Respond.io
Respond.io manages customer chats across channels with AI Agents on GPT-5.6 in 2026, priced from $79/month Starter to custom Enterprise plans.
About Respond.io
What is Respond.io (2026 update)
Respond.io is an AI-powered customer conversation management platform that lets businesses capture, route, and reply to messages from channels like WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and live chat inside one shared inbox.
What is new in 2026
Respond.io upgraded its AI Agents to run on GPT-5.6 in 2026, which the company says improves reply speed and the accuracy of automated actions the agent takes inside a conversation. It also added a way to catch instruction issues before they affect how an AI Agent behaves, so businesses can test and fix a misconfigured agent before it starts replying to real customers. On the workflow side, Respond.io introduced AI Objectives, steps you can drop into an automation that let the AI collect specific information from a customer in a natural, conversational way instead of a rigid form. A new Follow Up on Missed Call template automatically opens a conversation and sends a follow-up message when an inbound call goes unanswered. The company also raised a $62.5 million Series B in June 2026 and now serves more than 10,000 companies across 86 countries.
Key features
- Unified inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, live chat, and other channels
- AI Agents built from templates such as sales, support, or receptionist, or trained from scratch on your own data
- AI Objectives for collecting information conversationally inside automated workflows
- Workflow automation, broadcasts, and developer API on higher-tier plans
- Advanced reporting, SSO, and custom channel support on the top plans
- Monthly Active Contact (MAC) based billing that scales with actual conversation volume
Pricing in 2026
Respond.io prices plans by monthly active contacts (MACs), the number of distinct contacts you message within a billing month, plus a flat monthly fee per plan. Annual billing works out to roughly the same as 12 months at the listed monthly rate. A 7-day free trial is available with no credit card required.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $79/month ($948/year) | Unlimited MACs, 5 users, AI Prompt, AI Assist, 5,000 AI credits |
| Growth | $159/month ($1,908/year) | MACs starting at 1,000, 10 users, AI Agents, workflow automation, 10,000 AI credits |
| Advanced | $279/month ($3,348/year) | Everything in Growth plus multiple workspaces, SSO, custom channels, 20,000 AI credits |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited users, higher workspace and API rate limits |
Who should use it
Respond.io fits sales and support teams that field a high volume of chat messages across several platforms and want one inbox instead of switching between native apps for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. The Growth and Advanced plans suit businesses ready to hand routine replies to an AI Agent, whether that is answering FAQs, qualifying leads, or following up on missed calls automatically. Agencies and larger companies that need multiple workspaces, SSO, or custom channel integrations are better served by Advanced or Enterprise rather than Starter.
Limitations and alternatives
MAC-based billing means the bill can grow with conversation volume even if the flat plan price stays the same, and exceeding a plan’s MAC limit triggers on-demand charges of $12 to $15 per 100 extra contacts, so estimate your monthly contact volume before choosing a tier. The Starter plan lacks AI Agents and workflow automation, which are only available from Growth up. For alternatives, compare Respond.io against Intercom or Zendesk for a more support-desk-oriented workflow, and against Chatwoot if an open-source, self-hosted option with more control over infrastructure is preferred.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Respond.io cost in 2026?
Plans run from $79/month for Starter to $279/month for Advanced, billed monthly or annually, plus a custom-priced Enterprise tier. Pricing also depends on Monthly Active Contacts (MACs).
What are Respond.io's AI Agents?
AI Agents are configurable chatbots built from templates like sales, support, or receptionist, or trained from scratch on your own data. In 2026 they run on GPT-5.6 for faster, more accurate replies.
What happens if I exceed my MAC limit?
Going over your plan's Monthly Active Contact limit triggers on-demand billing at $12 to $15 per 100 additional contacts, on top of your flat monthly plan fee.
Does Respond.io have a free trial?
Yes. Respond.io offers a 7-day free trial on every plan and does not require a credit card to start.
Information last verified: September 2026.
Related Tools
