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Head-to-head · Chat Api

Gupshup vs Tinode

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Gupshup #5 in Chat Api 7.2/10 From $0.00 ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Gupshup
Tinode #7 in Chat Api 7.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Tinode

Gupshup leads on 0 checks, Tinode on 4, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGupshup · 7.2/10
  • Free planonly Tinode
  • Most featuresTinode · 3 of 4

Gupshup scores higher on our rubric for chat api: 7.2 against 7.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #7.

Tinode offers free plan; Gupshup doesn't. Tinode offers group chat; Gupshup doesn't publish it. Tinode offers self-hosted option; Gupshup doesn't publish it. Tinode offers moderation tools; Gupshup doesn't publish it.

Gupshup is the better fit for businesses building cross-channel messaging bots. Tinode is the better fit for teams wanting open-source cloud or self-hosted messaging.

  • Gupshup fits best

    Businesses building cross-channel messaging bots

  • Tinode fits best

    Teams wanting open-source cloud or self-hosted messaging

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. It never changes our verdict. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Gupshup 7.2/10 Visit ↗ Tinode 7.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.2 7.1
Ranking #5 in Chat Api #7 in Chat Api
Best for Businesses building cross-channel messaging bots Teams wanting open-source cloud or self-hosted messaging
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension
Platforms Web Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Email, Docs Email, Community, Docs
Integrations 500+ integrations 6 integrations
Built for Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Gupshup 0/4 · Tinode 3/4
Group chat Not published ✓ (best)
Self-hosted option Not published ✓ (best)
End-to-end encryption Not published Not published
Moderation tools Not published ✓ (best)
Specs
SDK platforms Not published JavaScript, Java, Swift, gRPC (C++, C#, Go, Java, Node, PHP, Python, Ruby, Objective-C)
Group size limit Not published 128 members
Our review
Pros
  • Visual and code-based bot builders support different creation workflows.
  • Deploy journeys across WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, web, RCS, and voice.
  • Live-agent handoff, analytics, and 500 integrations extend bot operations.
  • Supports direct and group chats, plus channels with unlimited read-only subscribers
  • Offers JSON over WebSocket or long polling and protobuf with gRPC
  • Can be self-hosted or run in Tinode Cloud, with broad SDK coverage
Cons
  • The $0.001 messaging fee applies to all messages.
  • WhatsApp fees are billed at actuals and vary by country and message type.
  • Its focus is chatbot journeys and multichannel messaging, not in-app chat APIs.
  • Group topics are limited to 128 members
  • Free self-hosted eligibility is limited by push-message volume
  • End-to-end encryption coverage is not clearly established for group messaging
Our verdict

Gupshup is a conversational AI and messaging platform for businesses building customer engagement, marketing, commerce, and support experiences. It is aimed at mid-market and enterprise teams that want to automate conversations across…

Read the review →

Tinode gives developers a full-stack foundation for web and mobile messaging, with a Go backend and APIs for direct conversations, group topics, and channels. Teams can choose hosted Cloud or self-host the server, making it a fit for…

Read the review →
  1. GupshupChat Api 7.2From $0.00
  2. TinodeChat Api 7.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Gupshup — where it wins

    • Visual and code-based bot builders support different creation workflows.
    • Deploy journeys across WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, web, RCS, and voice.
    • Live-agent handoff, analytics, and 500 integrations extend bot operations.

    Where it doesn't

    • The $0.001 messaging fee applies to all messages.
    • WhatsApp fees are billed at actuals and vary by country and message type.
    • Its focus is chatbot journeys and multichannel messaging, not in-app chat APIs.

  • Tinode — where it wins

    • Supports direct and group chats, plus channels with unlimited read-only subscribers
    • Offers JSON over WebSocket or long polling and protobuf with gRPC
    • Can be self-hosted or run in Tinode Cloud, with broad SDK coverage

    Where it doesn't

    • Group topics are limited to 128 members
    • Free self-hosted eligibility is limited by push-message volume
    • End-to-end encryption coverage is not clearly established for group messaging

More comparisons

All chat api comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update