#What is WhaLeads, and what does it give you?
WhaLeads is a WhatsApp lead inbox, CRM and automation builder for a small team that takes enquiries on one number. Its README (checked 26 Oct 2026) lists what you get:
- A shared inbox with the 24-hour reply window shown on every chat, plus leads with stages, tags, owners, notes and reports.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ad attribution: the ad's id, headline and link saved on the lead.
- Message templates and no-code automations with a dry run and a shadow mode.
- Basic broadcasts: one approved template to leads picked by tag, with opt-outs honoured.
- Web push notifications once the app is installed on a phone.
- Your data stays in your Cloudflare account, with no telemetry.
It is designed for the Cloudflare Workers Free plan: one Worker, one D1 database, one Durable Object and an optional R2 bucket. The code is public, so a developer can read every line. The README states the limit plainly:
One WhatsApp number per deployment, by design. Deploy again for another number.
#What does self-hosting ask of you?
You become the operator. The README lists what to have ready before you press Deploy: a Cloudflare account with a workers.dev address, R2 turned on (Cloudflare asks for a payment method even though the free allowance covers WhaLeads), a GitHub or GitLab account, a session secret you generate and keep, and a WhatsApp number to connect.
Then the work is yours:
- The secret. The README says the session secret is the only way back in if you forget your password. Lose it and you redeploy.
- Updates. New versions mean pulling the code into your copy and redeploying.
- Monitoring. If a webhook stops or a deploy fails, you find out yourself.
- Support. There is a public repository and a security policy, not a helpdesk.
- Meta. You connect through WhaBuzz or bring your own Meta Cloud API app, and you handle the Meta side.
When the person who runs WhatsApp also runs the shop, those evenings add up.
#What do you get with hosted Chirpoo?
Chirpoo is the same lineage, run for you. The ₹999 plan, excluding 18% GST, includes one WhatsApp number and five team logins, and an extra number or login is ₹250 a month. Beyond the WhaLeads feature set, it adds:
- More than one WhatsApp number in one workspace, choosing which number sends.
- An AI agent that is off until you switch it on, never sends offers and hands over to a human.
- Broadcasts that can be scheduled, with automatic follow-up to people who did not read.
- The Chirpoo API with signed webhooks, and an MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT.
- On Chirpoo Commerce at ₹1,499 a month, Shopify store messages: order confirmed, shipped, cart reminders, review requests and COD confirmation.
- Monitoring, updates and support handled for you.
Billing is in rupees by invoice link, with no auto-debit, and the trial is 14 days with every feature and no card. Meta's message charges go from your Meta account to Meta directly. Chirpoo adds nothing per message.
#How do the two compare side by side?
| Chirpoo (hosted) | WhaLeads (self-host) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Chirpoo | You, on your Cloudflare account |
| Cost | ₹999 a month, excluding GST | Software free; Cloudflare account yours; R2 needs a payment method |
| WhatsApp numbers | 1 included, extras ₹250 | 1 per deployment |
| Team logins | 5 included, extras ₹250 | Staff added in Settings |
| AI agent | Included, off until you switch it on | Not listed in the README |
| Broadcasts | Scheduled, with follow-up to non-readers | Basic, one template to a tag |
| Shopify store messages | On Commerce, ₹1,499 | Not listed in the README |
| Updates and monitoring | Handled for you | You |
| Code | Built on open-source WhaLeads | Apache-2.0, public |
For the two reasons developers pick self-hosting, data location and code access, Chirpoo keeps your WhatsApp number yours, leaves contacts and chats readable through the API until you close the workspace, and offers a full export on request.
The README also points larger setups elsewhere: "Many numbers or many clients: use WhaBuzz directly." For agency use, see WhatsApp for agencies.
#Why do most small businesses pick Chirpoo?
If you run a gym, a store, a class or a clinic and nobody on the team deploys software, pick Chirpoo. You get a working inbox in an afternoon, a team to ask when something breaks, and one flat monthly price.
Starting on Chirpoo does not lock you in. Your number stays yours, and your contacts and chats stay readable through the API.
Compare the field in best WhatsApp inbox tools in India, see the WhatsApp Business API guide and read how the MCP connection works.
Start free and run your real week of chats before you decide whether you want to operate it yourself.
Frequently asked questions about Chirpoo and this topic
Is WhaLeads free?
The software is free under Apache-2.0, and its README says it is built to run on the Cloudflare Workers Free plan. You still need your own Cloudflare account, and Cloudflare asks for a payment method to turn on R2. Meta's message charges are separate.
Can WhaLeads handle more than one WhatsApp number?
Not in one deployment. The README says one number per deployment, by design, and suggests deploying again for another. Chirpoo supports several numbers in one workspace at ₹250 a month for each extra number.
Is Chirpoo open source?
Chirpoo runs on the open-source WhaLeads code, which is Apache-2.0 and public at github.com/WhaBuzz/whaleads. The hosted Chirpoo service itself is a paid product with extra features such as the AI agent and Shopify messages.
Can I move from WhaLeads to Chirpoo later?
Yes. Your WhatsApp number stays yours, and you can connect it to Chirpoo. Chirpoo has no bulk import, so export your leads from WhaLeads as your record; contacts appear as customers message you or through the API. Plan the cutover quietly, as in the other migration posts.