Meta's agent answers questions.
LeadBot runs the sale.
Meta Business Agent (also called Business AI) is Meta's own AI assistant that businesses can switch on inside WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram to answer customer questions, recommend catalogue items and book appointments. LeadBot is an independent AI sales agent and CRM that works on the same channels plus email, and continues after the chat: follow-ups, quotations, payments, a pipeline and reports. This page explains where each fits.
Not a chatbot.
A salesperson.
Replies. Documents. Quotations. Follow-ups. Pipeline.
What each one actually does.
| Meta Business Agent | LeadBot | |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram | WhatsApp Business (Cloud API), Instagram, Messenger and sales email |
| Where it lives | Inside Meta's apps; configured in Meta Business Suite | Your own dashboard and live inbox; team logins on PC or phone |
| Starting conversations | Replies inside the customer-service window only | Replies in the window, plus scheduled follow-ups with approved templates when the window has closed |
| Follow-ups | Not a feature (per Meta's published materials, Sept 2026) | Automatic, timed, in the customer's language; paused when a human takes over |
| Documents and quotations | Catalogue items and links | Sends proposals, brochures and price lists from your library; generates quotation PDFs on your letterhead |
| Payments | Not built in | Razorpay (India) / Stripe (UAE) payment links in chat, bookings marked paid automatically |
| CRM and reporting | Chat history in the Meta inbox | Pipeline, lead stages, analytics, reports, Excel export, team alerts |
| Approvals | — | Restricted information sent only after a one-tap approval from your team |
| Languages | Major languages | English, Malayalam (and Manglish), Hindi (and Hinglish), Arabic; voice notes understood |
| Data | Processed by Meta under Meta's policies | Scoped to your company on our servers; AI providers under no-training contracts; export or delete any time |
| Price (as published, Sept 2026) | Free to set up; usage billed at about US$2 per million tokens since 1 Aug 2026 (roughly 4–5 US cents a message) | Basic AED 499/month with 100 leads and up to 2,000 AI replies; Business AED 899/month; 7-day free trial; one-time onboarding AED 1,000 |
Third-party facts are taken from the vendors' own pricing and product pages as published in September 2026; plans and prices change often. LeadBot facts are current on this site.
Where each one fits.
If your customers mostly ask simple questions and you already sell inside Meta's apps, Meta's agent is a good free-to-start answer bot. If enquiries are considered purchases — a charger, a flat, a kitchen, a course, a stay — the sale happens after the first reply: in the follow-up, the document, the quotation, the booking, the pipeline. That is what LeadBot is built for, and why it is priced per lead rather than per message.
A full sales desk on every enquiry.
Around the clock.
Three shifts of attention, seven days a week, in English or Arabic — every enquiry answered within seconds, every document sent, every follow-up kept. Your team walks into conversations that are already warm.
Instant, in their language
A considered first reply within seconds — at 2 am, on a Friday, during Eid — in the customer's own language.
The discipline of your best salesperson
Qualifies gently, sends the right proposal, quotes on your letterhead, books the viewing, follows up until there is an answer.
The memory of a back office
Every conversation, document and next step recorded in one pipeline your team works from.
One subscription. The output of three shifts. From AED 499 a month.
Questions people ask when comparing.
Can I use both?
Yes, but not on the same WhatsApp number at once: a number has one responder. Many businesses keep Meta's agent on Instagram comments and run LeadBot on the WhatsApp number where sales happen.
Is LeadBot an official WhatsApp integration?
Yes. It uses Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) with your own WhatsApp Business account and number — no phone tethering, no unofficial automation, green-tick eligibility intact.
Does LeadBot cost more per message?
LeadBot is priced per lead (one customer per month), not per message; each plan also includes a generous monthly allowance of AI replies. WhatsApp's own template-message fees are billed by Meta to your account on either product; replies inside the service window are free.
Which is faster to set up?
Meta's agent switches on from Meta Business Suite in minutes. LeadBot takes about an afternoon: paste your website, upload documents, set rules, connect the channels — or a free setup call with us.