# Free WhatsApp API in 2026: which ones are really free? > 9 WhatsApp APIs checked: 6 have a real free option, from Meta's 1,000 free service messages to self-hosted WAHA. 3 are trials or sandboxes. Source: https://unlimitedmessaging.app/articles/free-whatsapp-api Free WhatsApp API # Free WhatsApp APIs: _what is really free, and what is a trial._ Many WhatsApp APIs say "free". Some mean a permanent free tier, some mean open-source code you host yourself, and some mean three days. We checked nine of them on their own pricing pages, docs and licenses in November 2026: what you get for nothing, what gets billed, and what you give up. [Try the free plan](https://app.unlimitedmessaging.app)[View pricing](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/pricing) The short answer ## Is there a free WhatsApp API? Yes, but "free" means three different things. Meta's official Cloud API has a [free tier of 1,000 service messages per number per month](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing) and bills templates. Unofficial providers like GREEN-API and Unlimited Messaging have permanent free plans with limits. And open-source projects (WAHA, Evolution API, Baileys, whatsapp-web.js) cost nothing but a server you run yourself. The official route is Meta's WhatsApp Cloud API. It is the only one Meta endorses, and it is not free in production: every template message (marketing, utility, authentication) is billed by the recipient's country. Since October 1, 2026, Meta also bills service messages beyond 1,000 per number per month and utility messages inside the customer service window, and needs a payment method to send past the free tier. Every other option on this page is unofficial: it links a normal WhatsApp number as a device, like WhatsApp Web. That removes templates and per-message fees, and adds a risk Meta's route does not have: WhatsApp can ban a number that sends spam. The open-source libraries say so in their own READMEs. Three popular names are left out of the "free" list on purpose. UltraMsg offers a 3-day free account. Whapi.Cloud and Maytapi have test sandboxes capped at a handful of contacts. They are good for trying an API, not for running one at no cost. Related comparisons: [GREEN-API vs UltraMsg vs Unlimited Messaging](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/articles/green-api-vs-ultramsg-vs-unlimited-messaging), [Whapi vs Maytapi vs Unlimited Messaging](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/articles/whapi-vs-maytapi-vs-unlimited-messaging) and [how to avoid a WhatsApp ban](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/articles/avoid-whatsapp-ban). ![Illustration: a JSON request to POST /message answered with 201, with the headline “Which free WhatsApp APIs are really free?”.](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/_next/image?url=%2Fassets%2Farticles%2Fcovers%2Ffree-whatsapp-api-en.png&w=3840&q=75) Definition Free WhatsApp API A way to send and receive WhatsApp messages from code without paying: a free tier of Meta's official Cloud API, a free plan from an unofficial provider, or open-source software you run on your own server. Also searched as: whatsapp api free, free whatsapp api for developers. [Source: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform - Meta↗](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing) The list ## Which WhatsApp APIs are really free? One row per option. "Really free" means you can keep using it at no cost, not just test it for a few days. __Which WhatsApp APIs are really free?__ | Really free? | What you get for free | What it costs or limits | Official? | | | --------------------------- | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | | Meta WhatsApp Cloud API | Free tier | 1,000 service messages per number per month; a test number for up to 5 recipients | Every template billed per message; payment method required beyond the free tier | Yes | | GREEN-API Developer plan | Yes, hosted | 1 instance, no per-message fee | Talks to 3 chats only; monthly caps on some methods | No | | WAHA (self-hosted) | Yes, open source | REST API, unlimited sessions and media since version 2026.6.1 | Your server, your updates, your monitoring | No | | Evolution API (self-hosted) | Yes, open source | REST API on Baileys, plus chatbot and CRM integrations | Your server; license adds attribution conditions to Apache 2.0 | No (Baileys mode) | | whatsapp-web.js / Baileys | Yes, libraries | Node.js code to drive WhatsApp Web (Apache 2.0 / MIT) | You build and host the API yourself | No | | Unlimited Messaging Free | Yes, hosted | Unlimited messages, REST API, SDKs, n8n, MCP; email and SMS too | Footer on messages, text only, no webhooks | No | | Whapi.Cloud | Sandbox only | 150 messages a day, 5 active conversations a month | Production from $29/mo per number | No | | Maytapi | Trial and sandbox | 3-day trial; sandbox limited to 5 numbers | From $24/mo per number billed yearly, $29 monthly | No | | UltraMsg | Trial only | 3-day free account | $39/mo or $390/yr | No | Checked on each vendor's pricing page, documentation or license in November 2026\. Meta's template prices depend on the recipient's country and the category. Self-hosted options are free software; the server they run on is not. Offers change: