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WhatsApp Business vs WhatsApp Business API: A Complete Guide
Posted By
naxtre
Published Date
17-06-2025
There was a point in time in business when first-mover advantage was the only way to get clients and take market share. Now we operate in a marketplace where a copy product or service does not take much work to create. In this marketplace, client loyalty is the only thing that matters. You will develop client loyalty with a good front line willing to solve problems. So, amongst all the tools that have taken off, WhatsApp has been one of the biggest successes with an incredible 98% read rates and one of the largest audiences on earth. When it comes to utilizing WhatsApp for your business, the decision on whether to use WhatsApp Business or WhatsApp Business API can be overwhelming. Knowing the fundamental differences will help you decide which one is best for your size business, needs, and goals.
In the following post, we review the differences between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API, what features they both have, and how you can best choose to use them for your business.
What is WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business is a user-friendly application designed for small to medium-sized business owners. It allows business owners to create a professional profile and communicate with customers more effectively. The application can be used on Android and iOS devices, and it can be used by business owners on desktops for computers as well.
Here are the main features:
- Create WhatsApp Business profile to give validity to your WhatsApp number. You can also add details like your email address, your store address, display picture, and other details to make your profile look legitimate.
- Create automated messages such as welcome messages and out of office messages.
- You can name customer chats in order to manage them effectively. It will help you respond to orders or complaints that need immediate attention.
- You can create catalogs to allow customers to browse your products on the platform.
Good for: Small businesses that do not get large amounts of customer messages.
What is the WhatsApp Business API?
WhatsApp Business API is not an app you would download and use directly on your mobile. Instead, you will need to install and implement it with a trusted Meta partner like Gallabox. The WhatsApp Business API allows advanced functionality to manage a large number of messages and enable your agents to make use of them productively.
Here is a list of the major features:
- Create WhatsApp Flows to help users take reasonable actions and extract data.
- Automate conversations with a AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot that can manage conversations automatically.
- Allow your agents to manage conversations via a shared inbox. It allows them to review the dialogue's history and respond appropriately, while optimising the user experience.
- Use drip marketing to send a series of messages to improve the effectiveness of a campaign.
- Integrate your WhatsApp Business API with your CRM and other systems for a seamless data flow.
Best suited for: Large businesses that deal with hundreds or even thousands of user interactions daily.
WhatsApp Business vs. WhatsApp Business API: Key differences
Here is a full breakdown of the major differences between WhatsApp Business and the WhatsApp Business API to help you make a decision on which choice is most applicable to your Business needs:
Business Size
- WhatsApp Business App is designed for small businesses and freelancers.
- WhatsApp Business API is built for medium to large businesses with higher communication needs.
Automation Capability
- The Business App offers limited automation features like quick replies and greeting messages.
- The API allows for advanced automation through chatbots and integration with CRM systems or third-party tools.
Customer Support
- The app supports only single-user manual communication.
- The API enables multi-user access and a shared inbox, ideal for support teams.
Scalability
- The Business App is suitable for handling low volumes of messages.
- The API is highly scalable, making it ideal for businesses with a large customer base.
Broadcast Limitations
- With the Business App, you can broadcast messages to up to 256 contacts at a time.
- The API has no such limit, as long as the recipients have opted in.
Number of Users
- The app can be used on one smartphone and one desktop only.
- The API supports unlimited users across multiple devices.
Automated Replies
- The Business App offers only basic rule-based auto-replies.
- The API allows for fully automated workflows with intelligent responses and triggers.
Use cases: When should you use WhatsApp Business vs. WhatsApp Business API?
Now that we've covered WhatsApp Business vs WhatsApp Business API, let's look at some use cases to help you determine what is best for you:
Small business
WhatsApp Business is ideal for a small store, boutique, or bakery, operating as an individual entity in your area.
You will use it to manage customer inquiries, send your menu card, and respond to customer inquiries via one-to-one chat. You can also use it for sending messages about new releases, special offers, and seasonal discounts.
Cricheroes is a classic example of how a business can do all its sales and provide customer service exclusively through the app.
E-commerce business
If you are a small or a new business that sells handmade goods or small batch fresh food products, you can use WhatsApp Business for your business communication.
