Side by side
| Website chatbot | WhatsApp chatbot | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | A chat window on your website | Your WhatsApp Business number, on the WhatsApp Business Platform |
| Who starts the conversation | A visitor already on your site | Usually the customer. You can only start one with an approved template, sent to someone who agreed to hear from you. |
| Photos and documents | Possible, depending on the chat tool | Natural: customers already send photos on WhatsApp |
| Following up later | Only if the visitor left contact details | In the same thread, using approved templates outside the 24-hour window |
| Rules to follow | Your privacy notice and POPIA | WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy, Meta’s template rules, and POPIA |
| Running costs | The chat platform and AI usage | Meta’s per-message fees, any provider fee and AI usage |
| Setup effort | Usually a script added to your site | Platform access, display-name approval, and templates for Meta’s review |
When a website chatbot comes first
- Your website already gets visitors, and they ask the same questions before contacting you.
- Most questions can be answered from information you already have: services, areas, process, what to bring.
- You want to qualify an enquiry before a person spends time on it.
- You want to avoid per-message fees while you learn what customers actually ask.
When a WhatsApp chatbot comes first
- Customers already message your WhatsApp number, and replies are slow when the team is busy.
- The first contact needs photos or documents, such as vehicle damage, a broken appliance or a site.
- Customers want updates in the same thread they started.
- You are prepared to manage templates, consent and Meta’s fees. See what a WhatsApp chatbot costs to run.
Moving a customer from website to WhatsApp
A good moment to move is when the customer needs to send photos, wants to be kept updated, or is about to leave the site on a phone. A poor reason is moving everyone by default: it adds a step and, once your number is on the Platform, it adds message fees.
When you do move them, carry the context across. A click-to-chat link can open WhatsApp with a short prefilled message, such as a reference for the website conversation, so the customer does not have to start again. Ask before you move them, and tell them what happens next.
What both need
- Approved answers only. AI can answer confidently and wrongly. Limit it to information you approved, and test it with awkward questions.
- A route to a person. WhatsApp’s policy requires “prompt, clear, and direct escalation paths” for automated experiences, and website visitors deserve the same.
- Honesty about what it is. Say it is an assistant, not a person.
- The same enquiry fields. Whatever the channel, capture the same details so every enquiry lands in one list. See From call, website or WhatsApp to one enquiry record.
- Care with personal information. Agree where transcripts and photos are stored, who sees them and how long they are kept.
A quick way to decide
- Count last month’s enquiries by channel: phone, WhatsApp, website form, email.
- Start with the channel that gets the most enquiries and the slowest replies.
- If photos matter in the first contact, lean towards WhatsApp. If people mostly ask questions before deciding, lean towards the website.
- Add the second channel only when the first works well and the enquiry records are consistent.
Devincam builds both: website chatbots and WhatsApp chatbots, connected to the same follow-up workflow.
Sources
Checked 27 October 2026. Prices and policies change; follow the links for the current version.
- Meta for Developers: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing Per-message pricing, message categories, 24-hour customer-service window.
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy Opt-in, escalation and opt-out requirements (last updated 23 September 2026).
- WhatsApp Help Center: How to use click to chat Click-to-chat links and prefilled messages.