Why Businesses Use Interakt When WhatsApp Broadcast Is Free

While WhatsApp Broadcasting addresses the essential needs of small-scale use, it is ineffective for large-scale messaging, as teams grow and organisations need to track messages. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the reasons businesses are discontinuing free broadcast and transitioning to a paid service, without irrelevant information.

What WhatsApp Broadcast Does Well

WhatsApp Broadcast lets you send the same message to multiple contacts at once. Each person will receive the message in a private chat, and any replies will be sent back to you through private messages.

WhatsApp Broadcast works well when:

• Your contact list is small
• Messages are occasional
• One person manages chats
• Tracking is not required

For local shops, individuals who create items for resale, and companies just getting started, WhatsApp Broadcast is usually sufficient.

The First Problem: Scale

Regarding WhatsApp broadcasts, each broadcast list has a limit of 256 contacts, which cannot be exceeded within the app.

For businesses with:

• Hundreds of customers
• Multiple locations
• Growing databases

Creating multiple lists, resending, and losing control over resending messages make WhatsApp Broadcast more complicated to scale than on other social platforms, due to the nature of the messaging software.

Interakt allows teams to grow their contact list without the constraints of WhatsApp’s business API, providing a single system to maintain a complete contact base.

The Second Problem: Saved Contacts Rule

If a contact has not saved the sender’s number, WhatsApp Broadcast will not send the message.

This creates issues:

• New leads do not receive messages
• Customers forget to save numbers
• Delivery drops without warning

Many businesses assume their messages failed because they were blocked from being sent.

At Interakt, users can opt in to messages without saving the sender’s contact information. Once a user opts in to receive messages from Interakt, message delivery will be reliable.

The Third Problem: No Message Verification at Scale

WhatsApp Broadcast shows ticks:

• Sent
• Delivered
• Read

But there is no summary view. To verify delivery, you must open each chat. This works for 20 contacts, not for 500.

Interakt provides:

• Delivery reports
• Read counts
• Failed message logs

Teams can verify message status in seconds, not hours. This is one of the strongest reasons businesses switch.

The Fourth Problem: No Automation

WhatsApp Broadcast is manual.

You cannot:

• Schedule messages
• Send automatic replies
• Trigger messages after actions
• Use chatbots

Every message requires human effort.

Interakt supports automation:

• Order confirmations
• Payment reminders
• Appointment alerts
• Welcome messages

Automation reduces workload and response time. It also improves consistency.

The Fifth Problem: Team Access

WhatsApp Broadcast works on one phone.

That creates limits:

• One person replies
• No shared inbox
• No role control
• Delayed responses

As businesses grow, this setup breaks.

Interakt offers:

• Multi-agent access
• Shared inbox
• Team assignment
• Faster support

This matters for customer service and sales teams.

The Sixth Problem: No Analytics

WhatsApp Broadcast gives no analytics.

You cannot measure:

• Engagement rate
• Clicks
• Conversion
• Campaign performance
• Decisions rely on guesswork.

Interakt provides dashboards with precise data. Businesses see what works and what fails. This helps improve messaging over time.

Cost vs Value

WhatsApp Broadcast is free to use. Unlike Interakt, which charges for its use. Businesses do not have to pay to send out messages. Instead, businesses pay for:

• Scale
• Verification
• Automation
• Safety
• Control

WhatsApp Broadcast is still a viable option for small-time entrepreneurs, but as businesses grow or experience rapid growth, it can become an obstacle.

Account Safety Matters

Misusing WhatsApp Broadcast can cause:

• User reports
• Temporary blocks
• Account restrictions

For example, when sending promotional content or duplicate messages to multiple recipients via WhatsApp Broadcast. Interakt uses a certified version of the WhatsApp Business API to send messages that adhere to pre-approved templates and policies. 

This limits the risk associated with a business and helps to create an ongoing partnership with WhatsApp Business.

When WhatsApp Broadcast Is Enough

Use WhatsApp Broadcast if:

• Your message under 200 contacts
• You send updates occasionally
• One person handles chats
• Tracking is not critical

In this stage, free tools make sense.

When Interakt Becomes Necessary

Interakt is better when:

• Contacts exceed 256
• You need delivery verification
• Automation saves time
• Teams handle chats
• Reporting matters

At this point, WhatsApp Broadcast’s growth is limited.

Final Thoughts

WhatsApp’s broadcast messaging option is free, very basic, and easy to use for specific small applications. Interakt was explicitly developed to support businesses after they outgrew WhatsApp’s basic functionality. The choice between WhatsApp Broadcasting and Interakt should be made based on the level of control, clarity, and scalability the user requires. 

Use a WhatsApp broadcast to get started within your company. Still, as your company grows, you need some form of business structure, which is why businesses opt for Interakt rather than a free WhatsApp broadcast service.

FAQs

What are the disadvantages of WhatsApp Broadcast?

WhatsApp Broadcast is helpful for small communication needs, but it has apparent limitations. You can send messages to only 256 contacts per broadcast list, and recipients must save your number for messages to be delivered. 

There is no delivery summary, no analytics, and no automation. Managing replies also becomes difficult as the number of contacts grows.

What are the benefits of using Interakt?

Interakt enables businesses to handle large volumes of WhatsApp messaging by managing their communications at scale. Interakt includes delivery reports & read reports, allows the creation of large contact lists, supports automated alerts & reminders, and allows multiple team members to respond to chats.

In addition, Interakt adheres to the official WhatsApp Business API guidelines, which help prevent your WhatsApp account from being restricted.

Can I broadcast 100,000 WhatsApp notifications?

The WhatsApp Broadcast feature does not allow users to send messages to as many WhatsApp Contacts as they want in a single message; each Broadcast List can contain only 256 contacts. 

There is no way to request or expand this limit, so if you are looking to send notifications out to large numbers of users, you should do so using the WhatsApp Business API through one of the authorised provider platforms.

What are the limitations of a WhatsApp Business account?

The WhatsApp Business app offers fundamental tools for businesses; however, it also has limitations. The number of contacts that can receive broadcast messages (using WhatsApp Business) is limited to 256; automation is not available at scale; the app’s analytics are limited; and messages must be handled manually. 

Due to these limitations, it won’t work well for companies trying to expand their customer base or operational capacity.

What is the risk of using WhatsApp for business?

Misuse of WhatsApp can lead to several risks. Frequent and/or irrelevant messages, copying and pasting promotional content, and/or relying on unofficial bulk tools when sending messages can result in users filing complaints against the user’s account and/or restricting access to it. 

By utilising only official tools, adhering to WhatsApp policies and procedures for sending messages to appropriate contacts, you will minimise these risk factors.