With the application you will show your catalog to your clients and you will take their orders and confirm their orders. In most cases, businesses of this class are amenable to customizations. With WhatsApp Business , you will be able to effectively communicate with your clients, send photos of ideas and take orders.
The WhatsApp Business API can also benefit larger (i.e. Amazon) ecommerce businesses. It allows clients to register their returns and exchanges, register complaints and track their order delivery.
Food and meal delivery services
If you are an independent food establishment without any branches, you will manage all customer-initiated communications through Whatsapp Business.
The app is perfect for sharing menus, processing food orders, and sending confirmations. You can also send estimated delivery timelines to customers waiting for their orders.
All that being said, if you're a large food chain that operates across multiple cities, or a food delivery service in any shape, you may need the WhatsApp Business API in order to handle that volume of orders. The WhatsApp Business API will allow you to communicate with multiple clients simultaneously, addressing any concerns they may have. You can also create workflows to showcase the delivery menu and take orders.
One example of a food chain that integrated its CRM with WhatsApp in order to grow its sales in the country by 72% is Domino's Pizza Indonesia.
Spas and wellness centers
Local spas, salons, and wellness centers with only one location can implement the WhatsApp Business API to operate their business effectively.
With the app, you can schedule customer appointments, manage appointment changes and send special deals to customers. You can even include your store hours to your profile so customers can book an appointment accordingly.
Conversely, large chains that have multii-city proximity could benefit from using WhatsApp Business API. With workflows, appointments can be simplified.
Banks and financial services
Banks and financial services companies have a large client base and their accounts demand the highest level of data protection. WhatsApp Business API allows you to protect client communications, including transaction alerts and credit application status updates, and ensures that it is seamless and continuous.
Monetary services companies can also offer chatbot-based account services for customers and add an extra level of security; the chatbot can only be told to provide information after user authentication has taken place.
In addition, you can also create large marketing campaigns with various buttons to prompt users to look at your products.
Banco Bolivariano built an automated digital assistant in WhatsApp to manage 98% of their requests and cut call center requests by 46%.
Airlines and travel companies
If you're a small travel agency managing visitors in your location, WhatsApp Business will be a good way to help your customers. If you're an airline or a travel agency, WhatsApp API will better suit your needs. You will use for sharing booking details, flight and accommodation updates, and customer support. You will also set triggers for sending messages to customers when reserving or send updates prior to travel day.
For example, Pickyourtrail, a travel company, increased their lead generation by 77% and Business development impact by 70% by engaging with Galla box.
Real estate agents
Free real estate agents can add a touch of professionalism to their work by using WhatsApp Business for communicating with buyers. You will be able to share available properties for sale and rent, schedule property visits, and answer buyers' questions. You can also use it to send your clients locations, pictures, and videos related to the properties. Property2X, an Indian real estate company, teamed up with Galla box, reducing its marketing costs by 53% and increasing its Business growth by 300%, while personalizing its communication in the process.
Here is a template you can use to send marketing messages to your future buyers:
Instructional teach and guides
Small-scale coaching centers and coaches are able to use WhatsApp Business to connect with students. You can share lessons, practice exams, and resources with your students using WhatsApp. Multi-city coaching centers that are large scale, schools, and universities need more sophisticated tools to interact with thousands of students.
For example, Gallabox's customers in the education sector improved their customer satisfaction scores by 60% and lead generation by 40% by using WhatsApp Business API. Using WhatsApp Business API, you can get feedback from students and improve your service. You can also create a chatbot which can answer frequently asked questions from prospective students and their parents. You can also use WhatsApp Business to broadcast messages and communicate important information to students.
Healthcare and Specialists
If you are a physician or physiotherapist, you will naturally use WhatsApp Business to communicate with your patients, manage appointments, send reminders for your next visit, and share other consultation updates. Hospitals, in comparison, treat hundreds of patients every day and have a multi-person customer service team. They will benefit from using the WhatsApp Business API because the team would be able to have a shared inbox to manage patient conversations; they would be able to use it to send prescriptions and lab test results.
For example, Farmacias del Ahorro, a health and pharmaceutical retailer, used WhatsApp Messages to manage free conversations with a medical specialist and reported a 160% increase in requests.
