AI sales agents for WhatsApp:which one fits your case
Selling on WhatsApp can mean Meta's own agent, a shared inbox for your team, a bot builder, an API for your engineers or an agent delivered turnkey. This guide describes the best-known options neutrally, adds what changes when your customers have US numbers and helps you choose by use case.
Which AI sales agent for WhatsApp should you choose?
If you sell from a simple catalog, start with Meta Business Agent: it is free to get started and runs inside WhatsApp. If the answer depends on customer-specific prices, inventory and orders that live in an ERP and in Salesforce, you need an agent connected to those systems, which is the case Sellium is built for. In between, Manychat fits creators and consumer brands that sell from Instagram, respond.io and Wati fit teams that want a shared inbox with AI agents, and Twilio, 360dialog or Gupshup fit companies with engineers who want to build their own.
Five criteria sort the list: how conversational the AI is, how deep the CRM and ERP integration goes, who runs the tool day to day, how you reach customers who are not on WhatsApp and how the tool complies with Meta's rules. Two of those rules weigh more in the US: WhatsApp does not deliver marketing templates to +1 numbers, and Meta does not allow general-purpose chatbots on its business platform, while sales and support agents remain allowed. WhatsApp reaches about a third of US adults and more than half of Hispanic adults (Pew Research Center), so it is the right channel for some of your customers, not for all of them.
How we built this comparison
Reviewed by Juan Manuel Garrido
Co-founder of VantegrateLinkedIn
Criteria
- Conversational AI: whether the agent understands open questions or follows a fixed menu.
- Integration depth: whether each conversation reads and writes your CRM and ERP, or only exports contacts.
- Who runs it day to day: your team, your engineers or the vendor.
- US reach and compliance: Meta's policies, the marketing pause for +1 numbers and how customers who are not on WhatsApp are served.
Sources: Each vendor's official website and documentation, Meta's developer documentation and announcements, and Pew Research Center's survey of US adults (2025). Capabilities change often: check them on each vendor's site before deciding.
Disclosure: Vantegrate develops Sellium, has been a Salesforce partner since 2009 and is an Oracle partner. It connects its agents to Twilio, respond.io and Wati through their public APIs, with no partnership with any of them. This page uses no affiliate links.
The best-known options, described neutrally
Each tool was built for a different audience. This is a neutral read of what each one is and when it fits, without naming a universal winner.
Meta Business Agent
Meta's own AI agent · businesses on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram
The AI agent Meta offers businesses on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. It answers questions about the business, recommends products from the catalog, books appointments and qualifies leads, and it hands the conversation to a person when needed. It is free to get started; on the official API, Meta bills its replies at $2 per million tokens. We compare it with a connected agent in Meta Business Agent or a custom AI agent.
When it fits: a small business with a simple catalog, one price for every customer and a list of frequently asked questions, that wants to start in minutes.
Manychat
Chat automation · creators and consumer brands
Chat marketing and automation platform, best known for Instagram flows such as replying to a comment with a direct message, that also runs on WhatsApp, Messenger and TikTok. It has a visual flow builder and AI features for replies and lead capture.
When it fits: creators, online stores and consumer brands that sell from Instagram and want automated flows across social channels and WhatsApp.
respond.io
Omnichannel inbox with AI agents · B2C teams with high chat volume
Conversation management platform that brings WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, email and calls into one inbox, with AI agents that answer and qualify, automation workflows and routing rules for human agents. It integrates natively with HubSpot and Salesforce.
When it fits: teams that serve consumers across several channels at once and want everything in one inbox, with assignment rules and the CRM they already use.
Wati
Platform on the WhatsApp API · small and mid-sized teams
Platform built on the WhatsApp Business API, aimed at teams that need a shared inbox, broadcast campaigns and chatbots with a visual builder, plus AI agents that also cover Instagram and Messenger. It is one of the most widespread options among small and mid-sized businesses.
When it fits: a small or mid-sized business that wants a team inbox, templates and simple automations without a large integration project.
Gupshup
Conversational messaging platform (BSP) · high volume and engineering teams
Messaging provider (BSP) founded in India, with offices in the US and Latin America, and APIs and tools to build conversational experiences on WhatsApp, SMS and other channels, used for high-volume cases.
When it fits: companies with an engineering team that want to build their own experience on a messaging layer and handle large send volumes.
