The Business app got you this far. It won't take you further.
Most Indian businesses start on the free WhatsApp Business app, and for the first hundred customers it's fine. Then the cracks show. The number lives on one phone, so whoever holds the phone answers everything, enquiries wait while that person is at lunch.
Broadcast lists cap at 256 contacts and only reach people who saved your number. There's no way to schedule a Diwali offer, no report telling you who read it, and no automation beyond a single greeting message. When the founder's phone is the business, the business stops when the phone does.
The API is Meta's answer for businesses that outgrew the app. It's the same WhatsApp your customers already use, messages arrive in their normal chat, but on your side, the number connects to software instead of a handset. The Business app vs API comparison walks through the differences one by one.
What official WhatsApp API access changes
Official access means Meta knows who you are: your number is registered to a verified business through Meta Business Manager, outbound marketing goes out as approved templates, and replies open a 24-hour window where you can chat freely (the 24-hour window guide explains the rules). In return you get things the app can never do:
- No 256-contact ceiling. Broadcast to your whole opted-in list; your limit is Meta's quality-based messaging tier, which starts at 1,000 unique customers a day and grows on its own.
- One number, many people. Support, sales and the owner all work the same inbox from their own laptops.
- Automation. Chatbot flows, auto-replies, and order updates triggered by your store.
- Proof. Delivered, read and replied counts per campaign, per contact.
There's no WhatsApp app to install for the API number. Everything happens in the platform you connect it to. That platform is the part you're actually choosing.
What the API powers inside Growcord
Broadcasts and campaigns
Scheduled template campaigns to tags and segments, with per-campaign delivery and read reports.
Shared team inbox
Every conversation on the number, visible to the whole team, with assignment so two people never answer the same chat.
No-code chatbot flows
Answer FAQs, qualify leads and take bookings automatically, built by dragging blocks, not writing code.
E-commerce automations
Abandoned cart nudges, COD confirmation, order updates, back-in-stock alerts and review requests from Shopify or WooCommerce.
REST API and webhooks
API keys, message endpoints and webhooks for developers who want WhatsApp inside their own systems.
Analytics
Campaign performance, conversation volumes and credit spend in one dashboard, so you know what WhatsApp is earning you.
How you get on the API with Growcord
Sign up and connect a number
Create a free Growcord account and connect a phone number through Meta's embedded signup. Use a fresh number or move an existing one. A number can't run the app and the API at the same time.
Verify your business
Meta checks your business details through Business Manager. For most businesses this is a same-day formality; display-name review can take a little longer.
Create your first template
Write the message, add merge fields like name or order number, and submit to Meta from inside Growcord. Approval usually takes minutes to a few hours.
Import contacts and go
Upload a CSV or sync your store, tag contacts into segments, and send your first campaign, or just start answering chats in the inbox.
Choosing a WhatsApp API provider in India
You don't buy the API from Meta's website like a SaaS tool, you access it through a provider. Some providers are traditional BSPs that resell access on their own infrastructure; platforms like Growcord connect you straight to Meta's Cloud API and build the software layer on top. The Cloud API vs BSP guide covers the distinction; the practical questions when comparing providers in India are simpler:
- What's the platform fee, and what's locked behind higher plans?
- What's the markup on Meta's conversation charges? Some providers add a paisa or two per message, which quietly outgrows the plan fee once you're sending in thousands. Growcord's answer is zero, you pay Meta's published rate exactly.
- Does it include the tools you'd otherwise buy separately, inbox, bots, campaigns, store integrations?
- Is support in IST, and is billing in ₹ with a GST invoice?
For reference, checked against published pricing pages in August 2026: Wati's entry Growth plan is ₹2,499/month, AiSensy's Basic is about ₹1,500/month, and Interakt charges per conversation from ₹0.97. Our provider comparison puts the options side by side.
What a WhatsApp Cloud API platform costs
Two parts. Growcord's plan fee is below, and Meta's conversation charges are billed separately as credits at cost with zero markup, so you can see exactly what each campaign costs before you send it. The conversation pricing guide breaks down Meta's categories, and the pricing page has every plan in detail.
There's a real free tier, 1 number and 50 conversations a month, to prove the channel before paying anything, and every paid subscription carries a 7-day unconditional money-back guarantee. Free to start; Meta conversation fees apply.
Growcord plans
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly |
|---|---|---|
Free | ₹0, 1 number, 50 conversations/mo | |
Basic | ₹299/mo | ₹99/mo |
Startup | ₹799/mo | ₹399/mo |
Commerce | ₹1,999/mo | ₹999/mo |
Enterprise | ₹5,999/mo | ₹2,999/mo |
Managed | From ₹9,999/mo. Our team runs your campaigns, flows and templates |
Meta conversation fees are billed separately as credits at Meta's published rate, zero markup. Add-ons: extra team member ₹149/mo, extra number ₹299/mo, 1,000 extra conversations ₹399/mo. 7-day money-back guarantee on subscriptions.
Get on the official WhatsApp API this week
Free tier includes 1 number and 50 conversations a month, enough to connect, get a template approved and message real customers before paying anything.
Start free, no card neededWhy Growcord
What you get here that you don't get elsewhere
Frequently asked questions
What is the WhatsApp Business API used for?
For running WhatsApp at business scale: broadcast campaigns to opted-in lists, automated order and payment notifications, chatbots that answer instantly, and a shared inbox where a whole team works one number. Customers see normal WhatsApp chats; on your side it's software instead of a phone app.
How do I get WhatsApp Business API access in India?
Sign up with a platform like Growcord, connect a phone number through Meta's embedded signup, and complete business verification in Meta Business Manager. You'll need a business, a number not currently on the WhatsApp app, and a Facebook Business account. Most businesses are sending within a day.
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
No, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise. Meta charges per conversation, and platforms charge a fee for the software. Growcord is free to start (1 number, 50 conversations a month), then plans run ₹299–₹5,999/month, or ₹99–₹2,999/month billed yearly, plus Meta's conversation fees at cost, with zero markup.
What is the difference between the WhatsApp Business app and the API?
The app is free but limited to one phone, 256-contact broadcast lists, and basic auto-replies. The API has no app, it connects your number to software, which removes the broadcast cap, lets multiple teammates share the number, and adds chatbots, scheduling, integrations and reports. Meta conversation fees apply on the API.
Do I need a new phone number for the API?
You need a number that isn't actively registered on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, either a fresh SIM or an existing number you migrate during signup. A number can't be on the app and the API at the same time, so many businesses keep their known number and move it across deliberately.
Can I still use WhatsApp normally after moving to the API?
Not on that number, API numbers work through your platform's inbox instead of the phone app. In practice that's the upgrade: the whole team chats from Growcord's shared inbox on laptops, conversations are assigned and searchable, and nothing depends on one person's handset being charged.
Why businesses pick Growcord
Official WhatsApp Business API
Built on Meta's Cloud API, the sanctioned channel, not a modded app. No number-ban roulette.
Indian pricing, GST invoice
Plans from ₹99/month billed yearly. Paid in ₹ via Razorpay, with a proper GST invoice every time.
Free tier, no card needed
1 number and 50 conversations a month to prove it on real customers before paying anything.
Support from New Delhi, in IST
A real team on email and WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday 10:00–19:00 IST, not a ticket void.
Talk to us
Get set up on WhatsApp this week
Tell us what you sell and how many customers you message. We'll reply on WhatsApp with the plan that fits and, if you want it, walk you through the Meta approval step.
- No sales call unless you ask for one
- Answers from the team that builds it, in IST hours
- Free tier available. You can start before you decide
Keep reading
Related guides and comparisons
Last updated: 2026-08-07