WapadeskJoinchat alternative: Wapadesk vs Joinchat
Joinchat is the best-known WhatsApp button plugin for WordPress, and it was the reference we used when we designed Wapadesk. If you are weighing the two, this page sets out the differences as plainly as we can. Prices and features below were read from Joinchat's own pricing page on 12 October 2026; check their site for changes.
The short version
- Joinchat is a WordPress plugin. The free version gives you a WhatsApp button; the paid versions add chat funnels, support agents and, on the higher tier, lead capture and webhooks. Prices are in euros, per site, per year.
- Wapadesk is one product at 89 GBP per website per year, with nothing added. Every feature is included: chat funnel, support agents, opening hours, lead dashboard with stages and follow-ups, email and push notifications, booking inside the chat, webhooks, analytics. It works on WordPress and on any other site with one line of code.
- The real difference is what happens after the click. Wapadesk saves every answer as a lead before WhatsApp opens, so a visitor who stops halfway still reaches your team.
Prices
| Joinchat (from their pricing page) | Wapadesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes, basic button | No free tier; 14-day money-back guarantee |
| Entry paid plan | Premium: 96 EUR per year, 1 site | 89 GBP per year, 1 website, everything included |
| Lead capture and webhooks | Premium Plus: 180 EUR per year, 1 site | Included |
| More sites | Premium Plus: 240 EUR for 5 sites, 480 EUR for 20 | 89 GBP per website, added from the billing page |
| AI assistant | Separate subscription, listed at 39 EUR per month | Not offered, by design |
| Guarantee | 14-day money-back | 14-day money-back |
Features
| Joinchat | Wapadesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Floating WhatsApp button, call-to-action bubble, opening hours | Yes | Yes |
| Chat funnel (questions before WhatsApp) | Premium | Included |
| Support agents with routing | Premium | Included |
| Where the answers go | Pre-filled WhatsApp message; Premium Plus saves leads in WordPress | Pre-filled WhatsApp message and a lead in your Wapadesk dashboard, saved as each answer is given |
| Unfinished conversations | Not captured unless the message is sent | Saved as "never sent" leads with whatever was answered |
| Lead stages, follow-up dates, notes, tags | No | Yes |
| Reminders when a lead waits too long | No | Email and push, with escalation |
| Booking inside the chat | No | Yes, free appointment types with a calendar in the dashboard |
| Works outside WordPress | No | Yes: one script tag on any site, or an embedded chat on a contact page |
| Analytics per page and per question | GA4 and GTM events on Premium Plus | Built-in funnel, per-page and per-question drop-off, plus GA4, Google Ads and Meta Pixel events |
| Data location and processor agreement | Depends on your WordPress hosting | Google Cloud London, Data Processing Agreement included, no health data in email |
When Joinchat is the better choice
- You only want a WhatsApp button and nothing else: Joinchat's free version does that well.
- You want an AI assistant answering inside the chat: Joinchat sells one; Wapadesk deliberately does not.
- You run many small sites and need a 20-site bundle at a flat price.
When Wapadesk is the better choice
- You lose enquiries because people close the chat before pressing send.
- Your team needs to see every enquiry in one place with a stage, a follow-up date and a reminder when nobody has replied.
- Your site is not on WordPress, or you want the same chat on a landing page, a Webflow site and a WordPress blog.
- You handle health or other sensitive information and want a processor agreement, UK data storage and emails that never contain personal data.
Moving from Joinchat
Keep Joinchat installed until Wapadesk is live, then deactivate it so the two buttons do not overlap. Wapadesk can intercept your existing wa.me links, so old buttons on the page still open the chat funnel. Support is free and includes setting up your first funnel.
Try it on your site
One line of code or the WordPress plugin, 89 GBP a year with nothing added, 14-day money-back guarantee.