Coordinations and conveyance administrations
Clients are starting to request genuine time updates. As these organizations work in districts and have hundreds of conveyances, they are accepting a large client load. A WhatsApp Business App can teacher dispatch with correspondence and impart person updates. You can set up alarms for different stages, such as get arrange, following updates, or conveyance confirmations. You can likewise utilize it to send out-for-delivery notices and support the client in arranging their day.
Telecom company
A telecom company receives a significant number of buyer inquiries and grumblings about arrange issues per day. Companies like these can advantage well from joining WhatsApp Business API with their CRM and robotizing answers, in support of driving chatbot discussions. It can conserve a ton of your staff's workloads and get them on the phones with clients when the chatbot cannot oversee answers.
For occasion Numberwale.com, an Indian telecom number supplier, worked with Gallabox to increase its offers by 25%.
Hospitality industry
This is often an industry where customer relationships are paramount. Customers expect the highest service level when booking a stay at your hospitality business.
As long as you start every interaction and keep your clients informed, you will ensure they have a pleasurable stay. You could send the details of their room booking and additional updates before they travel. With WhatsApp Business API, you can also take their food preferences and other requirements to create a marvellous stay for your clients.
Event planners
Event planners usually deal with a smaller number of clients. Because of this, WhatsApp Business is sufficient to manage customer bookings and vendors, while also utilizing it for one-to-one conversations, sharing mood boards, finalizing ideas, as well as confirming details with your clients.
Recommendations for businesses on when to choose WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API
Choosing between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API could be a decision that is specific to your business.
Here are our recommendations based on your distinct requirements:
Personal, one-on-one interaction
After you are a small business or a solo operator and prefer direct communication with your customers, go ahead with WhatsApp Business. It can help you manage conversations, send quick responses, and share catalogs.
Manageable message activity
With WhatsApp Business, you can manage a manageable volume of messages that can be defined into categories like, taking orders, answering questions, and planning appointments. However, if you cannot manage it by yourself, you will opt for WhatsApp Business API.
Integrative with any other systems
If you want your messaging platform to work with your CRM, Order Management system, or payment systems, it is best to use WhatsApp Business API. WhatsApp Business does not work with other systems.
Desktops
WhatsApp Business has limited usage. A customer can access one mobile app and one desktop browser session. If you have multiple people managing your customer service experience, WhatsApp Business is not the right tool for you. Choose WhatsApp Business API to enable multi-user access with a shared inbox.
Automation
The WhatsApp Business API allows automation through the chatbot. It will allow you to use the chatbot to provide FAQ responses, track orders, schedule appointments or generate leads.
Advanced reporting
The WhatsApp Business API is well-suited to a three-party integration and allows advanced reporting and analytics such as message delivery, read rates, agent performance, or client satisfaction reviews.
WhatsApp Business vs. WhatsApp Business API: Make the right decision for your business
There is no question that WhatsApp is a capable product that can unlock a few features and take your business to the next level.
Whether you are a small business looking to improve customer communication or a large enterprise operating multiple conversations, understanding the differences between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API is crucial to making the right decision.
If you think that WhatsApp Business API is what you want, consider partnering with Galla box for a dependable solution to your business problems. We will allow you to focus on your business growth and expand your presence while the Business API handles customer conversations and service operations for you.
Try for free today and see an immediate improvement in your communications and engagement!
FAQs About WhatsApp Business versus WhatsApp
1. Can I upgrade from WhatsApp Business to WhatsApp Business API?
You will now start using the WhatsApp Business API but this upgrade will not happen on your phone app. Instead, you will be using it through a Business Value Service provider, like Gallabox.
2. What types of businesses should use the WhatsApp API?
Medium - or large-sized companies with geographic locations can gain benefit from using WhatsApp API because it has certain features that can help your team manage a larger volume of incoming messages.
3. Can I access WhatsApp Business on multiple devices?
WhatsApp Business can only be used in one mobile and one desktop browser session at any time while you're on it.
4. Is WhatsApp Business API suitable for small businesses, or is it more for larger Enterprises?
WhatsApp Business API is for larger enterprises. Small businesses that need to have one-on-one communication with their customers can benefit from WhatsApp Business.
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