The rates quoted in this article are those of the Meta rate card on that date. Meta changes it and gives a month's notice: this article stays the reference point for its period and is not updated.
See the current rate card in the calculator →WhatsApp, one of the most used brands in Switzerland, has established itself as a key customer relationship channel. But for companies, two quite distinct solutions exist: the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business API (or WhatsApp Platform).
Each has its own purpose: the first is aimed at small organisations that want to manage their communications manually; the second allows integration at scale into a more complex digital ecosystem.
WhatsApp Business app: simplicity and independence for small businesses
Designed for micro-businesses, sole traders and shopkeepers, the WhatsApp Business app is free and available on Android and iOS. It allows manual customer relationship management from a smartphone.
- Business profile (address, description, opening hours)
- Simple automatic replies (away, welcome, FAQ)
- Broadcast to a maximum of 256 contacts
- Manual product catalogue, up to 500 items
- No CRM or API integration
- Works with 1 mobile phone and 4 desktop devices
- No template messages and no proactive marketing campaigns
- No official verification (no green tick)
- No advanced GDPR compliance management
Who is it for? Local shops, tradespeople and small stores exchanging a few dozen messages a day with their customers.
WhatsApp Business API: power, scalability and automation
The WhatsApp Business API is designed for growing companies, support teams and e-commerce players that want to automate exchanges, connect WhatsApp to their CRM, or run campaigns at scale.
- Unlimited users, access via the API
- Full integration with CRM, ERP and e-commerce tools
- Chatbots, conversational sequences, custom AI
- Dynamic, interactive product catalogue
- Template messages for proactive campaigns (follow-ups, notifications)
- Unlimited marketing campaigns, subject to consent
- Verification with the official green badge
- Multiple entry points: QR code, click-to-chat, Meta advertising
- Built-in GDPR and FADP compliance tools
- Per-conversation pricing, with 1,000 free service conversations a month
To switch this solution on, you need to go through an official partner such as Sandra, which handles configuration, secure hosting in Switzerland, compliance and integrations.
The comparison
| Feature | WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business API |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Manual customer communication for small businesses | Automated messaging at scale |
| User capacity | Up to 4 users | Unlimited users |
| Product catalogue | Manual, up to 500 items | Dynamic and interactive |
| Message types | Session messages only | Session and template messages |
| Automation | Away messages and quick replies | Chatbots and automated sequences |
| Entry points | Direct start from a chat | Web buttons, QR codes, click-to-chat ads |
| Account verification | Standard business profile | Eligible for the green tick |
| Pricing | Free | 1,000 free service conversations a month |
| CRM / ERP integration | Not supported | Full |
| Compatible devices | 1 mobile and 4 computers | Unlimited access via the API |
| Marketing tools | Broadcast to 256 contacts | Unlimited promotional broadcasts |
| Compliance | Basic commercial rules | Built-in GDPR tools, conversation categorisation |
| Developer access | Direct app download | API integration through an official partner |
Sandra supports you in switching on, configuring and strategically running the WhatsApp API: AI, catalogue, payment, acquisition, GDPR compliance. All operated from Switzerland.
Tool
Work out your real Meta bill →
38 markets, up-to-date per-message rates, exemptions and volume tiers applied. Five minutes to know what WhatsApp will really cost you.
Read next
Conversations that convert
A 30-minute demo is enough to see what your WhatsApp channel can produce. In Geneva or by video call.