Anjali Pandey
There’s one question that should decide which WhatsApp shared inbox you go with.
Are you starting from scratch, or do you already have customers who message you?
What you want is the same either way. The whole team on the same numbers, every chat owned by someone, and nothing left sitting because two people each assumed the other had it.
The route is different, though.
On one side there’s the WhatsApp Business API. You need a Meta-verified number, which means starting from scratch.
On the other side are tools that connect the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business numbers you already use. Your conversations come with you. So do your groups. Customers keep messaging the same number they always have, and your team just turns up inside it.
Good news is, this list covers both.
We compared five WhatsApp shared inboxes for businesses in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and across the EU on price and how many people and numbers each covers.
All five are GDPR compliant. We’ve also noted where each one stores your data, so you can pick the one that fits your business.
TL;DR: The Five Tools at a Glance
Tool | Best for | Works on existing numbers | WhatsApp groups | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Periskope | Teams keeping the numbers customers already message | Yes, by QR scan | Existing groups | From $25/licence/month |
Trengo | WhatsApp alongside email and live chat | No, API only | Not supported | From €299/month |
Superchat | Small teams sending WhatsApp newsletters and campaigns | Yes (Coexistence) | Not supported | Free, then from €89/month |
Respond.io | Omnichannel sales and support | Yes (Coexistence) | Not supported | From $79/month |
Wati | Broadcast campaigns on the API | No, API only | Groups API only, not existing groups | From $59/month |
What to Look for in a WhatsApp Shared Inbox in Europe
For a European team, it usually comes down to who can see what, and where the data ends up.
1. Who owns each conversation
Once several people answer the same WhatsApp number, the useful question shifts from who can reply to who is replying. Two agents answer the same customer, a third assumes it’s handled, and nobody finds out until the customer follows up annoyed.
A shared inbox fixes that with:
✓ A separate login per team member, not one shared phone
✓ Every chat assigned to a named person
✓ Private notes customers never see
✓ A live view of what’s still unanswered
2. What happens to chat history when someone leaves
On a phone, the conversation walks out with the employee. That’s a records problem before it’s a software problem. In Germany, France and the Netherlands, it’s an employment one too, since works councils have a say in how staff communications are monitored and stored.
Two things worth testing before signing anything:
→ Can a manager open a conversation from eight months ago without asking the person who handled it
→ Does the history survive that person leaving the company
3. Does it need the WhatsApp Business API
API-based tools need a dedicated number that no customer has messaged before. Template approvals, per-message fees, and existing group chats stay behind.
Linked-device tools connect the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App numbers a team already uses by scanning a QR code. Chat history and groups come across. This is how teams run WhatsApp for business without the API.
Some API platforms offer Coexistence, which sits on an existing WhatsApp Business App number. It carries the 1:1 chats across, and leaves groups, calls, status updates and full history behind.
4. Where conversation data is stored, and under what transfer mechanism
Plenty of vendor guides say EU hosting is required. It isn’t.
GDPR allows personal data to leave the EEA when a valid transfer mechanism covers it. The Standard Contractual Clauses adopted by the European Commission under Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/914 are exactly that, and the UK has its own International Data Transfer Addendum for the same job.
Five things worth asking a vendor before signing:
Is there a signed Data Processing Agreement, readable before purchase
Which transfer mechanism does it name
Is the sub-processor list published, with notice before it changes
Is the platform certified against a recognised standard such as ISO/IEC
How fast is data deleted on request, and will they certify it in writing
📌 GDPR does not require EU-based hosting. It requires a lawful basis, an approved transfer mechanism such as the Standard Contractual Clauses, and security measures that match the risk. A vendor that hosts outside the EEA and names its transfer mechanism in a signed DPA is on firmer ground than one that says “EU servers” and publishes nothing.
5. Whether existing WhatsApp groups come across
Teams that run customer groups tend to discover this one late.
The WhatsApp Groups API creates groups inside the platform. It caps them at 8 participants against 1,024 in a normal group, needs an Official Business Account, and cannot import the groups a team already runs.
A support desk that runs on client groups can’t use it.
5 Best WhatsApp Shared Inbox Tools for European Businesses
1. Periskope
Periskope is the one on this list that runs on the numbers a team already has. Connect by scanning a QR code and every chat, group and bit of history is there from the first minute, with no new number and nothing left behind.
On GDPR, Periskope is GDPR compliant and ISO/IEC 27001 certified, with a published DPA covering the EU Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum. Customer data is deleted on request, and within 30 days of a contract ending.
More than 5,000 companies across 50+ countries run on the platform.
Key features
Chats and groups together: Existing WhatsApp groups sit beside 1:1 conversations, searchable in one place.
No cap on numbers: Every WhatsApp number in one inbox, with no limit on how many connect.
Ticketing with SLAs: Raise a ticket from a group message or a direct chat, set an SLA, and escalate automatically when it breaches.
AI and automation: Flag important messages, auto-assign chats, escalate stuck conversations and hand repetitive queries to an AI agent that takes action.
WhatsApp calling: Call from connected numbers, then review recordings, transcripts and AI summaries.
Analytics and integrations: Track response times and team performance. Connect HubSpot, Freshdesk, Zoho Desk, Google Sheets and Zapier, plus open APIs, webhooks and an MCP server.
