What the free WhatsApp Business app does well
The WhatsApp Business app is free to download for Android and iPhone. It works with a mobile or landline number and looks like regular WhatsApp, with extra tools for a business:
- Business profile with address, opening hours, website, email and a short description.
- Catalog to show products or services with a photo and a price.
- Greeting message for new contacts and an away message outside opening hours. Sample texts are in WhatsApp auto reply.
- Quick replies: saved answers you insert with a shortcut.
- Labels to sort chats, for example "new order" or "paid".
- Linked devices: up to 4 extra devices, such as WhatsApp Web on a laptop, on the same account.
For an owner who answers every message personally, this covers almost everything. There is no subscription and no setup project. If you do not have the app yet, see how to create a WhatsApp Business account.
What the WhatsApp Business app cannot do
The app is built around one account that one person, or a few people on linked devices, look at together. Problems start when the person holding the phone is not the person with the answer.
- No assignment. You cannot send a chat to one specific coworker. Everyone on a linked device sees every chat.
- No per-person access. A linked device shows all chats and all customer phone numbers, including private conversations if the number is also used privately.
- No record of who answered. Every reply comes from the business account, without showing which person sent it.
- Passing messages on is manual. You long-press, forward, wait for the answer and copy it back to the customer yourself. See how to forward WhatsApp messages.
- Automatic messages are generic. A greeting or away message is the same for every customer. It does not answer the actual question.
WhatsApp Business app vs InBetween
| Free WhatsApp Business app | InBetween (on top of the app) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | 30 days Pro+ free, then €0 (25 messages), €87 or €142 per month |
| Number | Your business number | The same number, connected by QR or pairing code |
| Who receives a customer message | Everyone with the phone or a linked device | One coworker per customer |
| Customer numbers visible to staff | Yes, on every linked device | Hidden by default ("Customer 1", "Customer 2") |
| Where staff reply | On the shared phone or WhatsApp Web | In their own WhatsApp |
| Profile, catalog, auto replies, labels | Yes | No, keep using the app for these |
| Official Meta product | Yes | No, uses linked-device technology |
When the free app is enough
Stay with the free app alone if you answer customers yourself, if your team works in one room where everyone may read every chat, or if you get only a few messages a week and passing them on by hand takes a minute. Paying for a tool in that situation is not worth it.
When to add InBetween
InBetween does not replace the WhatsApp Business app. It adds the step the app is missing: each customer message goes automatically to the coworker who does the work. You connect your existing number by QR code or pairing code, like WhatsApp Web, and enter your coworker's number. Customer messages, including photos, locations, voice notes and documents, arrive in the coworker's own WhatsApp as "Customer 1", "Customer 2", with the number hidden by default. The coworker replies there and the customer receives the answer from your business number.
Your profile, catalog, away message and labels keep working in the app. With Pause you stop forwarding in the evening, and you can switch to another coworker during a holiday. The app dashboard is currently in Dutch.
Forward customer messages automatically. Replies go back from your number.
Try free for 30 daysWhen neither fits: a Business API platform
If five or more people answer customers at the same time, or you need reporting, campaigns or a CRM integration, look at a Business API platform with a shared inbox. It costs a platform fee plus Meta fees per conversation and takes longer to set up. See InBetween vs the WhatsApp Business API and WhatsApp shared inbox.
Frequently asked questions
Is the WhatsApp Business app free?
Yes. The app is free to download and use on Android and iPhone. Optional paid extras exist, but the core features cost nothing. The Business API is a separate, paid product.
Can several employees use one WhatsApp Business app?
Partly. Up to 4 extra devices can be linked to the same account, but every device sees all chats and customer numbers. You cannot give one employee only their own customers.
Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app with InBetween?
Yes. InBetween connects as a linked device, like WhatsApp Web, so your phone and the app keep working as normal, including your profile, catalog and away message.
Is InBetween an official WhatsApp or Meta integration?
No. InBetween uses the same linked-device technology as WhatsApp Web. That is why it works with your existing number and without the WhatsApp Business API. If you need an official Meta integration, a Business API platform is the better fit.