Official WhatsApp Business or regular WhatsApp?
You are a plumber, a physiotherapist, a real estate agent or a shopkeeper. You use WhatsApp with your customers every day. WhatsApp is free, so why should you have to "pay" or "configure" anything at Meta in order to connect it to Homenichat? This page answers honestly, without technical jargon.
The three faces of WhatsApp
Many people think there is only one WhatsApp app. In reality, Meta offers three distinct products, which share almost the same name but are not designed for the same use at all.
For whom? Individuals, family, friends.
Cost? Free.
Business use? Forbidden by Meta's terms of service as soon as there is recurring commercial use.
WhatsApp Business
The mobile business appFor whom? Solo workers and very small businesses who answer from a single phone.
Cost? Free.
Business use? Allowed, but impossible to officially connect to software like Homenichat.
WhatsApp Business Platform
The official API (Cloud API)For whom? Businesses that want to integrate WhatsApp into software (CRM, support, Homenichat).
Cost? Free up to 1,000 service conversations/month, then a few cents per conversation.
Business use? This is the only official path.
Why regular WhatsApp isn't enough for business
Both free apps (WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business) are designed to be used from one phone, by one person. Anything beyond that is either technically impossible or forbidden by Meta's terms of service.
What regular WhatsApp does not allow
- No official API. No clean way to retrieve your messages from another piece of software.
- No team sharing. If you and your assistant both answer, you need two phones with two numbers, or pass one phone around, or install risky unofficial extensions.
- No archive available outside the app. For compliance (insurance, disputes, GDPR), it's complicated.
- No automation. No automatic welcome message, no routing based on the customer, no CRM integration.
- Risk of getting blocked. Meta regularly closes accounts that use unofficial mods (WhatsApp Plus, GBWhatsApp, home-made bots). You lose your history and your number.
Bottom line: if you are a business and you want to share a WhatsApp line across a team, connect it to your other tools or keep a trail of your conversations, you need the third product, WhatsApp Business Platform.
What WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) gives you
- Official. You are compliant with Meta. No risk of being shut down for non-compliant use.
- Multi-device, multi-user. You, your spouse, your assistant, your receptionist can all answer from Homenichat without stepping on each other.
- Keep your existing number. Your customers keep the same number they have today. No abrupt migration.
- Native integration in Homenichat. Messages land in the same inbox as your SMS and your missed calls.
- Proper automations. After-hours welcome message, Meta-approved templates to follow up on a quote, and so on.
- Compliance. Your conversations are archived at your premises (on your HomeniBOX), not at a SaaS provider.
- You pay Meta, not a middleman. Homenichat never charges you for your WhatsApp messages. Meta bills you directly, according to its rules.
Comparison table
| Criterion | Personal WhatsApp | WhatsApp Business App | Business Platform (Cloud API) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct cost | Free | Free | Free up to 1,000 conv/month, then a few cents |
| Heavy commercial use allowed | No | Limited (single phone) | Yes |
| Software integration (CRM, Homenichat...) | Forbidden | Forbidden | Yes, that's its purpose |
| Multiple people answering the same number | No | Link up to 4 devices, but only one at a time | Yes, with no limit |
| History archived outside the app | No | No | Yes, in Homenichat |
| Automatic welcome message, templates | No | Basic | Advanced, approved by Meta |
| Risk of having the number blocked | High if used commercially | Low but possible | Near zero (use case planned by Meta) |
| Keeps your existing number | Yes | Yes | Yes |
How much it really costs
The big surprise: for most tradespeople and solo entrepreneurs, WhatsApp Business Platform costs zero euros per month. Here's why.
"Service" conversations: free up to 1,000/month
A "service" conversation starts when a customer messages you first. That window lasts 24 hours and is free up to 1,000 conversations per month.
For a plumber who gets 5 to 10 WhatsApp requests per day, that works out to about 200 conversations per month: well inside the free tier.
€0/month for most small pros
When you do pay Meta (and how much)
- Marketing conversation (you start the conversation to sell or follow up): paid from the very first message, around €0.06 to €0.15 per 24-hour conversation depending on the country.
- Utility conversation (appointment reminder, order confirmation): often free if it happens within a service window opened by the customer, otherwise a few cents.
- Authentication conversation (OTP code): paid, but rarely needed by a tradesperson.
- Beyond 1,000 service conversations/month: billed by the cent per additional conversation.
Exact pricing changes (Meta adjusts it regularly) and varies by country. See Meta's official pricing page for up-to-date numbers.
Where does Homenichat fit in?
Homenichat never charges you for your WhatsApp messages. You pay Meta directly (often zero euros), Meta collects on its own. Homenichat provides:
- The hardware (HomeniBOX) or the option to install it yourself.
- The app that brings your calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages into a single inbox.
- Assistance to obtain and connect your Meta credentials (see the step-by-step guide).
- Archiving of all your conversations at your premises, on the box, not with us.
Our business model is based on the hardware and the Homenichat subscription (5 to 9 euros/month for the full version with push notifications and VoIP relay), not on message volumes. You stay in control.
Frequently asked questions
I only get 3 WhatsApp customers per day, is it worth it?
If you work alone and nobody else needs to answer, the free WhatsApp Business App is enough. Homenichat becomes interesting when you want to share the line (spouse, assistant), keep a trail of your conversations, or combine WhatsApp with your SMS and calls.
If I switch to Business Platform, do I lose my old messages?
No. Meta offers a history sync option at the time of connection: your existing conversations can be imported into Homenichat. The condition: start the sync within 24 hours after setup. The credentials guide explains this step.
Will my WhatsApp Business number on my phone disappear?
Not necessarily. Meta offers a coexistence mode that lets you keep the WhatsApp Business app on your phone AND connect the same number to Homenichat via the official API. That option is coming soon to Homenichat (pending Meta Tech Provider validation). In the meantime, Homenichat offers an assisted manual setup that requires you to pick between the two uses for a given number.
What if I exceed 1,000 service conversations per month?
You pay Meta directly, on average a few cents per extra conversation. For a solo entrepreneur, hitting 1,000 conversations in a single month is exceptional. For a larger business, that cost stays well below a regular SMS billed by a carrier.
Why can't I just use "bots" that plug into free WhatsApp?
You technically can (there are plenty of unofficial solutions that hook into WhatsApp Web), but it's forbidden by Meta's terms. The result: account closed, history lost, number burnt. The risk is real. For serious business use, the official API is the only path that doesn't leave you walking a tightrope.
Will Homenichat see my messages?
No. Your WhatsApp messages are stored on your HomeniBOX, at your premises. Our servers only act as an encrypted relay for notifications and to forward Meta webhooks to your box, without storing the content. See our privacy policy for the technical details.
Ready to switch to official WhatsApp?
We guide you step by step to create your Meta Business account, generate your credentials and paste them into Homenichat. Plan for about 30 to 45 minutes for the first setup.
See the full procedure