Superchat vs. 360dialog — finished platform vs. raw WhatsApp BSP access
This is not a clean head-to-head. Superchat and 360dialog sit at different layers of the WhatsApp Business stack. 360dialog is a Business Solution Provider (BSP) — they sell access to the WhatsApp Business API and basic tooling on top. Superchat is a full platform — inbox, automations, integrations, multi-channel — that uses BSP capabilities under the hood. The honest question is: do you want raw API access to build something on, or a finished product to use on day two?
- You have a development team or agency and want to build your own WhatsApp tooling on top of raw API access → 360dialog is the right layer.
- You want a finished platform with inbox, automations, multi-channel and integrations on day two → Superchat is the right layer.
- You are an agency reselling WhatsApp tooling and want pure API economics → 360dialog is built for that.
- You are an end-customer SMB without dev resources → Superchat, almost without exception.
Different layers of the same stack
360dialog is a Hamburg-based pure-play WhatsApp Business Solution Provider. Their product is API access to WhatsApp at near-Meta-cost economics, with a basic inbox app on top for customers who want it. The audience is technical: companies building their own WhatsApp tooling, agencies reselling, scaled operations needing direct API control. Superchat is a full customer-communication platform built on top of BSP capabilities. The product hides the API behind a usable inbox, automations and integrations. The audience is operational: SMBs and mid-market businesses who want WhatsApp working in their team, not maintained by their developers. Both German, both GDPR-defensible, both serious — they just sell to different buyers.
Side-by-side at a glance
High-level positioning. Both vendors update offerings regularly — verify specifics on the vendor websites.
| Dimension | Superchat | 360dialog |
|---|---|---|
| Product layer | Full platform (inbox + automations + integrations) | BSP / API access (with basic inbox app) |
| Primary buyer | SMB owner, ops manager, marketing lead | Developer, agency, technical product team |
| Time to productive use | Days | Weeks (if building own tooling) or days (using 360dialog's inbox app) |
| Multi-channel | WhatsApp + Instagram + Facebook + email + web chat + SMS | WhatsApp focus (other channels via own integration) |
| Inbox / collaboration UI | Strong, mature, daily-driver | Functional, less feature-rich |
| Workflow / automation | Built-in, no-code-friendly | Bring your own — connects via API |
| ERP / CRM integration | Pre-built (CRM, HubSpot, Salesforce, Propstack, onOffice, CARE, custom) | Build it yourself via API |
| Per-conversation cost | Meta fee + Superchat license | Meta fee + 360dialog markup (typically lower than full platforms) |
| Hosting region | Germany / EU | Germany / EU |
| Best fit for | End-customer SMBs and mid-market | Agencies, devs, technical teams, scaled ops |
When 360dialog is the better choice
If you are a development team or agency building your own WhatsApp tooling — for resale, for integration into a larger platform, for a specialised use case — 360dialog gives you raw API access at favourable per-conversation economics, without you paying for a full platform UI you will not use. If you are an agency reselling WhatsApp messaging as part of a wider package, the BSP layer is the right place to plug in. If you have scaled operations with a dedicated WhatsApp team that wants to control the stack end-to-end, 360dialog's closer-to-the-metal approach pays off. We will not pretend Superchat fits that buyer.
When Superchat is the better choice
For an end-customer SMB or mid-market business that wants WhatsApp working — not maintained by a developer — Superchat is the obvious right layer. The team gets a finished inbox they can use on day one. The owner gets pre-built integrations into the operational systems the company already runs (CRM, Propstack, onOffice, CARE, dental and medical software). The marketing lead gets templates and automations without writing code. 360dialog at this layer would mean also building or buying a platform on top, which doubles the cost and complexity for no benefit.
Pricing — different economics by design
360dialog's pricing is closer to Meta's raw conversation fees, with a small markup for BSP services. That makes 360dialog cheaper per conversation — but you are buying access, not a finished product. Superchat charges a platform license on top of conversation fees, which buys you the inbox, automations, multi-channel and integrations. The total-cost-of-ownership comparison only makes sense once you decide which layer you need. If you would also need to build or buy a platform on top of 360dialog, Superchat is usually cheaper end-to-end. If you have already built that layer (or do not need it), 360dialog is cheaper. Our implementation packages sit on the Superchat side.
Pricing models change — verify current numbers on 360dialog.com and superchat.de before committing.
A pragmatic decision tree
- 1. Will you (or your team) build your own WhatsApp software on top of API access? → Yes: 360dialog. → No: step 2.
- 2. Are you an agency reselling WhatsApp messaging as part of a wider service? → Yes: 360dialog. → No: step 3.
- 3. Do you want a finished inbox + automations + integrations on day two? → Yes: Superchat. → No: step 4.
- 4. Do you have a dedicated technical team that will own the WhatsApp stack end-to-end? → Yes: 360dialog worth a serious look. → No: Superchat is the right layer.
Where we stand — and our bias
We implement Superchat — that is our depth and our income, which colours our perspective. We are explicit about it: 360dialog is excellent at what it does. For agencies building their own thing on top of WhatsApp, for technical teams running scaled operations, for use cases where the platform layer would be wasted overhead, 360dialog is a smart choice. Talk to them directly if that is your shape. We would rather you go to the right layer than land on the wrong one with us.
Common questions about Superchat vs. 360dialog
Is 360dialog a platform or just an API provider?
Primarily a BSP — they provide WhatsApp Business API access at favourable economics. They also offer a basic inbox app for customers who want one, but that is not the product's gravity. If you compare 360dialog's inbox feature-by-feature with Superchat's, Superchat is the more mature operational tool. Most 360dialog customers either build their own tooling on top or use 360dialog's API access from within another platform.
Can I use 360dialog's API and Superchat together?
Not directly — Superchat operates its own BSP relationship with Meta, so a Superchat customer is on Superchat's API path, not on 360dialog's. The two are alternatives at the BSP layer for Superchat-internal purposes; from a customer perspective you choose one stack.
Is 360dialog cheaper than Superchat?
Per WhatsApp conversation, almost certainly yes — they sit closer to Meta's raw fees with a smaller markup. End-to-end, it depends on what you would build on top. If you need a finished inbox + automations + integrations, building that on top of 360dialog usually costs more than just licensing Superchat. If you do not need any of that (or have it from elsewhere), 360dialog is cheaper.
Which one is better for a small business owner?
Superchat — by a wide margin for end-customer SMBs without a dev team. 360dialog assumes someone on your side knows how to use API access and is willing to invest engineering time. For most owner-operated SMBs, that assumption does not hold, and the right product is a finished platform. Superchat is built for exactly that buyer.
Do you implement on 360dialog?
No. Our depth is on Superchat. If 360dialog is the right layer for you, we will say so honestly and point you toward their team or a developer who can build on their API — we do not earn anything from pretending otherwise.
Still unsure which layer fits?
30-minute discovery call, free, no commitment. We listen to your team setup, technical resources and goals — and tell you honestly whether you need a platform or raw API access.