follow the sources. [![](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/_next/image?url=%2Fassets%2Farticles%2Fcovers%2Fwhatsapp-business-or-api-choose-en.png&w=3840&q=75)Related articleWhatsApp Business or API: which to choose?The WhatsApp Business app, Meta's official API through a provider, or an API on your own number: which fits your use case.Read the guide→](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/articles/whatsapp-business-or-api-choose) One by one ## The free WhatsApp APIs, one by one * ### Meta WhatsApp Cloud API The official API, hosted by Meta. Free to start: a test number sends free messages to up to 5 recipient numbers, and each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. Replies to people who came from a Click to WhatsApp ad are also free inside Meta's free entry point window. Everything else is billed: templates per message by country, and since October 1, 2026, service messages past 1,000 and utility messages in the customer service window. New numbers start at 250 unique recipients per 24 hours. [Meta WhatsApp Cloud API↗](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing) * ### GREEN-API Developer plan A hosted unofficial API with a permanent free plan. One Developer instance per account, which can only interact with 3 chats (contacts or groups) and receive notifications from those 3\. Some methods have monthly caps, for example 100 number checks a month. A real free sandbox for building, not for production; the paid Business plan is $12 a month per instance. [GREEN-API Developer plan↗](https://green-api.com/en/docs/about-tariffs/) * ### WAHA A WhatsApp HTTP API you run in Docker on your own server, with several engines (browser-based WEBJS, or NOWEB and GOWS over websockets). Since version 2026.6.1 the former paid Plus features, unlimited sessions and media included, are part of the free Core, released under Apache 2.0\. Free as software; you pay for the server and the time to keep it running. [WAHA↗](https://waha.devlike.pro) * ### Evolution API An open-source REST API built on Baileys, with integrations for Typebot, Chatwoot, n8n, OpenAI and message queues. It can also drive Meta's official Cloud API, in which case Meta's fees apply. Its license is Apache 2.0 with extra conditions: keep its logo and copyright in its frontend, and tell your users when a closed-source system uses it, or buy a commercial license. [Evolution API↗](https://github.com/EvolutionAPI/evolution-api) * ### whatsapp-web.js and Baileys The libraries most unofficial APIs are built on. whatsapp-web.js (Apache 2.0) runs WhatsApp Web in a real browser through Puppeteer; Baileys (MIT) talks to WhatsApp Web over WebSockets. Free and flexible, but you write and host the API around them. Both READMEs warn you: whatsapp-web.js says being blocked is not guaranteed not to happen, Baileys discourages bulk or automated messaging. [whatsapp-web.js and Baileys↗](https://github.com/WhiskeySockets/Baileys) * ### Unlimited Messaging Free A hosted API with a permanent free plan and no message counter: link your number by QR code and send through the REST API, the Python and TypeScript SDKs, an n8n node or the MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT. The same plan also sends email from your own mailbox and SMS from your own Android phone. The limits: a "Sent with UnlimitedMessaging.app" footer, text only and no webhooks. Unofficial, like every option here except Meta's. Not free ## Which "free" WhatsApp APIs are only trials? These three are often listed as free. They are good products to test, but you cannot run them in production at no cost. 1. 01 ### UltraMsg: 3 days A free account for 3 days, then one plan at $39 a month or $390 a year per instance. No permanent free tier. 2. 02 ### Whapi.Cloud: a capped sandbox The Developer Sandbox is free but capped at 150 messages a day, 5 active conversations a month and 1,000 API requests a month, and needs periodic activity. Production starts at $29 a month per number, with a 5-day trial. 3. 03 ### Maytapi: 3 days, then a sandbox A 3-day trial with every endpoint and no card, plus a sandbox that only sends to up to 5 numbers. Production is $24 a month per number billed yearly, or $29 billed monthly. Hidden costs ## What does a free WhatsApp API really cost? Zero on the invoice does not mean zero cost. Each free option moves the bill somewhere else. 1. 01 ### A server and your time (self-hosted) WAHA, Evolution API and the libraries need a machine that stays online, storage for sessions, updates when WhatsApp Web changes, and someone to notice when a session drops. 2. 02 ### The ban risk (every unofficial option) WhatsApp does not allow unofficial clients and bans numbers that send spam, whichever API sent it. Use a number people know, write to contacts who expect you, and never send cold bulk campaigns. 3. 03 ### Meta's bill once you grow (official API) The free tier covers 1,000 service messages per number per month. Anything you start yourself is a template, billed per message, and it needs a verified business setup and a payment method. 4. 