Dardasha vs the free WhatsApp Business app
Most businesses in Oman already run on the free WhatsApp Business app, and for many of them it is enough. It is a good product. This page shows where the line is, using Meta’s own help centre figures, and it is honest about what the free app does better than we do.
Side by side
| Dardasha | WhatsApp Business app | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | OMR 4.900 or 14.900 a year | Free to download |
| People on one number | Staff sign in from a browser, no seat charge | Phone plus 4 linked devices, or 10 with paid multi-agent |
| Several numbers in one screen | Up to 10 or 24 | |
| Keyword auto-replies | Greeting and away messages, quick replies | |
| REST API and webhooks | ||
| Product catalog | ||
| Verified badge | With a paid Meta Verified subscription |
When the free app is enough
If one or two people answer one number, the app does the job. It is free to download, it lets you use one phone and up to four linked devices at the same time, and it has the tools a small shop needs: a business profile, a catalog, greeting and away messages, quick replies and labels. Do not pay for software to solve a problem you do not have yet.
When a team outgrows it
The app starts to hurt when more people need the number than it has device slots, when you run more than one number, or when another system needs to send messages. Meta’s answer is multi-agent, a paid feature of Meta Verified for Business and Meta One plans, which raises the limit to 10 devices and adds chat assignment. Our answer is a shared inbox with no per-seat charge, up to 10 or 24 numbers in one screen, keyword auto-replies and a REST API, for a fixed annual price in rials.
What the app does better than Dardasha
- It is free, and Dardasha is not
- It has a product catalog, and Dardasha has none
- Its paid multi-agent feature shows which agent sent which message
- With Meta Verified it can show a verified badge, and Dardasha cannot get you one
They work together
You do not have to choose one. Keep the app on the phone for the profile and the catalog, and link Dardasha as one of its devices for the team. It uses one of the four linked-device slots. If the line ever disconnects from Dardasha, outgoing messages wait in the queue for up to six hours and then stop, so reconnect it from the Lines page when you see it offline.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to stop using the WhatsApp Business app to use Dardasha?
No. The app stays on the phone. Dardasha links to that number as one linked device, the way WhatsApp Web does, so your profile and catalog stay where they are.
Is Dardasha the official WhatsApp Business API?
No, and neither is the app. Both connect as WhatsApp clients. If you need approved templates or the official API, you need a Meta provider.
Sources
Every third-party figure on this page was read from the source below on 2026-09-24. Meta and other vendors change their pages, so check the source before you rely on a number.
- https://faq.whatsapp.com/641572844337957
- https://faq.whatsapp.com/647349420360876
- https://faq.whatsapp.com/395911122612120
- https://whatsappbusiness.com/products/business-app-features/
Try Dardasha free for 10 days
No card required. Scan a QR code and you are live. If you stay, it is OMR 4.900 a year, billed in Omani rials.
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