WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API

How to reach customers on WhatsApp for Business

The WhatsApp API has some notable distinctions from the app and enables extensive integrations that help companies communicate with their customers on a large scale and throughout the consumer lifecycle.

Let's compare the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business API.

	WhatsApp business API	WhatsApp Business app
Broadcasting limit	No limit	Maximum of 256 contacts
Multi-user access	Unlimited users	Single device access
Chatbots	Yes	No
Automated messaging	Yes	No
Broadcast messaging	All users	Only users who have saved your number.
Verified green tick	Yes	No
End-to-end selling	Possible through WhatsApp's Catalogs and Carts	Not possible
Collecting in-app payments	WhatsApp payments	Not possible
Clickable buttons	Yes	No
Types of communication	Any size business	Small business
Types of user	Businesses that deal with a heavy flow of tickets each day and provide multi-agent support.	Businesses that are just starting up or have a low frequency of customer interactions that can be managed by a single person.
Integrations	Yes	No
Multi-agent support	Yes	No
Messaging features	Text, emojis, attachments, session messages, template messages, audio and video calls.	Text, emojis, attachments, audio and video calls.
Coding	Yes	No. Provided by WhatsApp
Price	Pricing structure varies based on your business service provider. Learn more about the pricing.	Free

WhatsApp Business app vs WhatsApp Business API

The WhatsApp Business app and WhatsApp Business API have different features and are used for different use cases. Another significant difference is that the Business API requires approval from WhatsApp before you launch it.

What is the WhatsApp Business app?

The WhatsApp Business app is built for small business owners and is free to download and use. The app makes it easy to personally connect with your customers, highlight your products and services, and answer their questions throughout their shopping experience.

What is the WhatsApp Business API?

WhatsApp Business API is built for medium and large businesses. It powers unification with customers worldwide and connects them on WhatsApp in a simple, secure, and reliable way.

FAQs

   •    Which one is better, the WhatsApp Business app or WhatsApp Business API?
While WhatsApp Business is tailored for small businesses and individual owners, WhatsApp API is built for medium-to-large companies with large message volumes.

   •    Is WhatsApp Business API free?
No, WhatsApp API isn't free. You must pay WhatsApp Conversation charges for Business and User-Initiated Conversations (which vary by country) and platform VAT charges for using a WhatsApp Business API-based platform like instant messaging.

   •    Can the WhatsApp Business API and the WhatsApp Business app be on the same phone number?
Just like a phone number cannot be registered on the WhatsApp app and WhatsApp Business app simultaneously, a number can either be on the WhatsApp app or the WhatsApp Business API.

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