04 ### Limits that decide for you (free plans) 3 chats on GREEN-API Developer, a footer and text only on Unlimited Messaging Free. Fine for a prototype or a small team; plan the upgrade before you depend on it. How to choose ### Pick the free option that matches the job Templates to customers who opted in, with Meta's blessing: the Cloud API, and budget for templates. Full control and a server you already run: WAHA or Evolution API. Building your own product on top: Baileys or whatsapp-web.js. A hosted API you can call in five minutes, from your own number, with email and SMS in the same request: the Unlimited Messaging Free plan, if a footer on your messages is acceptable. FAQ ## Questions about free WhatsApp APIs Not in production. Meta's Cloud API gives each business number 1,000 free service messages a month, and a test number can message up to 5 recipients for free. Every template message is billed per message by the recipient's country, and since October 1, 2026 service messages past 1,000 and utility messages inside the customer service window are billed too. It depends on what you want to run. For a hosted sandbox, GREEN-API's Developer plan (3 chats) or the Unlimited Messaging Free plan (unlimited messages, with a footer). For full control on your own server, WAHA or Evolution API. For writing your own service, the Baileys or whatsapp-web.js libraries. Yes. WAHA (Apache 2.0) and Evolution API (Apache 2.0 with attribution conditions) are self-hosted REST APIs, and Baileys (MIT) and whatsapp-web.js (Apache 2.0) are the Node.js libraries underneath most of them. All of them are unofficial: they link a WhatsApp number as a device. Yes, with an unofficial API: GREEN-API, WAHA, Evolution API, the libraries and Unlimited Messaging link a normal number by QR code, with no Meta business verification and no templates. The trade-off is that WhatsApp does not endorse them and can ban a number that sends spam. Not for production. UltraMsg offers a 3-day free account, then $39 a month. Whapi.Cloud has a sandbox capped at 150 messages a day and 5 active conversations a month, then $29 a month per number. Maytapi has a 3-day trial and a sandbox limited to 5 numbers, then $24 to $29 a month per number. The API alone does not; what you send does. WhatsApp bans numbers that send unsolicited or repetitive messages, and unofficial clients carry that risk whoever runs them. Writing to people who know you, at a human pace, keeps it low. Meta's official API removes the unofficial-client risk but still enforces quality rules. Unlimited WhatsApp messages from your own number, plus email from your own mailbox and SMS from your own Android phone, through the web app, the REST API, the Python and TypeScript SDKs, the n8n node and the MCP server. No credit card. Messages carry a "Sent with UnlimitedMessaging.app" footer, and media and webhooks need a paid plan. Sources ## Sources & references To check the information in this article for yourself: 1. [01Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (1,000 free service messages, October 1, 2026 changes)↗Meta for Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing) 2. [02Cloud API get started (test number, free messages to up to 5 recipients)↗Meta for Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/get-started/) 3. [03WhatsApp messaging limits (250 unique recipients per 24 hours to start)↗Meta for Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/messaging-limits) 4. [04About tariffs (Developer plan: 1 instance, 3 chats, method caps)↗GREEN-API](https://green-api.com/en/docs/about-tariffs/) 5. [05Plans and prices (Developer, Business $12, Ultra)↗GREEN-API](https://green-api.com/en) 6. [06WAHA Plus is now part of WAHA Core (version 2026.6.1)↗WAHA](https://waha.devlike.pro/docs/how-to/waha-plus/) 7. [07WAHA repository (Apache 2.0, engines)↗GitHub](https://github.com/devlikeapro/waha) 8. [08Evolution API license (Apache 2.0 with additional conditions)↗GitHub](https://github.com/EvolutionAPI/evolution-api/blob/main/LICENSE) 9. [09whatsapp-web.js (Apache 2.0, Puppeteer, disclaimer)↗GitHub](https://github.com/pedroslopez/whatsapp-web.js) 10. [10Baileys (MIT, WebSockets, usage disclaimer)↗GitHub](https://github.com/WhiskeySockets/Baileys) 11. [11Whapi.Cloud pricing (Developer Sandbox limits, Developer Premium)↗Whapi.Cloud](https://whapi.cloud/price) 12. [12Maytapi pricing (3-day trial, sandbox, Developer plan)↗Maytapi](https://maytapi.com/whatsapp-api-pricing) 13. [13UltraMsg (3-day free account, $39 a month)↗UltraMsg](https://ultramsg.com) ![Ilian, senior software engineer](https://ilianazz.com/images/iliazz.png) Written by [Ilian](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/authors/ilian) · Senior Software Engineer A senior software engineer, he founds and runs several tech companies. He builds products around messaging APIs, automation and AI integration, and shares here what he learns while building. [View LinkedIn profile↗](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilianAzz/)Updated November 9, 2026 ![](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/assets/logos/whatsapp.svg)![](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/assets/logos/email.svg)![](https://unlimitedmessaging.app/assets/logos/sms.svg) ## Call a WhatsApp API for free in five minutes. Create an account without a card, link your number by QR code, generate an API key and send your first message. 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