Twilio
Communications platform (CPaaS) · engineering teams
Communications platform as a service: it provides APIs for WhatsApp, SMS, voice, email and more. It is not a ready-to-use tool but the building blocks for an engineering team to build its own, with pay-as-you-go pricing.
When it fits: companies with an engineering team that want full control and prefer to build their own solution on APIs, with SMS and voice in the same provider.
360dialog
WhatsApp API provider (BSP) · access to the channel
Official WhatsApp Business API provider focused on giving direct access to the channel, often chosen by other platforms and partners that build their product on top of it.
When it fits: those who already have a tool or an engineering team and only need a provider of the official WhatsApp API.
Sellium (Vantegrate)
Turnkey AI sales agent · B2B with an ERP and Salesforce
Vantegrate's conversational AI agent to sell on WhatsApp: it answers each inquiry in natural language, recommends from the catalog, qualifies, quotes with your price lists, takes the order and records everything in the CRM. It runs inside Salesforce, connects to the ERP and is delivered configured and operated, not as a platform to assemble piece by piece.
When it fits: mid-sized and large companies that sell B2B with customer-specific prices, inventory and orders in an ERP, work on Salesforce and prefer an agent delivered turnkey, in English or Spanish, to building one in-house.
Explore SelliumThe descriptions are based on each company's public information and aim to be neutral; the order goes from the simplest tool to the most integrated and is not a ranking. We do not include prices here: they depend on plan and volume and change often (the Manychat vs respond.io vs Wati comparison covers those three plans). Kommo, a messaging CRM widely used in Latin America, has its own comparison. This page uses no affiliate links.
Where these types of tools differ
A comparison by criterion, not by score. Each column is a type of tool; none of them is the automatic winner.
| Criterion | Meta Business Agent | Inboxes and bot builders | APIs and BSPs | Turnkey agent (Sellium) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examples in this guide | Meta Business Agent | Manychat, respond.io, Wati | Twilio, 360dialog, Gupshup | Sellium |
| What it is | Meta's agent, trained on your catalog and business information | A tool your team configures: inbox, flows and AI agents | Access to the official API and building blocks | An agent delivered configured and running on your systems |
| Who runs it | You, from Meta's business tools | Your sales, marketing or support team | Your engineering team | Vantegrate configures and operates it; your team gets qualified leads and orders |
| CRM and ERP | Connectors on Meta's enterprise platform; mapping to your systems is set up by you or an integrator | Native CRM integrations vary by tool; ERPs usually through APIs or connectors | You build it on the API | Runs inside Salesforce and reads and writes in your ERP |
| AI style | Answers, recommends, books and qualifies from your catalog | From decision trees to AI agents, depending on the tool | Whatever you build | Conversational AI that quotes and takes orders with your business rules |
| Marketing to US (+1) numbers | Meta's rule applies to every tool: marketing templates are not delivered to +1 numbers | Same rule | Same rule | Same rule; customers who are not on WhatsApp can be served by SMS |
| Delivery model | Self-service, free to start | Self-service subscription | Self-service for developers, pay per use | Turnkey, with a guided implementation |
A summary by type of tool, not by individual brand. Each product's capabilities change often: check the current ones on each vendor's website before deciding.
Five criteria to choose well
There is no best tool in the abstract, only the best one for your situation. Look at these five areas before you book demos, and bring the AI sales agent checklist.
Conversational or flow-based
Decide whether you need an AI that understands natural language (messy questions, voice notes, typos) or a menu of options is enough. For inbound sales with open questions, conversational wins; for very guided processes, a simple flow can do.
Integration depth
Exporting contacts is one thing; having every conversation create and update leads, opportunities and orders in your CRM and ERP is another. If you already work on Salesforce, prioritize an integration that writes to your objects and keeps attribution.
Who will run it
Some options are platforms your team assembles and maintains; others are delivered configured. Be honest about how many internal hours you can give it each month: a powerful platform nobody runs performs poorly.
Customers who are not on WhatsApp
WhatsApp reaches about a third of US adults. If many of your buyers text instead, check how the tool continues the conversation by SMS or another channel, and how it records consent and opt-outs.
Compliance with Meta's rules
Any serious tool runs on the official WhatsApp Business Platform: opt-in, approved templates and opt-out. With US customers, add two rules: marketing templates do not reach +1 numbers, and general-purpose chatbots are not allowed. Be wary of anyone who promises otherwise.
