Sep 28, 2026, 12:07:51 AM

4 TimelinesAI Alternatives for 2026, Compared on Real Prices

TimelinesAI is a solid WhatsApp CRM, but it charges for every user as a paid seat, so the bill grows with each teammate you add. If that's why you're looking around, here's the short answer:

A team sharing one or a few numbers, on a budget: HaberChat. Teammates are included per number, so six people on one number pay $82.90 a month instead of $240 on TimelinesAI.
Lots of WhatsApp groups: Periskope.
Marketing broadcasts on the official API: Wati.
One inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email: respond.io.

Disclosure: we make HaberChat, so weigh our pick accordingly. Every price below comes from each vendor's public pricing page, checked on September 27, 2026, and is linked so you can confirm it before you buy.

What a 6-person team sharing one number pays

Here's the monthly list price for six people working from one WhatsApp number, compared on a QR-code connection, so there are no Meta message fees to add:

Tool	Plan	Monthly cost	How it's priced
TimelinesAI	Shared Inbox	$240	$40 per user (“1 seat = 1 user”)
Periskope	Starter	from $150	$25 per user, first phone free
HaberChat	Business	$82.90	Per number, 6 teammates included

TimelinesAI's annual billing cuts up to 20%, which still leaves about $192 a month. Wati and respond.io run on the official WhatsApp API, where Meta's message fees come on top of the plan, so they don't fit a flat comparison. Their pricing is covered below.

First decision: QR code or official API?

How a tool connects to WhatsApp matters more than any feature list:

QR code. You scan a code, the same way you link WhatsApp Web, and keep using your current WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business number. There's no Meta approval and no per-message fee. The catch: it isn't an official Meta connection, so WhatsApp's anti-spam systems apply and sending speed is limited.
Official WhatsApp Business API. You register the number with Meta, messages you start (outside the 24-hour reply window) must use approved templates, and Meta charges for those template messages. In return you get much higher sending limits, a path to the verified blue checkmark, and interactive buttons and WhatsApp Flows.

HaberChat and TimelinesAI support both, plus coexistence, which runs the WhatsApp Business app and the API on the same number. Periskope connects by QR code only. Wati and respond.io are built on the official API. For a deeper look, see our guide to QR vs WhatsApp Business API.

1. HaberChat: best for teams sharing a number

HaberChat is a WhatsApp team inbox. You connect one or more numbers, then assign chats, leave private notes and reply as a team. Pricing is per number with teammates included, which is where it pulls ahead of per-user tools as the team grows.

Connects by: QR code, the official Cloud API or coexistence.
Price: Professional $47.40 a month (3 teammates), Business $82.90 (6) and Enterprise $120.40 (9, then $18 per extra user). Each plan covers one WhatsApp number. See pricing; the free trial runs 7 days with no credit card.
Stands out for: bulk campaigns on every plan, quick replies with personalization variables, scheduled messages, and an AI assistant (Business and up) that reads, summarizes and writes replies in your customer's language.
For developers: full API and webhooks on every plan, Zapier and Make, and an MCP server for running WhatsApp from Claude or ChatGPT.
Trade-offs: there's no native one-click CRM sync (you connect HubSpot or Pipedrive through Zapier, Make or the API), and AI, analytics and automatic assignment start on the Business plan.

2. Periskope: best for WhatsApp groups at scale

Connects by: QR code only; WhatsApp API numbers can't be linked.
Price: from $25 per user a month (Starter) or $35 (Pro). The first phone is free, and each extra phone costs the same as a user. See pricing.
Stands out for: managing many WhatsApp groups, AI flagging that turns messages into tickets, and integrations with HubSpot, Freshdesk, Zoho Desk and Google Sheets.
Trade-offs: per-user pricing, like TimelinesAI, and no official API option.

3. Wati: best for marketing broadcasts on the official API

Connects by: the official WhatsApp Business API. You'll need admin access to your Meta Business Manager.
Price: the Growth plan includes 3 users with no option to add more; Pro includes 5 users, with extra users from $24 a month. Meta's per-message fees come on top. See pricing.
Stands out for: broadcasts, chatbots, a Shopify integration and help getting the verified blue checkmark.
Trade-offs: outbound messages need approved templates, and every marketing message carries a Meta fee.

4. respond.io: best for one inbox across channels

Connects by: the official WhatsApp Business Platform, alongside Instagram, Facebook Messenger, email, SMS and more.
Price: Starter is $79 a month with 5 users. Broadcasts, workflows and AI agents start on Growth at $159 a month with 10 users. Meta bills WhatsApp fees separately. See pricing.
Stands out for: teams that answer customers on several channels and want them all in one place.
Trade-offs: automation starts on the $159 plan, and setup takes longer than scanning a QR code.

When to stay with TimelinesAI

If your sales team lives in HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Zoho or monday.com and wants every WhatsApp chat synced automatically, TimelinesAI's native CRM integrations are its strongest feature, and its $25-per-user CRM Integration plan is built for exactly that. It also connects by QR code, official API or coexistence, and its free trial runs 10 days. See TimelinesAI pricing.

How to choose in 30 seconds

Several people share each number: per-number pricing (HaberChat) costs far less than paying per user.
Everyone has their own number: per-user tools such as TimelinesAI or Periskope can cost less.
You want to keep your current number and app: connect by QR code, or by coexistence if you're moving to the API.
You send thousands of marketing messages or need the verified blue checkmark: use the official API, through HaberChat's Cloud API option, Wati or respond.io.
You need deep, automatic CRM sync: stay with TimelinesAI.

Frequently asked questions

What's the cheapest TimelinesAI alternative for a team sharing one number?

Of the tools compared here, HaberChat. Its Business plan is $82.90 a month with six teammates included, compared with $240 a month for six seats on TimelinesAI's Shared Inbox plan (list prices, September 2026).

Can I keep my existing WhatsApp number?

Yes. QR-based tools such as HaberChat, Periskope and TimelinesAI connect the number you already use, and it keeps working on your phone. If you move to the official API, coexistence keeps the WhatsApp Business app working on the same number; HaberChat and TimelinesAI both support it.

Do I need the WhatsApp Business API for a shared team inbox?

No. A QR connection gives your team a shared inbox on a regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business number, with no Meta approval and no per-message fees. The API makes sense once you need high volume, approved marketing templates or the verified blue checkmark.

Is connecting WhatsApp by QR code safe?

Scanning the code links the tool the same way WhatsApp Web links a computer. It isn't an official Meta integration, though, so WhatsApp's anti-spam rules still apply: message people who expect to hear from you, and avoid cold bulk sends, which can get a number restricted.