Compare · Home food and taking orders
SME AI Office vs WhatsApp Business
The WhatsApp Business app is Meta's free chat app with a catalogue and cart; SME AI Office is a free order page that turns orders into a prep list.
Prices checked 30 September 2026
The short answer
Choose WhatsApp Business on its own if you take a few orders a week and like confirming each one by chat. It is free, shows a catalogue, lets customers send a cart as one message, and links up to 10 devices.
Choose SME AI Office if orders are getting lost in chats. Customers order and pay on one link, and you get tomorrow's prep list and your accounting. Keep WhatsApp for talking: SME AI Office opens it with the message written. Both are free; SME AI Office charges 0.5% only on card and automatic PayNow payments.
Side by side
| SME AI Office | WhatsApp Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. A small 0.5% platform fee, only on card and automatic PayNow paymentsYour own PayNow QR and cash: no fee | Free appOptional Meta One subscriptions add tools; the free app stays free |
| Free plan | Yes, for good. No monthly fee, no card, no cap on orders | Yes, free to download and use |
| How an order arrives | Order page: customer picks items, a day and time, then pays by PayNow QR | Customers send a cart from your catalogue as one WhatsApp message |
| WhatsApp messages | Links you tap, with words written for each step; no WhatsApp API | Greeting and away messages sent automatically; quick replies |
| Broadcasts | No broadcasts and no email marketing | Business Broadcasts with Book, Order and Call buttons |
| Devices | Any browser; team logins on Pro 365 with no per-user fee | Up to 10 devices and agents on one account |
| Sharing | One order link for your Instagram, WhatsApp or Telegram profile | Catalogue links for WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram |
Which one fits
SME AI Office fits when
- You want customers to pick a pickup time and pay a PayNow QR with the amount filled in, without a chat.
- You want a daily limit per item and tomorrow's prep list added up for you.
- You want every order in your accounting, and WhatsApp kept for talking.
WhatsApp Business fits when
- You take a few orders a week and like confirming each one in chat.
- You want automatic greeting and away messages, and broadcasts to your contacts.
- Many people on your team answer chats from up to 10 devices.
Free. A small 0.5% platform fee, only on card and automatic PayNow payments.
Questions
Is SME AI Office cheaper than WhatsApp Business in Singapore?
Both are free. The WhatsApp Business app is free to download and use, with optional paid subscriptions. SME AI Office's Free plan has no monthly fee and no cap on orders; orders paid by your own PayNow QR cost nothing, and a small 0.5% fee applies only to card and automatic PayNow payments.
Does SME AI Office work with WhatsApp?
Yes, through links. Each order has a WhatsApp button that opens a chat with the customer, with a message already written for that step. SME AI Office has no WhatsApp Business API, so it does not send WhatsApp messages by itself. Order emails to customers do go out automatically.
Can SME AI Office send WhatsApp broadcasts?
No. SME AI Office has no WhatsApp broadcasts and no email marketing. The WhatsApp Business app offers Business Broadcasts with Book, Order and Call buttons. You can keep using WhatsApp Business for broadcasts and put your SME AI Office order link in them.
What is a free alternative to taking orders by WhatsApp chat in Singapore?
SME AI Office's Free plan gives you one order link: customers pick items, a pickup point and time or a delivery day, and pay by a PayNow QR with the amount and order number filled in. You get a daily limit per item and tomorrow's prep list. No monthly fee and no cap on orders.
Can I move from WhatsApp Business to SME AI Office?
Yes, and you keep WhatsApp. Send us your catalogue link or a list of your items and prices, and we set up your order page for you, free. Then put the order link on your WhatsApp profile. WhatsApp us on +65 9613 7676 and we help you move it over.
WhatsApp Business facts are from whatsappbusiness.com: Business app features, whatsappbusiness.com: FAQ, whatsappbusiness.com: Meta One, checked on 30 September 2026. Prices are as shown there. WhatsApp Business is a trademark of WhatsApp LLC. SME AI Office is not connected with WhatsApp Business.