Bulk WhatsApp messages for events: broadcast, groups, Business broadcasts and bulk senders compared
· comtev
There are five ways to send one message to hundreds of guests on WhatsApp, and they have very different limits. A broadcast list reaches up to 256 people, and only those who saved your number. A group holds up to 1,024 members, but everyone sees everyone. A community joins up to 100 groups. The WhatsApp Business app has paid business broadcasts in some countries. And the WhatsApp Business Platform sends approved template messages at a per-message price. Bulk sender apps that push messages from your personal number break WhatsApp's terms, and the account that pays for it is yours. Every limit below is from WhatsApp's own help pages, read on 12 October 2026.
The options side by side
| Option | Limit | Who receives it | Cost | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast list (personal or Business app) | 256 contacts per list | Only people who saved your number | Free | Low for small lists; WhatsApp is rolling out a cap of 35 free broadcast messages a month in some places |
| Group | 1,024 members | Everyone in the group, and they all see each other's numbers and replies | Free | Privacy complaints, reply storms, people leaving |
| Community | Up to 100 groups and 2,000 members | Members of the community's groups | Free | Same as groups, more setup |
| Business broadcasts (Business app) | Set by WhatsApp | Contacts you choose | Paid per message after any free allowance, priced by the recipient's country | Broadcasts suspended for three days if flagged as spam; only in some countries |
| WhatsApp Business Platform (API) | Approved templates | Opted-in recipients | Per delivered message since 1 July 2025; Nigeria has its own rate card | Needs a provider or a platform built on it |
| Unofficial bulk sender apps | Whatever the app claims | Anyone | Usually a fee to the app seller | Against WhatsApp's terms; numbers get restricted or banned |
Broadcast lists: free, but capped and quiet
WhatsApp's help centre says you can include up to 256 contacts in each broadcast list, and that only people who have added you to their contacts will receive the broadcast. Everyone else gets nothing, and you are not told. You can make several lists, but the saved-number rule applies to every one.
WhatsApp has also started rolling out a monthly limit: up to 35 free broadcast messages a month, which it says is rolling out gradually and might not be available everywhere yet. For a planner sending invitations, reminders and thank-yous for several clients, that limit arrives quickly.
Groups and communities: big, but public
A group can hold up to 1,024 members. For a family planning committee or an aso ebi group, that is fine. For wedding guests it usually is not. Every guest can see every other guest's number, every "congratulations" notifies everyone, and one argument fills the chat. A community lets you join up to 100 groups with up to 2,000 members, but the privacy problem stays.
Business broadcasts and the Business Platform
The WhatsApp Business app now offers business broadcasts in some countries. WhatsApp says they are charged once any free messages are used up, priced by the country code of each recipient, refunded for messages that cannot be delivered, and suspended for three days if the account is flagged for spam. WhatsApp also says business broadcasts are only available in limited countries, so check whether your app shows them.
The WhatsApp Business Platform is what larger senders use. Businesses send pre-approved template messages to start a conversation and pay per delivered message; Meta moved to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025 and lists Nigeria as its own market with its own rates. You do not use it from your phone. You use it through a provider, or through a product built on it.
Bulk sender apps: the ban route
WhatsApp's Terms of Service say you must not use the service in ways that involve "bulk messaging, auto-messaging, auto-dialing, and the like", and that WhatsApp may disable or suspend accounts that do. Its help centre names unofficial apps such as GB WhatsApp and FM WhatsApp and warns that accounts using them may be banned temporarily or permanently. A "bulk WhatsApp sender" that logs into your number and pushes 600 messages in an evening is exactly what those rules describe.
The number at risk is yours, and for many planners that number is the business: every client, vendor and family group is on it.
Forwarding is limited too
Forwarding the invitation through family groups works up to a point. WhatsApp lets you forward a message to up to five chats at a time, and a message that has already been forwarded many times can only be forwarded to one more chat. That is why the forwarded copy often stops spreading halfway through the extended family.
What to use for which job
- A birthday or naming ceremony of 40 people: a broadcast list from your phone, sent to people who have your number.
- A planning committee or aso ebi buyers: a group.
- Invitations, access passes and reminders for 300 to 1,000 guests: a platform that sends from its own line, one personal message per guest, so your number is never the one sending.
- Never: an app that logs into your personal number to send in bulk.
On Comtev, invitations go out to the whole guest list in one tap. Each guest gets their own message with their name and their own QR access pass, and the messages come from Comtev, not from your phone. We covered the wording and the replies in sending wedding invitations on WhatsApp. See how it works.
FAQs
How do I send bulk messages on WhatsApp without being banned?
Use a broadcast list for small numbers of people who have saved your number, or a platform built on the WhatsApp Business Platform for large lists. Avoid apps that log into your personal number to send in bulk; WhatsApp's terms prohibit bulk and automated messaging and accounts are banned for it.
How many people can I add to a WhatsApp broadcast list?
Up to 256 contacts per list, and only contacts who have saved your number receive the message.
What is the maximum size of a WhatsApp group?
1,024 members. A community can join up to 100 groups and 2,000 members.
Is WhatsApp broadcast free?
Broadcast lists are free, but WhatsApp is rolling out a cap of 35 free broadcast messages a month in some places. Business broadcasts in the Business app are paid once free messages are used.
What is the difference between a WhatsApp broadcast and a group?
A broadcast is sent to each person privately and replies come only to you. A group is one shared chat where everyone sees each other and every reply.