The free WhatsApp Business app is a great place to start. This page compares its broadcast lists and WhatsApp groups with MsgOrb, side by side, and tells you when the free tools are all you need.
Last checked October 2026.
What each option does for an organization sending announcements to its members.
| WhatsApp Business app broadcast lists | WhatsApp groups | MsgOrb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Free up to 60 members; paid plans from $19.99 a month. Meta bills messages at its own rates. |
| People per send | Up to 256 per list | Up to 1,024 per group | Your whole contact list, up to your plan (200 to 25,000+) |
| Reaches people who haven’t saved your number | No. They never receive it, and you aren’t told | Yes, once they join | Yes |
| Members’ numbers kept private | Yes | No. Everyone sees everyone’s number | Yes. Every message is one to one |
| Replies | Private, to your chat | Everyone sees every reply | Private, in a shared team inbox |
| Schedule messages ahead | No | No | Yes, including recurring reminders |
| RSVPs, entry passes and door check-in | No | Polls only | Yes. YES/NO replies update the guest list |
| Kids check-in with pickup codes | No | No | Yes |
| Tickets, program fees and dues | No | No | Yes, paid to your own Stripe account |
| Opt-outs | Remove people by hand | People leave the group | STOP replies handled automatically |
| More than one person running it | Shared phone and linked devices | Several admins | Sub-admins with their own logins |
Meta limits how many new people any business number can start conversations with in 24 hours, starting at 250 and rising as the number builds a good record. MsgOrb itself sets no message limit.
A broadcast list only delivers to people who have saved your number in their phone. Many people never do, so a church with 400 names on its lists can miss a large share of them, and nobody is told who was missed.
Messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform, which MsgOrb is built on, arrive whether or not the person saved your number. People still choose to hear from you: they join through your sign-up link or QR code, and anyone who replies STOP is never messaged again.
A group reaches everyone who joins, but every member can see every other member’s phone number, and every “Amen” and “Thank you” notifies the whole group. For a parent list or a congregation, a private one-to-one message is kinder to people’s phones and their privacy. You can keep the group for conversation and use MsgOrb for the announcements that matter.
Organizations rarely just announce. They ask people to RSVP, check them in at the door, sign children in and out, and collect money. MsgOrb does each of these on WhatsApp: RSVPs and entry passes, kids check-in, event tickets, program fees and membership dues.
Yes. The WhatsApp Business app is free to download and use, including broadcast lists and groups. MsgOrb uses the WhatsApp Business Platform instead, where Meta charges for some messages and MsgOrb charges a plan fee based on how many contacts you keep.
Up to 256 people per broadcast list, and only people who have saved your number in their phone. Anyone who hasn’t saved it simply doesn’t receive the message, and WhatsApp doesn’t tell you.
Almost always because they haven’t saved your number. A broadcast list only delivers to people who have your number in their contacts. Messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform, which MsgOrb uses, don’t have that requirement.
Groups are great for conversation, but every member sees every other member’s phone number and every reply. For announcements to a congregation, a school’s parents or a club, that means less privacy and a lot of noise. MsgOrb sends each person a private message instead.
MsgOrb doesn’t limit how many messages you send; your plan limits how many contacts you keep. Meta separately limits how many new people a number can start conversations with in 24 hours, starting at 250 and rising as your number builds a good sending record.
MsgOrb has a Free plan for up to 60 members, and paid plans from $19.99 a month for 200 members. Meta bills messages sent outside a 24-hour reply window to your own WhatsApp Business Account at its published rates. Replies within 24 hours of someone messaging you are free. View pricing
You connect a WhatsApp Business number through Meta’s official sign-up, which takes a few minutes from MsgOrb’s settings. Meta’s steps let you pick or add the number. The setup guide walks through it. Open the setup guide
Start on the Free plan with up to 60 members. No credit card.
Get started free