The short answer
For almost every team, WhatsApp Cloud API is the right choice. It’s Meta’s native integration, goes through the cleanest setup, and supports the full WhatsApp Business feature set.
The rest of this article explains when each option applies.
WhatsApp Cloud API (recommended)
What it is: A direct integration with Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform. You connect through a Facebook Business login, select a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) and a phone number, and Octopods registers webhooks with Meta so messages flow straight through Meta’s infrastructure into your Intercom inbox.
Choose this option if:
You have (or are willing to create) a WhatsApp Business Account through Facebook Business Manager.
You have a phone number — mobile or landline — that is not already registered on the consumer WhatsApp app and can receive a one-time verification code by SMS or voice call.
You want the official, supported, long-term path.
You get:
Full WhatsApp messaging: inbound and outbound conversations, message templates for proactive outreach, interactive messages (buttons, lists), media (images, video, documents), and delivery/read receipts.
Direct billing from Meta for conversation-based pricing (no middleman markup).
Access to the WhatsApp Manager in Facebook Business Manager for number management, template submission, and quality monitoring.
See Setting Up WhatsApp Cloud API for the full setup.
How to decide
Going live with customers? Use WhatsApp Cloud API.
Already use Cloud API on another platform? You can still add it to Octopods — Meta allows the same WABA to be connected through multiple business solution providers, though only one connection can be the active message recipient at a time.
What’s next