As one of the most popular messaging apps today, WhatsApp has over 2.2 billion monthly users worldwide. And WhatsApp makes it much simpler and easier for you to connect with your customers.

So what are you still holding out for? Having trouble deciding between the WhatsApp Business API and the WhatsApp Business App? Want to know more about WhatsApp Business account price? We've got you covered, so don't worry!

Key Takeaways:

• The main difference between WhatsApp Business App and API is who it was created for, the team inbox, ticket management, message buttons, automated reply and notification, broadcast, user access, chatbot, and cost.
• WhatsApp Business API mainly charges based on User Initiated Conversation (UIC) and Business Initiated Conversation (BIC).

What are The Differences between WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API?

Although this may seem complicated, we are here to make it as clear as we can for you. WhatsApp offers two different kinds of business services: the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API.

Both have the purpose of assisting brands in their customer communications, but each has a different functionality that must be thoroughly understood to make a wise investment in your business.

Let's look more closely at each aspect of the differences between the two.

1. Who It Created For

For small businesses with few customer inquiries, WhatsApp Business is a stand-alone mobile app.

Large companies with support teams and lots of customer messages can use the WhatsApp Business API to meet their needs.

2. Team Inbox

Sharing your WhatsApp Business phone number and app with other team members is not a simple process. They might be able to access WhatsApp Web, but they risk being logged out.

Software like TapTalk.io can use a Shared Team Inbox thanks to WhatsApp API. Your entire team will find it very simple to manage a WhatsApp number and all customer inquiries from a single, convenient inbox thanks to this.

3. Ticket Control

There is no way for you to know which team member is responding to which customer, whether customers have received a response, or whether their issue has been resolved, even if you can share the Business app's access with some team members.

As opposed to this, a WhatsApp customer support tool like TapTalk that uses the official API can help you keep track of every WhatsApp conversation, the team member who is assigned to it, and the date the customer's question was answered by closing the ticket.

4. Message Buttons

Using the Business App, you can only send standard text or media messages.

The message templates feature of the WhatsApp API supports button-style messages. There are three types of buttons:

• CTA Button, like “Go to the website”
• Call a phone number with the CTA Button
• Quick response buttons (up to 3 per message)

5. Automated Responses

In the WhatsApp Business app, you can set up a simple auto-reply, such as a welcome message for when a customer messages you for the first time. Or an after-hours message for when the office is closed.

Software programs can assist you in doing this and many other things with the WhatsApp API. If the customer sends a message that contains the word "refund," for instance, you could set an automation rule to automatically mark that conversation as [Urgent] and send a different auto-reply than you would for a typical customer message. 

6. Automated Notification

You can set up and send automated notifications to your clients using the WhatsApp API, such as:

• Recovery of a forgotten cart
• Order verification
• Order monitoring
• Payment on delivery confirmation

Technically, you could send these messages by hand using the Business app, but doing so would be time-consuming and impractical as your company expands.

Also read: WhatsApp Push Notification: New Trends For Your Customer Service

7. Broadcasts

The Business app allows you to send broadcasts to a maximum of 256 recipients. Even so, only those recipients who have saved your phone number would receive the message.

Even if a customer has not saved your phone number, you can send broadcasts to up to 100,000 customers per day using the WhatsApp API. Using WhatsApp marketing software that connects to the API, is possible.

Also read: Guide to Send WhatsApp Broadcast Messages for Business

8. Cost

Use of the Business App is totally free. Pricing for the WhatsApp API however is determined per conversation.

9. User Access

Before the release of the WhatsApp Business App, WhatsApp Business could only be used by one smartphone and one PC.

You can now link WhatsApp Business on up to 5 devices thanks to a recent update (in 2023) to the app.

One mobile device plus four additional (PC, mobile, and tablet) devices are supported by the WhatsApp Business App.

Unlike WhatsApp Business, the API offers unlimited users and devices under a single account. Customer service and messenger marketing are greatly enhanced by this.

10. Chatbot

You cannot make or use a chatbot in the WhatsApp Business App.

On the other hand, you can easily create chatbot flows on API because it can communicate with external programs.

WhatsApp Business API Costs

Unlike WhatsApp Business account price that is free, the API is a more advanced solution with a paid model.

For WhatsApp Business API, the costs differ depending on the WhatsApp Business Solution Provider:

1. Set Up Fee

For setting up your API account, some WhatsApp Business Solution Providers charge a fee of up to a certain amount.

2. Monthly Fee

Each WhatsApp Business Solution Provider's monthly rates can vary significantly. It is therefore recommended to conduct some research before beginning a subscription.

Many vendors occasionally don't mention their prices at all. As a result, you will need to get in touch with them to obtain a quote. It can get very expensive to use other services. Some platforms make use of the API but are not official WhatsApp Business Solution Providers. This frequently results in drawn-out setup procedures and additional costs for the customer.

In addition to comparing prices, be sure to look at the features that each provider offers and their associated costs.

3. Fee for Conversations

WhatsApp charges businesses for each conversation they have with their users on WhatsApp within a 24-hour period. A Conversation occurs when a company messages a user (thus starting the Conversation) or responds to a user's message.

Conversations are classified into two types:

User-Initiated Conversation (UIC)

These conversations start when a company responds to a message sent by the user. The first response from the company opens a 24-hour session window.

Within this 24-hour period, all messages exchanged between a business and a user are grouped as a single conversation. These messages add up to a single charge.

Within these 24 hours, businesses can send an unlimited number of free-form messages.

These conversations typically start when a user has a question.

Example:

A customer contacts a company because she wants more information about a specific product. She inquired about the 24-hour session window, which begins at 1:00 PM.

The user-initiated conversation begins only when the business responds to the user's message, which is at 3:30 p.m., and is charged according to UIC pricing. In this case, the UIC will be valid until 3:30 PM the following day. If the conversation continues after 3:30 PM, the company will have to pay for another conversation.

User messages within a 24-hour conversation are free, and there is no limit to the number of messages that can be exchanged in a single conversation.

The cost of starting a conversation varies by country and the initiator. However, the cost of UIC, as assessed by WhatsApp, is Rp 270,- for recipients in Indonesia.

Business-Initiated Conversation (BIC)

These conversations begin when the company sends the user a message. After the 24-hour window has expired, these messages are counted.

These conversations require businesses to only communicate users with pre-approved message templates.

Example:

An organization uses a message template to notify users who have chosen to receive notifications when a crucial reminder for a health checkup needs to be sent.

This starts a conversation that is driven by business. During this single 24-hour conversation session, an organization may send as many messages as necessary with only one business-initiated conversation charge.

Conversations started by businesses cost Rp 450,-/conversation.

Also read: WhatsApp Business API Access and How to Apply for the API

Start Your WhatsApp Business API with TapTalk.io

Don’t want the hassle of applying for WhatsApp Business API? You can just choose a WhatsApp Bussiness Solution Provider.

For any business, a customer messaging platform like TapTalk.io offers convenient access to the WhatsApp Business API. You can quickly get started with WhatsApp support with TapTalk.io because it offers an all-in-one solution.

TapTalk.io is designed for digital customer communication and provides the tools you need, like chatbots and analytics, to provide effective WhatsApp support.

Engage in as many customer interactions as you like by enlisting the help of your entire service team. Additionally, we'll just add the WhatsApp channel to your account if you already use the live chat service provided by TapTalk.io. There's no need to use a new user interface or software.

OneTalk by TapTalk.io is your platform for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, and Twitter DM. You can also centralize all of your customer interactions across all channels into a single inbox.