Is there a free WhatsApp API? What's actually free

Published November 10, 2026

Looking for a free WhatsApp API? The short answer: no free, unlimited WhatsApp API exists. What you can get is a free tier, a trial, a sandbox for testing, open-source code you run yourself, or free tools you use by hand. Provider facts come from their own pages on the dates shown.

Four kinds of "free"#

The official platform: Meta's Cloud API, directly or through a provider such as Twilio.
Own-number APIs such as WbizTool, which link your number like WhatsApp Web.
Open-source libraries you host yourself.
Manual tools: wa.me links and the WhatsApp Business app.

Meta's Cloud API: free to start, paid per message#

You need a Meta business portfolio. A number registered on the API can't be used in the WhatsApp app, and a number already on WhatsApp can't be registered until its WhatsApp account is deleted, unless you use Coexistence for the WhatsApp Business app, a signup flow run by Meta's partners. Outside the 24-hour customer service window, you can only send message templates, which generally need approval.

According to Meta's pricing page, checked October 30, 2026, these are free:

1,000 service messages (replies inside the 24-hour window) per month per business number, with no rollover;
messages you send in the free entry point window that opens when a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad (up to 7 days);
messages customers send to you;
a test number created at signup, with relaxed limits and no payment method needed.

There's no monthly fee. Everything else is charged per delivered message, by category and the recipient's country. So the free tier covers replies to customers who write first; messages you start, such as order updates or offers, are paid.

Twilio and other providers: a sandbox, then their fee plus Meta's#

Twilio's pricing page, checked October 17, 2026, lists $0.005 per WhatsApp message, inbound or outbound, plus Meta's template fees, "which Twilio passes through to customers". The free part is a trial with "no credit card required" (the credit amount isn't shown) and a Sandbox for testing.

Other official providers, checked October 30, 2026:

Vonage: €2 of free test credit, and a sandbox with 100 messages per month.
360dialog: no free trial found, but a sandbox that sends up to 25 messages, only to your own number.

Platforms popular in India, checked October 17, 2026: AiSensy has a Free Forever plan at ₹0 with live chat and templates, but "Broadcasting is not available"; Interakt has a 14-day free trial with no credit card; WATI a 7-day free trial.

Message fees apply on all of them for real sending, so the closest thing to a free Twilio alternative is a sandbox. See our Twilio comparison and WhatsApp API providers compared.

Own-number APIs: a free trial, then a flat price#

These link your number as a linked device, like WhatsApp Web: no Meta approval, templates or per-message fee, and the number keeps working on your phone. They aren't official Meta products.

WbizTool has a free trial with 50 messages in any 30 days and 1 WhatsApp number, with no credit card. Campaigns and the API work on the trial; reminders, template messages and Google Sheets triggers need a paid plan (Plans and billing).

Paid plans send unlimited messages under fair use, up to 1,000 per number in any 24 hours. In the US, Lite is $25 a month (1 number), Standard $59 (3 numbers) and Advanced $149 (10 numbers). Prices are regional, and Pricing shows yours.

Other own-number APIs, checked October 17, 2026:

Green API: a free Developer plan limited to 3 chats; Business is $12 a month per number.
Whapi.Cloud: a 5-day trial without a card, and a free sandbox with 150 messages a day and 5 active conversations a month; then $35 a month per number.
UltraMsg: a 3-day trial with 100 messages a day; then $39 a month per number.
WasenderAPI: a 3-day trial with no credit card, 50 messages a day and bulk sends to no more than 3 recipients; then from $6 a month for 1 number.

Side by side: Green API, Whapi.Cloud, UltraMsg, WasenderAPI and all alternatives.

Open-source libraries: free code, your own servers#

Unofficial open-source libraries that connect to WhatsApp Web also exist. The code is free, but you host and maintain it: a server that stays on, the linked session, updates and monitoring. WhatsApp's rules apply to the number either way.

Free manual tools: wa.me links and the WhatsApp Business app#

A wa.me link opens a chat with your number, with text filled in, but the other person taps Send. The WhatsApp Business app is free, but every message goes by hand. Neither sends from your website or code.

Comparison#

Option	What's free	After that	Meta approval and templates	Your current number
Meta Cloud API	1,000 service messages a month per number; a test number	Each delivered message, by category and country	Yes	No, unless Coexistence through a partner
Twilio	Trial without a card; Sandbox	$0.005 per message plus Meta's fees	Yes	Not if it's already on WhatsApp
WbizTool	50 messages in any 30 days, 1 number, no card	From $25 a month (US), no per-message fee	No	Yes, personal or Business
Other own-number APIs	A free plan, trial or sandbox	$6 to $39 a month for 1 number	No	Yes
Open-source libraries	The code	Your own server and upkeep	No	Yes
wa.me links, Business app	Everything	–	No	Yes, but no API

The risk with own-number APIs#

WhatsApp can restrict any number that sends unwanted messages, and no unofficial API can fully prevent it. UltraMsg's FAQ says "there is no guarantee" (checked October 17, 2026), and the same is true of WbizTool. To keep the risk low:

message only people who expect to hear from you;
keep a natural pace: we advise about 150 to 200 messages per number per day, and WbizTool campaigns space messages 8 to 90 seconds apart;
spread big lists over several days or several numbers;
keep using WhatsApp on your phone: UltraMsg and Whapi.Cloud say a linked device can be disconnected after 14 days without it.

Can my WhatsApp number get banned? covers this in detail.

When the official API is the better choice#

Pick it if you send to very large lists, need a Meta-approved sender, or mostly reply to customers who write first. Otherwise, an own-number API is simpler, at a flat price. The WhatsApp API page explains how WbizTool works.

Send your first free message with WbizTool#

Sign up, then link your number with a QR code or a pairing code.
On Settings → API keys, create a key. The ID on the number's card (such as ID 678) is your whatsapp_client.
Send the request:

curl -X POST https://wbiztool.com/api/v1/send_msg/ \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "whatsapp_client": 678,
    "country_code": "91",
    "phone": "9876543210",
    "msg": "Hi Aman, your order #4821 has shipped and will arrive on Thursday."
  }'

Replace the key, the number ID and the recipient (country_code is 1 for the US, 44 for the UK). A reply with "status": 1 and a msg_id means the message is queued. See the Send message API docs and code for Python, Node.js and PHP. Without code, you can send bulk messages from Excel.

Questions people ask#

Is there a completely free WhatsApp API?#

Not for regular sending. Meta's free tier covers only replies; the rest are trials, sandboxes or limited free plans.

Can I send bulk messages for free?#

Only a few. WbizTool's trial includes campaigns within its 50 messages. AiSensy's free plan has no broadcasting.

Is WbizTool the official WhatsApp Business API?#

No. WbizTool is an independent service, not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta. It links your number like WhatsApp Web, so there's no Meta approval and no templates.

Try it on your own number#

The free trial has 50 messages in any 30 days and needs no card. Create a free account and try it today. Plans start at $25 a month in the US.