WhatsApp Business app or API: which one does your business need?
The free app is fine for a small shop. Once you send offers to hundreds of customers or need a team inbox, the API is the right tool.
Most businesses start with the free WhatsApp Business app. It works well when one person answers a few dozen chats a day. The trouble starts when you want to message your whole customer list or share the inbox with a team.
What the app does well
A business profile with address, hours and catalogue
Quick replies and a greeting message
Broadcast lists, limited to contacts who saved your number
When to move to the API
The WhatsApp Business API is built for scale. Messages go out through approved templates, so customers who opted in receive them even if they never saved your number. Several team members can reply from one number, and every message has delivery and read reports.
How to decide
If you send fewer than a hundred messages a week and one person handles replies, stay on the app. If you run offers, reminders or order updates for a larger list, or you need a chatbot to answer after hours, the API pays for itself quickly.
We set up the API, write and submit your first templates, and connect it to our campaign panel so you can start the same week.