A bot users message
Our users should get tasks, alerts and answers in WhatsApp or Telegram.
My stack for this
- 01Telegram Bot API
Start here if your users will install it. No approval, no fees, a direct API.
- 02WhatsApp Business Platform
When your users are only on WhatsApp. Verify the business first, and plan the templates and the opt-in.
The picks, in brief
What each one is, my verdict, and what it costs. Every name opens the full entry: when to use it and when not, the gotchas with their fixes, provisioning and alternatives.
The messaging platform that's a pleasure to build on. My first pick for a bot, when the users are there.
Pricing: Free: no approval, no per-message fees. Paid broadcasts above the normal limits cost 0.1 Star per message. Digital goods sold inside Telegram must be paid in Telegram Stars.
Where your users are, and the platform that fights you hardest. Use it when the audience leaves you no choice.
Pricing: Per message delivered, by category and the recipient's country. Marketing, utility and authentication templates are charged. Since 1 October 2026, replies inside the 24-hour window are free only for the first 1,000 a month per number, and utility templates inside the window are charged too. A partner such as WATI adds a monthly plan and, reportedly, a markup on Meta's fees.
Where they sit
The layers of the stack this job touches, with every tool named on this page.
Email and messaging
Email, and the chat apps your users already read.
Want this stack in your AWS account?
Cloudless Labs is a Sydney consultancy. We migrate on-premises systems to AWS, build serverless apps on this stack, and coach teams to ship with Claude Code and Codex.