WhatsApp vs WhatsApp Business: what's the difference?
WhatsApp is for personal chats. WhatsApp Business is a separate free app for business owners, with a business profile and automated messages. Then there's the WhatsApp Business API, which has no app of its own and suits businesses where several people answer from one number.
Three kinds of WhatsApp
| WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business API | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Made for | Personal use | Small businesses, from a single device | Businesses with a team or a lot of customer chats |
| Cost | Free | Free | Meta charges per template message, plus your platform's fee |
| Business profile | No | Yes, with address, hours, and website | Yes |
| Automated messages | No | Away and greeting messages, quick replies | Flows with branches, buttons, and integrations |
| Getting started | Download it | Download it from the App Store or Google Play | Through a provider such as Tobachat, with a Meta business account |
Enough when you answer every chat yourself
If you work alone, or one person always has the phone, the free app covers it. Put your address and hours in your profile, send an away message while you're closed and save the replies you type over and over.
When WhatsApp becomes a team channel
The API has no app of its own. You use it through a platform like Tobachat: your whole team works from one inbox on the same number, flows take care of the questions you get every day, and WhatsApp connects to the rest of your systems. You can bring your existing number with you.
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WhatsApp Business, answered
WhatsApp for your whole team, on your own number.
30 days free, no credit card required.
Prefer a hand getting started? We'll get you started