WhatsApp Business vs API vs a Shared Inbox — Which Do You Need?

There are three different “WhatsApp for business” things, and buyers mix them up constantly. In one line: the Business app is a free phone app for one person, the Business API is a paid platform for developers and big teams, and a shared inbox sits on your existing number to let a team work it together. Here is when each makes sense.

WhatsApp Business app

Free, on your phone, for a small business. You get a business profile, a catalog, quick replies and away messages. Great for a solo operator or two people at low volume. Limits: one number, five linked devices, no assignment, no reporting.

WhatsApp Business API (the Platform)

Built for scale and automation — chatbots, message templates, CRM integrations. But it is a paid service you reach through a Business Solution Provider, priced per conversation, and it replaces the familiar chat app with a dashboard. It fits high-volume marketing and large support organisations. For a five-person team that just wants to answer customers, it is often more cost and setup than the problem needs.

A shared inbox

The third option keeps your existing number and adds the team layer: assignment, labels, tickets, internal notes — and email in the same room. No API application, no per-message fees; you connect by scanning a QR the way WhatsApp Web works.

Which one is right?

• One or two people, low volume → the free Business app.
• High-volume marketing, chatbots, or a large support org → the API.
• A team that needs to share one number without collisions → a shared inbox.

MajlisDesk is the third. See how it stacks up against Periskope, Wati and Respond.io, or read the FAQ for the API and pricing details. Plans start at $19/mo with unlimited users.