The short answer
If one person answers your messages on one phone and you never need to broadcast to more than a couple of hundred people, use the free app. The moment two people need to answer the same number, or you want automation, AI or real campaigns, the app stops being enough and you need the API.
Stay on the Business app if…
- One person answers everything, on one phone
- You get a handful of messages a day
- You do not need to broadcast beyond 256 saved contacts
- Away messages and a greeting are all the automation you want
- You would rather spend nothing
Move to the API if…
- More than one person needs to answer the same number
- Messages are being missed, or answered twice
- You want AI to handle the repetitive questions
- You need to reach thousands of customers, not hundreds
- You want order updates or reminders sent automatically
- You want the history to belong to the business, not a handset
Every practical difference
Nothing here is a matter of opinion — these are documented behaviours of the two Meta products.
| Feature | Business appfree | Business APIfrom ₹2,000/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Price of the software itself | Free | Paid platform + Meta's message charges |
| Who can answer | One phone (plus up to 4 linked devices) | Your whole team, from any browser |
| Usable in the WhatsApp phone appA number on the API leaves the consumer apps. This is Meta's rule for every provider. | ||
| Automated replies | Away message & greeting only | Full automation with conditions and branching |
| AI answering questions | ||
| Broadcast size | 256 contacts, who must save your number | Unlimited opted-in contacts, no saving required |
| Message templates | ||
| Delivery & read reporting | Per chat, manually | Per recipient, across every campaign |
| Green tick eligibility | ||
| Connect your CRM or store | ||
| Chat history if the phone is lost | Gone unless backed up | Stored in the platform |
| Setup effort | Download and go | About ten minutes through Meta's signup |
The one-way door to know about
Moving a number to the API removes it from the WhatsApp phone apps. You can move it back later, but you will lose the API-side history and approved templates for it. Most businesses avoid the question entirely by putting a dedicated number on the API and leaving their personal one alone.
The API is not one price
Because Meta provides no interface of its own, the API always involves a platform. Your total is the platform subscription plus Meta's per-conversation charges — and any platform that quotes you only the first number is leaving something out.
- Platform subscription — ours starts at ₹2,000/month with unlimited team members
- Meta's conversation charges — billed to you directly, by category and country
- AI usage, if you use it — prepaid, typically a fraction of a rupee per reply
Try it before you commit
You do not have to guess whether the API is worth it. Sign up without a card, connect a number, and use the whole product for 15 days. If your business genuinely runs fine on the free app, you will find that out in a week and can walk away.
Start the 15-day trialNo credit card required