Home/ Glossary/On-Premises API
On-Premises API
The original, self-hosted way to run the WhatsApp Business Platform, where the business or its provider ran Meta's messaging client on its own servers. Meta has since deprecated it in favour of the Cloud API.
One term from the WhatsApp Business Platform glossary. Last updated 2026-07-25.
The On-Premises API shipped as a Docker container that a business or provider ran on its own infrastructure, with its own database, scaling and upgrade cycle. It gave more control over where message data sat, at the cost of real operational overhead.
Meta has deprecated it and directs new deployments to the Cloud API. If a vendor still quotes On-Premises hosting as a differentiator, it is worth asking what their migration path to the Cloud API looks like and who carries the cost of it.
Related terms
- WhatsApp Cloud API
- Meta's own hosted version of the WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta runs the servers, so a business connects through a provider without hosting any messaging infrastructure itself.
- WhatsApp Business Platform (WhatsApp Business API)
- Meta's programmatic interface that lets medium and large businesses send and receive WhatsApp messages at scale. It has no app interface of its own — you access it through a platform such as BotPulsar, and your business owns the underlying WhatsApp Business Account.
See On-Premises API in a real workspace
BotPulsar runs the official WhatsApp Business Platform with unlimited team members on every plan, starting at ₹300/month.