Where Sellium fits: not in every case. If you are a small team with a simple catalog, Meta Business Agent or an inbox like Wati will do. Sellium makes sense when there is real inquiry volume, B2B pricing and orders in an ERP, a Salesforce org in the picture and the need for an agent delivered turnkey that also serves customers in Spanish.
Three figures to size the channel
WhatsApp is large in the US, but not universal. These figures, each with its source, help you decide how much of your sales to route through it.
56%
Of Hispanic adults in the US use WhatsApp, against 23% of White adults
1M+
Businesses already use a Meta Business Agent on WhatsApp and Messenger, by Meta's count
Caveats: Pew's figures come from a survey of US adults and measure personal use, not use with businesses. Meta's figure is the company's own count, worldwide, and does not separate the US.
Where Sellium runs and how it protects your data
Secure AI agents
Sellium runs 100% on Salesforce and Oracle Cloud infrastructure, certified SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Vantegrate enables, the customer operates and certifies.
See the security modelISV and Consulting PartnerRuns inside your Salesforce
Sellium reads and writes your objects, respects your profiles and permissions, and works alongside Agentforce and your existing flows.
Vantegrate and SalesforceFrequently asked questions about AI sales agents for WhatsApp
What sales teams usually ask before choosing a tool for WhatsApp, including what changes for US numbers.
What is the best AI sales agent for WhatsApp?
What is the best AI sales agent for WhatsApp?
There is no single best one. For a small business with a simple catalog, Meta Business Agent is free to start; for creators and consumer brands that live on Instagram, Manychat; for teams that want a shared inbox with AI agents, respond.io or Wati; to build on APIs, Twilio, 360dialog or Gupshup. If you need an agent delivered turnkey that runs inside Salesforce and quotes with your ERP data, that is where Sellium fits. The right answer depends on your volume, your systems and how much you want to run yourself.
Is Meta Business Agent enough, or do I need a custom agent?
Is Meta Business Agent enough, or do I need a custom agent?
Meta Business Agent is enough when your answers live in the catalog and in a list of frequently asked questions. You need an agent connected to your systems when the answer depends on your data: customer-specific prices, inventory, credit and orders in the ERP, and records in Salesforce. We compare both in detail in Meta Business Agent or a custom AI agent.
Can I send WhatsApp marketing messages to US numbers?
Can I send WhatsApp marketing messages to US numbers?
Not with marketing templates. According to Meta's developer documentation, WhatsApp does not deliver marketing template messages to users with US phone numbers (a +1 dialing code and a US area code), and no end date has been announced. Utility and authentication templates still work, as do replies inside the 24-hour customer service window and conversations that start from a click-to-WhatsApp ad. For promotions to +1 numbers, SMS remains the channel.
Do these tools integrate with Salesforce?
Do these tools integrate with Salesforce?
It depends on each one and on the depth: some export contacts or connect through middleware, others write directly to the CRM. Sellium runs inside your Salesforce org: it creates and updates leads and opportunities in your objects and keeps campaign attribution, with no sync tool losing data in between. Vantegrate has been a Salesforce partner since 2009; the details are on our Salesforce page.
Are AI chatbots allowed on WhatsApp?
Are AI chatbots allowed on WhatsApp?
Business agents are; general-purpose assistants are not. Meta's terms for the WhatsApp Business Platform do not allow AI chatbots whose main purpose is open-ended, assistant-style conversation, while agents for sales, support, bookings and order tracking remain allowed. Every tool on this list works within that rule.
How much does an AI sales agent for WhatsApp cost?
How much does an AI sales agent for WhatsApp cost?
It depends on the model. Meta Business Agent is free to start; inbox tools charge a monthly subscription by users or contacts, plus Meta's message fees; APIs charge per message on top of Meta's fees. Sellium is priced with an initial implementation quoted per company and a monthly subscription with expandable AI credits, with no lock-in; you pay Meta directly for WhatsApp messages, with no markup from Vantegrate. More detail in how much a WhatsApp AI agent costs.
Want to see whether Sellium fits your case?
Tell us how you sell on WhatsApp and which systems you use. We will tell you frankly whether Sellium is the right option for your volume and your CRM, or whether another one suits you better. A 30-minute conversation, no commitment.
Francisco Morales, co-founder, takes your call. We reply on WhatsApp within 4 business hours, no strings attached.
