In this guide, we answer the most important questions about the WhatsApp Cloud API:
How can businesses use WhatsApp Business?
What's the difference between the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Cloud API?
What privacy aspects should you keep in mind?
WhatsApp is the most used messenger worldwide and gives businesses a new, direct way to talk to customers. According to Statista, more than 2 billion people use WhatsApp every day around the world, and over 60 million people in Germany alone. In Germany, more than 100 million messages are sent every day via the platform. This huge reach makes WhatsApp a super attractive channel for companies.
For business use, WhatsApp currently offers two solutions:
WhatsApp Business App
WhatsApp Cloud API
Both versions are different in what you use them for, and you can only use a phone number with one of them. That means: If a number is already registered in the WhatsApp Business App, it can’t be used at the same time with the WhatsApp Cloud API. If you want to switch, you first need to remove the number from the current product before you can register it again in the other one.
The WhatsApp Business App lets small and local businesses use the messenger for business purposes.
But there are some limitations with privacy requirements, since the app needs access to your address book and collects metadata, among other things.
The most important features of the WhatsApp Business App:
Option to create a company profile
Use of text templates for frequently asked questions
Automated messages for fast customer communication
Limited to a maximum of four additional devices
No parallel use with a private WhatsApp account on the same device (unless your phone supports dual-SIM)
Important note:
A regular WhatsApp account shouldn't be used for business, because it's meant for private chats only and doesn't meet companies' data privacy requirements.
Since May 2022, there's also the WhatsApp Cloud API, which gives companies direct access to the API. The goal is to make integration easier and more flexible.
Companies can integrate WhatsApp directly into their back-end systems. The Cloud API is open to all companies, but needs technical know-how and resources to set up. Once enabled, you access your WhatsApp business account through a third-party provider (like Lomavis), so several users can use WhatsApp from different devices.
Below you’ll see the main differences quickly and clearly in the table
| WhatsApp Business | WhatsApp Cloud API |
Suitable for | Small businesses | Businesses of any size |
Availability | Download for iOS & Android | Access via API provider |
Setup | Do it yourself | Through API provider |
Price | Free | Depends on provider |
GDPR-compliant |
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Several employees |
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The WhatsApp API is the perfect solution for businesses that want to use WhatsApp Business with several team members while still caring about data privacy.
As the most used messenger in Germany, WhatsApp is a quick and direct way to reach out to customers.
In areas like recruiting and sales, WhatsApp also helps make communication faster and more efficient.
WhatsApp Business profile with relevant company information
GDPR-compliant usage
End-to-end encrypted messages
Use by several employees and on different devices
Automated replies and message templates
Fast and easy customer communication
Sending offers and news using the newsletter feature
While the WhatsApp Business app is currently available for free and is often used by sole proprietors, it comes with data privacy challenges.
The WhatsApp Cloud API, on the other hand, is not free. The fees depend on the type of conversation (management, authentication, marketing, service) and on who sends the first message (company or customer).
A conversation that starts with a marketing message from the company costs €0.1131. (As of Feb. 2025)
A service conversation started by the customer costs €0.0679. (As of Feb. 2025)
Billing is not per message sent, but per conversation within a 24-hour window.
The first 1,000 service conversations per month are free. Only after you pass this limit do fees apply, while other message types are charged from the start.
Lomavis uses the WhatsApp Cloud API and, unlike many other providers, doesn't charge any extra fees for conversations. Companies just pay the costs set by Meta, with no extra message fees to Lomavis.
With Lomavis, you can use WhatsApp Business in a GDPR-compliant way and with several team members starting from just €15 a month.
