Last Updated: January 30, 2026 | Review Stance: Real use by a growth hacker who's exported thousands of leads
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My Quick Take on WAExport 2026
If you're tired of manually copying WhatsApp group numbers for leads or CRM, WAExport is that free Chrome gem that does it in clicks—export groups, unsaved contacts, chat metadata to Excel/CSV/VCard, with filters to clean junk. Runs 100% local (no ban fear), unlimited after a quick unlock message. I've pulled 5k+ numbers in one go—game-changer for outreach without paying $50/mo for "premium" scrapers.
The Pain It Solves (And Why I Installed It Last Month)
Picture this: You're in a hot WhatsApp group with 500+ potential clients, but copying numbers one by one is soul-crushing. Or you need unsaved contacts from chats for follow-up, but WhatsApp hides them. That's where WAExport saved my sanity—free Chrome extension that grabs everything from WhatsApp Web locally.
I've tested it on big community groups, sales chats, even international mixes—exported thousands of rows with country codes, names, business flags. No server uploads, so privacy feels safe (no WhatsApp ban stories yet). This review is from actual lead-gen runs in 2026.
Lead Gen Hustle
Pull numbers from industry groups for cold outreach.
Sales Follow-Up
Export unsaved chats for CRM enrichment.
Community Management
Segment members by country or activity.
Backup & Analysis
Save chat metadata for trends or compliance.
The Features That Make It Addictive
My Favorite Bits
- One-Click Group Export: Select multiple groups, exclude admins, grab all members/numbers instantly.
- Smart Filters: Country code only (e.g. +1 US numbers), skip saved contacts, deduplicate—clean data fast.
- Rich Output Columns: 12+ fields like name, phone, business flag, last message date/content—gold for segmentation.
- Multiple Formats: Excel for analysis, CSV for bulk import, VCard for contacts—super flexible.
- Chat List Export: Pull from recent chats too, not just groups.
- Local & Safe: Everything in-browser—no cloud risk, no bans reported.
How It Feels in the Trenches
Speed is solid—even 5000-member groups export in under a minute. Filters work like a charm; I once pulled only +44 UK numbers from mixed groups—zero manual cleanup. Daily limit? 10 exports free, but send one message to their number and it's unlimited for the day (clever freemium hack). No crashes in my tests, and privacy is legit—no data leaves your machine.
What Shines Bright
Smart Filters
Unlimited After Unlock
Privacy Local
Rich Data
Pricing? It's Basically Free (Yes, Really)
Free Forever
$0
No Card Needed
- Unlimited after daily unlock (send 1 msg)
- 10 exports/day base
- All features included
- No hidden upsells
New User Perk
3 Days Unlimited
Trial Boost
- Full access no limits first 3 days
- Then standard free flow
- Unlock anytime via message
- Perfect for big exports
As of January 2026: Truly free—no subs, no ads in core. Unlock is just texting their number (clever growth hack). Check site for any tweaks.
Honest Pros & Cons After Heavy Use
What Wins Me Over
- Completely free vs paid alternatives
- Filters make data usable instantly
- Local run = zero privacy worry
- Batch groups save hours
- Rich metadata (business, last msg)
- Unlock is easy, no paywall
Minor Gripes
- Daily unlock via message (annoying but free)
- Only WhatsApp Web (no mobile)
- No full chat history export (metadata only; full coming soon?)
- Big groups can take 30-60s
My Verdict: 9.2/10
WAExport nails it for free WhatsApp data extraction in 2026—fast, safe, feature-packed, no BS paywalls. If lead gen or contact management is your game, install this yesterday. Beats most paid tools hands-down for 90% of use cases.
Features: 9.0/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 9.0/10
Want Free WhatsApp Leads on Autopilot?
Grab the extension, export your first group in minutes—zero cost, massive upside for sales & marketing.
Chrome extension, unlimited free as of January 2026.
