WhatsApp Business app vs the WhatsApp Business API
| WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business API (with Chatzyn) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who replies | Whoever holds the phone, plus linked devices | Several agents, each with their own login (team seats depend on your plan) |
| Automation | Greeting and away messages, quick replies | Flows and chatbots on every plan; AI answers on paid plans; store order messages on Growth and Pro |
| Messaging people first | Broadcast lists to people who saved your number | Meta-approved templates to opted-in customers |
| Integrations | None | WooCommerce, Shopify, Google Sheets, webhooks, REST API |
| Cost | Free | Meta charges per delivered message, plus your Chatzyn plan |
Keep using the WhatsApp Business app on the same number
You no longer have to choose. Meta's Coexistence mode connects a number that is already on the WhatsApp Business app to the API while the app keeps working. New messages show in both the app and Chatzyn.
Update the WhatsApp Business app to version 2.24.17 or newer first. Coexistence numbers send more slowly than API-only numbers, which matters only for large broadcasts.
A new number, or one not on WhatsApp yet, can be connected as API-only instead. It must be able to receive an SMS or a call for verification.
A personal WhatsApp account (the green app) cannot be connected. Move it to the free WhatsApp Business app first; your chats are kept.
How to get the WhatsApp Business API
You do not need to apply to Meta separately or wait weeks. The connection happens inside Meta's own sign-up window, opened from Chatzyn, and usually takes about ten minutes.
- Start a Chatzyn plan or the free trial.
- Have the Facebook account that runs your business ready. It needs a Meta business portfolio, which you can create free during setup.
- In Chatzyn, open Settings, Channels, WhatsApp number, choose where the number is today and press "Connect with Facebook".
- In Meta's window, choose or create the business portfolio and the WhatsApp Business account, add the number and verify it with the code Meta sends, or scan the QR code in the app.
- Back in Chatzyn, the number shows as active. Message it from another phone and the chat arrives in the inbox.
The full walkthrough is under Guides: Connect your WhatsApp number.
See also:Connect your WhatsApp number
Official API only
Chatzyn uses Meta's official APIs and nothing else. Unofficial bulk senders and WhatsApp Web automation tools get numbers banned, and a banned number takes its customer history with it.
The official route has rules, and they protect your number: you message customers first only with approved templates, customers can reply STOP, and Meta tracks each number's quality rating. Chatzyn shows that rating and messaging tier for every number and lets you pause all promotional sending at once.
What you can do once the number is connected
- A shared team inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
- Template broadcasts to saved segments, with delivery, read and reply reported per recipient.
- A visual flow builder and an AI bot that answers from your own material.
- WooCommerce order confirmations, COD confirmation, cart recovery and review requests.
- Several numbers in one workspace on Growth (2) and Pro (10), each with its own automations.
- A REST API and signed webhooks on plans with API access.
What the WhatsApp Business API costs
There are two separate costs. Meta charges per delivered message, at a rate that depends on the message category (marketing, utility, authentication or service) and the customer's country. Since 1 October 2026 replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are charged too, after the first 1,000 service messages each month for each number. Then there is your Chatzyn plan for the inbox, automations and team seats.
New business portfolios also start with a messaging limit: how many different people you can message first in a rolling 24 hours. It rises as you send good-quality messages and verify your business.
Meta's current per-message rates for India are on the WhatsApp API pricing page. Chatzyn plans are on Pricing.
Questions people ask
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
No. Meta charges per delivered message, by category and country, and a provider like Chatzyn charges for the software. The WhatsApp API pricing page lists Meta's current rates for India.
Can I use the WhatsApp Business app and the API on the same number?
Yes, on eligible numbers, using Meta's Coexistence mode. Update the WhatsApp Business app to 2.24.17 or newer, then connect the number. New messages show in both the app and Chatzyn.
Do I need a GST certificate or business verification to start?
You need a Meta business portfolio, which you can create during setup. Business verification is not needed to connect, but it is one of the ways to raise your daily messaging limit later.
How long does it take to get the WhatsApp Business API?
About ten minutes through Meta's sign-up window, if the phone with the number is nearby for the verification code or QR scan. Templates you create afterwards are reviewed by Meta, which can take up to 24 hours.
Can I connect my personal WhatsApp number?
Not directly. A personal WhatsApp account cannot be connected. Move it to the free WhatsApp Business app first, which keeps your chats, then connect it.
My number is with another provider. Can I move it?
Yes. A number can be connected to one provider at a time, so ask the current provider to release or migrate it first, then connect it to Chatzyn.
Will my number get banned?
Bans come from unofficial tools and from messages people did not ask for. Chatzyn uses only Meta's official API, sends first-contact messages only as approved templates, and stops marketing to anyone who replies STOP.