WhatsApp Business API or App: What’s the best for your brand?

WhatsApp offers two solutions to businesses for effective, instant, and reliable engagement with their customers. One is WhatsApp Business API, and another is WhatsApp Business App. 

For businesses to receive the full advantage of WhatsApp Business, it is crucial to understand how API and App work. Both of them are different from each other in terms of:

• Initial setup & management
• Service automation & integrations 
• Rules & regulations
• Cost

This might confuse you while looking to use WhatsApp Business for sales, customer service, or marketing. 

Fret not. In this article, I will tell you the difference between the two services so that you can make the right decision for your business.

WhatsApp Business API & App: The Difference 

WhatsApp Business messaging App Features: 

• Use via dedicated App
• Ideal for small and local businesses
• Canned responses (quick replies) 
• Add conversation labels
• Allows to set an away message
• Dedicated business profile/hours
• No integration with Chatbot, CRM
• Single person use at a time

WhatsApp Business API Features: 

• Ideal for enterprise businesses
• Allows integrations such as CRM, analytical tools
• Access is exclusively available through a BSP or ISV 
• Offer “Green Tick” business profile verification
• Messages broadcast, send bulk notifications
• No App or Interface, use through your CRM
• Chatbot integration available
• Multi-user access for customer support

WhatsApp Business App: Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Every text message, document, video, audio, or picture sent and received on WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted. 
2. WhatsApp Business App has a straightforward setup process and useability. In addition, the application offers a simple and smooth user interface and operations in the App Stores.

Cons:

1. The business account will work on a single device at a single time. This puts a limit on businesses’ customer reach. 
2. WhatsApp Business App does not control the promotional messages being directly sent to the customers. 
3. Chatbots, CRM, and template message broadcast can not be integrated into WhatsApp Business App. 

WhatsApp Business API: Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. A dashboard with Chat inbox and CRM can be used by multiple users simultaneously. 
2. Permitting Shopify and chatbot-like third-party integrations. 
3. API sender, sending programmatic replies to customers’ questions.
4. Official business account via “Green Tick” business profile verification.
5. KPIs tracking and analytics.

With this much to offer, it’s no surprise that more and more businesses worldwide are opting for the best WhatsApp Business API for reliable, quick, and efficient customer interactions. 

Cons: 

1. WhatsApp API allows businesses to send and receive messages from the users 24/7 but doesn’t allow promotions. 
2. Because it is an API, there isn’t any front-end interface or official application available. So, businesses must integrate the WhatsApp API endpoint into their software or CRM. 

WhatsApp Business API & App: Which one is perfect for your business?

Deciding which of those two is better for your business is far more complex than it looks. So let me help you to figure out what’s perfect for your brand. 

You should use WhatsApp Business App if: 

• You’ll be engaging 200-400 persons. 
• Only 2-3 individuals will be managing your customer support on WhatsApp.
• Conversation time is not a crucial factor in your business.
• No requirement for simultaneous customer support/interaction. 
• No need to sync customer data with your business software/tools. 
• You don’t have a sufficient amount to invest in the channel. 

You should use WhatsApp Business API if: 

• You’ll be engaging 1000 or more customers. 
• Sending notifications and updates to customers. 
• Acquire new customers & improve customer support. 
• Need more than 2 people to manage your conversations. 
• Conversation time is a crucial factor in your business.
• You can afford at least a $100 / month investment into growth and marketing channels. 
• You have a tech and product team to build desired things over APIs and regularly manage your internal tools for WhatsApp Business API. 

If you need further assistance making the right decision, feel free to reach us at info@convexinteractive.com, and we’ll instantly help you identify if you’re ready to step up to the API.

FAQs

What is WhatsApp Business?

WhatsApp offers two solutions to businesses for effective, reliable, and instant customer support and interactions. WhatsApp Business App is ideal for local businesses, while SMEs and large corporations will use WhatsApp Business API. 

What is the cost of WhatsApp Business?

WhatsApp Business App doesn’t require any fee, while WhatsApp Business API charges some fee for sending and receiving customer messages. 

How much does the WhatsApp API cost?

The pricing of WhatsApp Business API varies from country to country. $0.003 per message for 50,0000 session messages and $0.005 per additional message. WhatsApp only charges for outgoing messages, but BSPs and ISVs can also charge businesses for incoming messages.

What is a session message?

When a customer engages with a business through WhatsApp, a 24-hour window opens that allows the company to communicate with the customer.