Compare: Interakt
NextReply vs Interakt for appointment-led businesses
Interakt bills by the quarter and centres on commerce. NextReply is a monthly AI receptionist for WhatsApp, from $29, that books into Google Calendar and understands voice notes. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
An Interakt alternative for appointment-led businesses
Interakt, part of the Haptik group, is a well-established WhatsApp platform in India. It is especially strong for online sellers: catalogues, order and cart notifications, store integrations, a shared inbox and campaigns. It has also introduced AI features, including an AI booking agent, which shows that appointment businesses are now on its radar too.
Businesses usually search for an Interakt alternative for one of two reasons. Either they want to pay month to month rather than by the quarter, or they are a service business (a clinic, salon, gym, coaching centre or garage) and want a tool designed around the diary rather than the shopping cart. This page compares NextReply vs Interakt for that second group. We make NextReply; the Interakt details below come from its published plans and material as of October 2026.
Interakt pricing vs monthly billing
Interakt's plans are published in INR and billed per quarter. At the time of checking, the Starter plan was listed at about ₹6,897 per quarter plus tax, with higher plans above it and WhatsApp message charges from Meta on top. Quarterly billing works well for established businesses with steady volume. It is less comfortable for a new clinic or a seasonal business that wants to try a tool and decide quickly.
NextReply bills monthly at one fixed US dollar price in every country, and every plan starts with a 7-day free trial:
| Plan | Monthly price | Bookings included |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29 | Up to 500 |
| Pro | $59 | Up to 1,500 |
| Business | $99 | Unlimited |
Prices are in US dollars. At checkout, your card or bank may show an estimate in your local currency. Local taxes may apply. See what each plan includes on our pricing page.
Commerce focus vs booking focus
Interakt is built around commerce. Its strongest features help a D2C brand show products, recover abandoned carts, send order updates and run campaigns to buyers. The inbox lets a team handle customer chats, and automation handles common questions.
NextReply is built around the appointment. The AI receptionist answers from your services, prices, hours and FAQs, checks Google Calendar for free times, books the slot and notifies you. It does not manage a product catalogue or orders, and it is not trying to.
If you sell products online, Interakt's commerce tools will matter more. If you sell time, such as a 45-minute haircut, a 30-minute consultation or a trial class, the booking engine matters more.
- Customer message: “Any slot tomorrow afternoon?”
- AI receptionist: Reads service, date and time
- Checks your calendar: Offers only free slots
- Confirms in the chat: Name, service and time
- Booked: In Google Calendar, owner alerted
Interakt's AI booking agent and NextReply: a fair look
Interakt now offers an AI booking agent, so both tools can take bookings with AI. The useful questions are about the details:
- Where is the booking stored? NextReply writes the appointment directly into your Google Calendar (per staff member if you want), checks availability before offering times, and prevents double-booking. Ask Interakt how its agent connects to the calendar you already use.
- Which plan includes it? NextReply includes the AI receptionist and booking on every plan, starting with Starter. Check which Interakt plan or add-on includes its AI booking agent.
- What can customers send? NextReply understands voice notes and photos, and replies in the customer's language. That matters in India, where voice notes in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi or Hinglish are common.
- What does the owner see? NextReply sends an instant notification for every booking and shows a bookings dashboard with a calendar view.
We would rather you test both than take our word for it. Send each one the same five messages, including a voice note and a reschedule, and see where the bookings end up.
NextReply vs Interakt side by side (October 2026)
| Interakt | NextReply | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | WhatsApp commerce, CRM and campaigns | AI front desk and appointment booking |
| Billing | Quarterly, in INR | Monthly, fixed USD price, 7-day free trial |
| AI booking | AI booking agent offered | Included on every plan |
| Calendar | Check how it connects to your calendar | Native Google Calendar, no double-booking |
| Product catalogue and orders | Yes, a core strength | No |
| Voice notes and photos | Check with vendor | Yes, every plan, on WhatsApp |
| Coexistence with the WhatsApp Business app | Check with vendor | Supported |
| Other channels | Check with vendor | WhatsApp live; Instagram, Messenger and Telegram coming soon |
Who should pick which
Interakt fits D2C brands and shops selling on Shopify-style stores, businesses that rely on cart recovery and order updates, and teams that are comfortable with quarterly billing.
