Respond.io and Trengo both unify messaging channels behind AI agents, but they sit at very different price points and channel coverage. Respond.io starts at…
Best for Respond.io: Teams that want a lower entry price ($79/month), need TikTok as a supported channel, or want VoIP-based WhatsApp Business Calls and Messenger Calls alongside chat.
Best for Trengo: Larger teams from the outset (10+ users included on the entry Boost plan) that want AI Agents specifically marketed at resolving up to 80% of routine conversations and AI Voice Agents for phone interactions.
At a Glance
Respond.io
Trengo
Primary category
Customer Support
Customer Support
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Tiered monthly or annual subscription based on users and monthly active contacts
subscription
Starting price
$79/month billed annually (Starter), or $99/month billed monthly
EUR125/month (approximately $133/month)
Free plan
Not documented
Not documented
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Not documented
Key Differences
Entry price and included users
Respond.io: Starter plan is $79/month with 5 users included.
Trengo: Boost plan is €299/month with 10 users included.
The roughly 3-4x price gap at entry level matters significantly for smaller teams or those just starting with conversational commerce.
Channel coverage
Respond.io: Unifies WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, plus VoIP-based WhatsApp Business Calls and Messenger Calls.
Trengo: Unifies WhatsApp, email, Instagram, Facebook, and voice.
TikTok support and native VoIP calling within chat channels are specific capabilities not both platforms share per the facts.
Company transparency
Respond.io: Founded in 2017, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Trengo: Founding year and headquarters are not disclosed in the available facts.
Company background can factor into vendor due diligence and long-term viability assessment.
Overage and add-on billing
Respond.io: Additional users cost extra on every tier ($12-$24/month per user); workflow automation and AI agents require the Growth plan ($159/month) and above.
Trengo: Conversation volume beyond the plan cap (500/month on Boost) costs €18 per 100; AI-enhanced conversations are billed separately at €0.30 each.
Both platforms have overage mechanics, but they apply to different usage dimensions (extra users vs. extra conversations/AI usage), which changes which growth pattern gets expensive faster.
Trial and onboarding
Respond.io: 7-day free trial with no credit card required; reports 99.999% uptime and a 4.8/5 G2 rating from 500+ reviews.
Trengo: Directs new users to a trial signup from its homepage, though trial length and terms are not detailed on the pricing page.
A clearly stated trial length and terms reduce friction and uncertainty when evaluating a new tool.
Well established and well supported in European and e-commerce markets
Scales from small teams up to a custom Enterprise tier
Cons
Pricing is based on conversation volume with a 5-user minimum, which can raise effective cost
No permanent free plan
Pricing is listed primarily in euros, adding currency conversion considerations outside Europe
Fewer native integrations than larger competitors such as Zendesk or Intercom
Advanced automation setup has a learning curve for new teams
Use Cases
Choose Respond.io: Teams that want a lower entry price ($79/month), need TikTok as a supported channel, or want VoIP-based WhatsApp Business Calls and Messenger Calls alongside chat.
Choose Trengo: Larger teams from the outset (10+ users included on the entry Boost plan) that want AI Agents specifically marketed at resolving up to 80% of routine conversations and AI Voice Agents for phone interactions.
Need both: A brand running region-specific messaging strategies might use Respond.io for its TikTok and Meta-call-heavy markets while adopting Trengo where its established Shopify, HubSpot, and Salesforce integrations already anchor an existing workflow — but for most teams the overlap in core omnichannel inbox functionality means picking one rather than running both.
Respond.io
E-commerce customer support — Manage WhatsApp and Instagram customer support conversations at scale from one inbox.
AI-assisted lead qualification — Route and qualify inbound leads across messaging channels using AI Agents and workflow automation.
Broadcast campaigns and follow-ups — Run broadcast messaging campaigns and automated follow-up sequences.
Trengo
E-commerce customer support — Manage WhatsApp, live chat, and email support for online stores from a single inbox.
SMB customer service consolidation — Bring scattered email, chat, and social channels into one shared inbox for a growing support team.
WhatsApp-based sales outreach — Use WhatsApp Business messaging and automation for outbound sales and lead engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Respond.io founded?
Respond.io was founded on February 17, 2017, and is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Trengo does not disclose founding year or headquarters.
Does Trengo have a free plan?
No published free-forever plan; pricing starts at the Boost plan (€299/month for up to 10 users).
How much does Respond.io cost?
Plans start at $79/month (Starter) and go up to $279/month (Advanced), plus custom Enterprise pricing.
How much do extra conversations cost on Trengo?
Additional conversations beyond a plan's included volume cost €18 per 100, and AI-enhanced conversations cost €0.30 each.
Does Respond.io offer a free plan?
No; it offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required, not a free-forever tier.
What channels does Trengo support?
WhatsApp, email, Instagram, Facebook, and voice, unified into one inbox.