priced on the contacts you talk to: respond.io or SleekFlow. - A monthly plan with unlimited contacts: Superchat. - Email tickets for an online store, priced on tickets: Gorgias. - A flat price per workspace: Crisp. - A support team routing across channels, priced per agent: Zendesk. **You want both:** you can split the job. Kanal handles WhatsApp sales and a helpdesk keeps the email, with the conversations that need a human passed from one to the other. Before you switch, check three things: 1. **Your volume in the new unit**: count last month's conversations, then convert them into tickets, messages or monthly active contacts. 2. **Who collects Meta's fees**: Zoko has you pay Meta directly, respond.io has you top up a WhatsApp credit, Wati and SleekFlow bill on a rate card, and Kanal passes the fees through at cost. 3. **Where your email goes**: Kanal, Zoko and Wati do not list email among their channels. If Trengo handles your email today, plan where it moves. ## Summary Trengo is a general omnichannel inbox, from €299 a month billed annually on October 30, 2026. If you are leaving it for a shared inbox, look at respond.io, SleekFlow and Superchat on messaging, or Gorgias, Crisp and Zendesk with email tickets at the center. If you are leaving it because your online store wants to sell through WhatsApp, look at Kanal, Zoko and Wati. Kanal is our pick for that second need, from €89 a month. It does not replace an email helpdesk: it works next to one. Compare [Kanal's plans](https://getkanal.com/pricing) or [book a demo](https://getkanal.com/demo) to see it on your store. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best Trengo alternative? It depends on why you are leaving. For an online store that sells through WhatsApp, our pick is Kanal, from €89 a month: campaigns, automations on store events, a team inbox and an AI agent on the Scale plan. Kanal is not an email helpdesk, so it passes conversations that need a human to Gorgias or Crisp and turns WhatsApp conversations into Zendesk tickets. If you want a shared inbox across channels, look at respond.io, SleekFlow and Superchat for messaging, or Gorgias, Crisp and Zendesk if email tickets are the center of your support. ### How much does Trengo cost? On October 30, 2026, Trengo's pricing page showed Boost at €299 a month billed annually (€349 month to month) for 10 users and 6,000 conversations a year, and Pro at €499 a month billed annually (€599 month to month) for 20 users and 18,000 conversations a year. Enterprise is priced on request. Extra conversations, extra users and AI conversations are charged on top, and broadcasting is an add-on on every plan. ### What counts as a conversation in Trengo? Trengo's pricing page defines a conversation as any reply to an inbound or outbound message with a customer within a 7-day window. Messages outside that window start a new conversation. On October 30, 2026, 100 extra conversations cost €18 on monthly billing or €15 on yearly billing. ### Is Kanal a helpdesk like Trengo? No. Kanal does not send email and does not replace a shared inbox for email and voice. It is built to sell through WhatsApp: campaigns, automations on store events, a team inbox and an AI agent on the Scale and Business plans. Conversations that need a human can go to Gorgias or Crisp, and WhatsApp conversations can become Zendesk tickets, so your agents keep working in their helpdesk. ### Which Trengo alternatives work with Shopify? Kanal installs from the Shopify App Store and also connects PrestaShop stores. Zoko, Wati, SleekFlow, Gorgias and Zendesk are listed on the Shopify App Store, and Crisp documents a Shopify app. The pricing pages of respond.io and Superchat name no store integration, and both list Zapier and Make. ### Can these tools send WhatsApp marketing messages to US customers? No. Meta's documentation says WhatsApp does not currently deliver marketing template messages to users with US phone numbers. This applies to every provider, Trengo and Kanal included. Cart reminders and promotions are marketing templates, while order and shipping updates and replies to customers who write first are separate categories. ### Is there a free alternative to Trengo? Two tools on this page publish a free plan. Superchat's covers 1 WhatsApp number, 1 user and 30 active contacts. Crisp's covers 2 seats, website chat and a shared inbox, without WhatsApp, which starts on its Essentials plan. Most of the others offer a trial instead.