NextReply fits clinics, dental practices, salons, spas, gyms, tutors, home-service teams, garages and estate agencies. In other words, any business where a customer message should end with a time in the diary. Browse our industry pages for examples.
A few businesses do both: a skincare clinic that also sells products online might use a commerce platform for the store number and NextReply for the clinic number.
What a Saturday looks like at a coaching centre
Coaching centres get a rush of parent messages on weekends: "Is there a demo class for Class 9 maths?", "What are the fees for the JEE batch?", "Can my son join the Tuesday batch instead?". Many arrive as voice notes, some in Hindi, some in English, some in both.
With NextReply, the AI answers fees and batch timings from the centre's own information, books a demo class into the right teacher's calendar and notifies the owner. A parent who wants to discuss a scholarship is handed to a person. On Monday morning, the centre's team opens the dashboard and sees confirmed demos rather than forty unread chats.
That workflow is possible on many platforms with enough setup. The difference with NextReply is that it works as soon as you have added your batches, fees and calendar.
Before your next Interakt renewal: five things to check
The end of a quarter is a natural moment to review any subscription. If you run an appointment business, look at these five numbers from the last three months:
- How many WhatsApp enquiries arrived outside opening hours? Those are the chats an AI receptionist answers first.
- How many of those became bookings? If the answer is "we don't know", that is a sign bookings are being finished by hand.
- How long did customers wait for a first reply? A reply after two hours is often a reply after the customer booked elsewhere.
- How much did you use the commerce features? If you never send a catalogue or order update, you may be paying for tools built for someone else.
- What did Meta's message fees come to? They will continue on any platform, so separate them from the subscription before comparing.
If the answers point to a booking problem rather than a selling problem, start NextReply's 7-day free trial on a second number or after your quarter ends. Monthly billing after the trial keeps it low-risk.
Meta fees apply to both
Interakt and NextReply both run on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform, so Meta's per-message charges for templates (marketing, utility, authentication) apply either way. Replies inside the 24-hour customer-service window are free. For a booking business, the main Meta cost is whatever template messages you send, such as campaigns; replies to customers who message you first are free. Check India's current rates on Meta's pricing page.
Moving from Interakt
- Note your quarter's end date so you are not paying twice.
- Copy your FAQs, price list and any message templates you use.
- Disconnect the number from Interakt and connect it to NextReply. With Coexistence you can keep the WhatsApp Business app on the same number.
- Add services, staff calendars and hours, then test.
The full sequence is on how it works. See all capabilities on the features page and how bookings are made on the appointment booking page, or compare more tools on our comparison hub. NextReply runs on WhatsApp today; the channels overview explains the Instagram, Messenger and Telegram support that is coming soon.
Questions people ask
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every NextReply plan starts with a 7-day free trial, which is long enough to see a week of real WhatsApp enquiries answered and booked before your next Interakt renewal.
Does Interakt bill monthly?
Interakt's published plans are billed quarterly in INR (Starter was about ₹6,897 per quarter plus tax when we checked in October 2026). NextReply bills monthly in US dollars, after a 7-day free trial.
Does Interakt have an AI booking agent?
Yes, Interakt offers an AI booking agent. Check which plan includes it and how it connects to your calendar. NextReply includes AI booking with Google Calendar on every plan.
Is NextReply good for e-commerce?
NextReply is designed for appointment businesses. It does not manage product catalogues, carts or orders, so a commerce-focused platform will suit an online shop better.
Can NextReply handle voice notes in Indian languages?
NextReply understands voice notes and replies in the customer's own language automatically. Test it with the languages your customers use most.
What does NextReply cost for an Indian business?
The same as everywhere: $29, $59 or $99 a month in US dollars. At checkout, your card or bank may show an estimate in rupees. Local taxes may apply.
Is there a minimum contract with NextReply?
No. NextReply is a monthly subscription in US dollars, with three plans sized by bookings per month and a 7-day free trial on each. Monthly billing suits seasonal businesses and new clinics that want to test before committing for longer.
Can I keep the WhatsApp Business app?
Yes. NextReply supports Coexistence, so the WhatsApp Business app stays on your number while the AI replies and books.
Every WhatsApp message answered, every free slot offered
Start your 7-day free trial, connect your WhatsApp number and add your services and hours. NextReply answers and books around the clock.