Best WhatsApp Apps for Shopify (2026): Order Updates, COD and Marketing Compared
Meta's free WhatsApp app, Dondy, Interakt, Zoko and WALoops compared on what they send, whose number they use and what they cost, with prices from each Shopify App Store listing.
WALoops team
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In this guide
- Shopify WhatsApp apps come in three kinds: chat buttons (free, shopper starts the chat), order message apps (automatic updates on the WhatsApp API) and marketing platforms (broadcasts, chatbots, inbox).
- Meta's own free WhatsApp app sends order updates, but you need your own WhatsApp Business API number set up first.
- Marketing platforms start around $41 to $80 a month on Shopify, and Meta's per-message rates come on top.
- For Indian COD stores, check for COD confirmation that actually changes the Shopify order, not just a message.
Search the Shopify App Store for "WhatsApp" and you get dozens of apps with similar names and near-perfect ratings. They aren't interchangeable. Some only add a button, some send order updates, and some are full marketing suites priced for big brands. This guide sorts them by what they actually do and compares five popular options on price and features.
First decide what you need WhatsApp to do
| You want to… | You need | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Let shoppers message you with questions | A chat button | Free (or paste the code from our how-to guide) |
| Send order confirmation, shipping and delivery updates | An order message app on the WhatsApp API | Free to about $10/month + Meta's rate |
| Confirm COD orders and recover abandoned carts | An order message app with COD and cart features | About $10/month and up + Meta's rate |
| Broadcast offers, run chatbots, share an inbox with a team | A WhatsApp marketing platform | About $41 to $80+/month + Meta's rate |
Every option except a chat button uses the official WhatsApp Business API, so Meta charges per message. In India an order update is a utility message and costs much less than a promotional marketing message. Our WhatsApp API pricing guide has the rates.
Five Shopify WhatsApp apps compared
Prices are from each app's Shopify App Store listing, checked on 8 October 2026, in USD as Shopify bills them. Apps change plans often, so confirm on the listing before you install.
| WhatsApp (by Meta) | Dondy | Interakt | Zoko | WALoops COD Checkout & Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Order updates on your own API number | Chat button, then automation | Catalog and campaigns | Marketing and team inbox | Order messages and COD for Indian stores |
| Free plan | Free app; Meta bills messages | Free: WhatsApp button only | 14-day trial | 7-day trial | Free: order messages, 100 included |
| Entry paid plan | None | $6.99/mo (manual cart and order messages) | $41/mo | $49.99/mo + $0.015 per conversation | $9.99/mo |
| Automatic messages from | Free | $79.99/mo | $41/mo | $49.99/mo | Free |
| Sends from | Your WhatsApp Business account | Your number | Your number | Your number | WALoops number first, your own number on Starter |
| COD confirmation | Not listed | Listed | Not listed | Listed | Yes, Confirm tags and Cancel cancels the Shopify order (Starter) |
| Abandoned cart | No | From $79.99/mo | Premier ($99/mo), to numbers from its popup | Yes | Starter; up to 3 reminders on Premium |
| Broadcasts and chatbots | No | From $79.99/mo | Yes | Yes; AI bots from $24.99/mo extra | In the WALoops dashboard (paid plans) |
WhatsApp (by Meta)
Meta's official app, free to install, focused on order updates: shoppers opt in at checkout and get messages as the order moves. Meta bills the messages directly. It's the cleanest choice if you already run a WhatsApp Business API number and only want order updates. It has no cart recovery, broadcasts or inbox.
Dondy
Starts as a free chat button. The $6.99 Pro plan adds manual cart and order confirmation messages that you send yourself. Automated cart recovery, campaigns and the API inbox are on Power Automation at $79.99 a month, which includes 1,000 free one-click messages every 30 days.
Interakt
Interakt's Shopify app centres on selling through WhatsApp: it syncs your catalog, lets customers build carts in WhatsApp and turns them into Shopify carts, alongside campaigns, a basic chatbot and automated notifications. Growth is $41 a month, Advanced $51, and Premier ($99) adds AI agents and cart reminders to numbers collected by its popup. Conversation charges are extra.
Zoko
A marketing and support suite: broadcasts to Shopify segments, flows, catalog, a shared inbox with unlimited agents on the entry plan, plus WhatsApp calls and live translation. Starter is $49.99 a month plus $0.015 per conversation; Plus is $79.99 with 5,000 conversations included. Instagram, custom flows and AI bots are paid add-ons.
WALoops COD Checkout & Sales
Built for Indian stores that sell on Cash on Delivery. The Free plan sends order confirmation, shipped, delivered and review request messages from the WALoops number, with 100 messages included and no Meta setup. Starter ($9.99) adds COD confirmation that tags or cancels the Shopify order, abandoned cart reminders, a COD-to-prepaid offer and your own WhatsApp number. The same app also adds a COD checkout with WhatsApp OTP, COD rules and partial COD. See the Shopify WhatsApp integration page for details.
What to check before you install
- Official API or not. Apps that send through WhatsApp Web on your phone break WhatsApp's terms and can get your number banned. Look for "WhatsApp Business API" on the listing.
- Whose number sends. Most apps need your own API number before the first message. That means Meta business verification and template approval, which can take days.
- Two costs, not one. The app's monthly plan, plus Meta's per-message rate. Some apps add their own per-conversation fee on top.
- What happens after a reply. A COD "Confirm" tap is only useful if it changes the order in Shopify, so your team ships confirmed orders and skips cancelled ones.
- Utility vs marketing. Order updates should stay utility messages. Apps that stuff offers into order messages make Meta charge them as marketing.
Which one should you pick?
- Just want shoppers to reach you: a free chat button.
- Have your own API number and want only order updates: Meta's WhatsApp app.
- Indian store with COD orders, want order messages and fewer RTOs without Meta setup: WALoops.
- Big list, team of agents, campaigns every week: a marketing platform such as Zoko or Interakt, or the WALoops dashboard plans.
