WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business Differences

WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business are one of the most used instant messaging apps in the world, and it has many aspects of functionality, security, and speed that are worthy of other social apps, and that's why people love to communicate on WhatsApp. Moreover, WhatsApp has more than 2 billion users all over the world, making it the best social software in the minds of many people.

WhatsApp evolved from an instant chat tool and by introducing payments, location sharing, audio/video calling and document attachments, WhatsApp Messenger has become a one-stop solution for virtual interactions. In an effort to expand its services to business users (from small to mid-sized companies), WhatsApp launched WhatsApp Business in 2018, however, its main focus is to facilitate companies looking to promote their brand or assist customers in using WhatsApp.

The two apps, WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, are different based on their ability to operate, so here's a breakdown of the differences between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp.

Differences between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business.

Design and Platform:

- WhatsApp is developed using the Erlang programming language and the FreeBSD operating system. Both applications share a common platform for conversation activities and they share the same design guidelines, but both applications have different logos.

The applications are fee-based:

- When WhatsApp was launched, there was an annual subscription fee of $0.99 after the completion of the first year. However, after Facebook acquired the app, they decided to lower the annual subscription fee, and now you can download both apps for free, and they're both available for free on the Google Play Store and Apple Store.

Security:

- There is no need to worry about security as both apps feature end-to-end encryption of messages. Each message is fully protected by a layer protocol that is inaccessible to third-party users. This ensures that every message shared on both platforms reaches its intended destination securely.

Messaging features:

- Companies and individuals are free to send unlimited messages in any format (audio, video, or file attachments) as long as you follow WhatsApp's guidelines. You can broadcast messages to up to 256 contacts at once, and the same limit applies to adding members to groups in both apps.

Multimedia sharing:

- Both apps support attaching audiovisual files, sharing documents, location and contact details. whatsApp even introduces in-chat payments, where you can send and receive payments via your UPI ID, a feature available on both platforms, providing users with an end-to-end shopping solution.

Contact Labeling:

- WhatsApp Messenger does not support this feature, while WhatsApp Business does.WhatsApp tabs are color-coded, and you can create custom tab names to sort your contacts accordingly (up to 20 custom tabs can be created, making it easy to organize data efficiently).

User profiles:

- User profiles differ between the two apps. On WhatsApp Business, you can display your company name, logo, business category, website URL, show product catalog, insert company description, update location and define working hours. Whereas the WhatsApp Personal app profile section only has an introduction, name, display image and phone number.

Automated Messaging:

- You cannot automate messages on personal WhatsApp Messenger. However, there are three message automation features (triggers) in the WhatsApp Business app: quick reply, leave message, and greeting message, which will come in handy for people who are busy or out of the office.

Message Statistics:

- The message statistics report gives a detailed analysis in WhatsApp Business. The analysis is done through the predefined metrics of the app, such as the number of messages sent, delivered, read, and received, which is a key element for business owners as they can analyze the account performance from the dashboard, whereas in WhatsApp Personal, the message statistics report is limited.

Launching Chats:

- Both apps support clicking on chat links, interacting using QR codes, short links. These features greatly facilitate chatting on WhatsApp - for personal or official purposes. The merchant generates a QR code which the user has to scan and then initiate a chat. Each profile has a unique QR code, which you can find in WhatsApp Settings; once inside, you'll see a QR code icon next to your name. On the other hand, only WhatsApp Business owners can generate and share with their customers a short link from their settings that they can use to start a conversation with your Business account.

These are the main differences between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business. In addition to these, there is a WhatsApp Business API for medium to large businesses that offers more features and customization options.Both WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API have their own advantages for businesses of different sizes and needs, and the choice depends on your specific business needs.

Keyword:WhatsApp Marketing