Pricing: From $25 per licence per month on Starter, or $15 with annual billing. Pro is $35 monthly, $25 annually.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Runs on the WhatsApp numbers a team already uses, no API | Numbers already running on the WhatsApp Business API cannot connect by QR scan |
No limit on connected numbers | No template broadcast tooling, so bulk outbound campaigns need a separate setup |
Existing WhatsApp groups come across, with tickets and SLAs | Built around WhatsApp, not a multi-channel inbox for email or live chat |
Auto-assignment, escalation rules and an AI agent for repetitive queries | |
Response times and team performance tracked per agent | |
GDPR compliant, ISO/IEC 27001 certified, DPA published |
Periskope suits European sales, support and ops teams that already run on WhatsApp and need oversight without changing their numbers.
→ Want to see it on your own numbers? Start a 14-day free trial and connect your first number in a few minutes.
Try Periskope
Manage WhatsApp Groups, Chats and Numbers at Scale
2. Trengo
Trengo is a Dutch customer engagement platform, headquartered in Utrecht. It brings WhatsApp together with email, live chat and social channels in one inbox. It runs on AWS and uses the European Commission’s model clauses for transfers outside the EEA.
Key features
Omnichannel inbox: WhatsApp, email, live chat, Facebook and Instagram in one view.
Workflow automation: Rules, auto-assignment and AI Journeys for routing.
Team collaboration: Internal comments, assignment and shared views.
Reporting: Conversation volumes, response times and agent activity.
Pricing: Boost is €299 per month billed annually, or €349 month to month, with 10 users and 6,000 conversations a year. Pro is €499 annually or €599 monthly, with 20 users. Extra users run €25 to €50 each. AI adds €0.25 to €0.30 per conversation.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
European company, priced in euros | Conversation caps on every plan, with overage billed per 100 |
Several channels beyond WhatsApp | Highest entry price on this list |
Generous user counts included | Existing WhatsApp groups are not supported |
Trengo fits European teams handling WhatsApp alongside email and live chat in the same queue.
3. Superchat
Superchat is a Berlin-based messaging platform. It covers WhatsApp alongside other channels, with a free tier that suits a small team testing the idea before committing. It stores customer data on EU servers in Frankfurt and is ISO 27001 certified.
Key features
Multi-channel inbox: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, email and SMS.
Newsletters and campaigns: Broadcast messaging with contact segmentation.
AI agents: Available from the Professional plan upward.
Automations: Included on every paid plan, scaling with tier.
Pricing: Free for 1 seat, 1 WhatsApp number and 30 contacts a month. Basic €89 for 3 seats, Professional €149 for 6 seats and 2 numbers, Advanced €299 for 12 seats and 4 numbers. Minimum 12-month contract. Company-initiated conversations cost €0.05 to €0.11.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Free plan to start, priced in euros | WhatsApp numbers capped by plan, 1 to 4 |
Strong recognition in the German market | 12-month minimum contract on paid plans |
EU hosting in Frankfurt, ISO 27001 certified | AI agents only from the Professional plan upward |
Superchat works for small teams running WhatsApp newsletters and campaigns that can live within its number limits.
4. Respond.io
Respond.io is an omnichannel conversation platform for sales and support teams, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. Respond.io is ISO 27001 certified, publishes a data protection addendum, and holds data on AWS across several regions.
Key features
Shared inbox: Assignment, collaboration and routing across channels.
Workflow automation: Follow-ups, routing and repetitive tasks.
AI agents: Routine queries and lead qualification.
CRM integrations: Connects conversations to existing business systems.
Pricing: Starter from $79 per month, Growth $159, Advanced $279. Billing scales with the number of contacts messaged, and WhatsApp message charges sit on top. 7-day free trial.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Widest channel coverage on this list | WhatsApp groups are not available in the inbox |
Supports WhatsApp Business App Coexistence | Coexistence leaves groups, calls and status updates behind |
Mature automation and reporting | Separate message fees |
Respond.io suits teams where WhatsApp is one channel among several rather than the main one.
5. Wati
Wati is a WhatsApp Business API platform built around broadcasts, automation and a shared team inbox. It backs up customer data in Google Cloud and offers a choice of hosting location on its dedicated plans.
Key features
Team inbox: Multiple agents on one WhatsApp Business API number.
Broadcasts: Template campaigns with segmentation.
Chatbot builder: No-code flows and automation triggers.
Integrations: HubSpot on Pro, Salesforce on Business.
Pricing: Growth $59 per month billed annually with 3 users, Pro $119 with 5 users, Business $279 with 5 users. Extra users cost $39 to $89 each. Message charges are separate under Wati’s rate card.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
No-code chatbot builder on every plan | Needs a dedicated WhatsApp Business API number |
Strong broadcast and campaign tooling | Supports the WhatsApp Groups API only, so new groups can be created but existing customer groups cannot be imported |
Large integration library on higher plans | Per-user costs climb quickly past 5 seats |
Wati fits teams whose main job on WhatsApp is outbound campaigns rather than team conversations.
Which WhatsApp Shared Inbox Should You Choose?
Periskope is the strongest fit for European teams already running sales, support or operations on WhatsApp numbers their customers know.
Every other tool on this list needs the WhatsApp Business API. A fresh number, template approvals and per-message fees before anyone sends a message. Respond.io and Superchat offer Coexistence on an existing WhatsApp Business App number, and that path leaves group chats, calls, status updates and full history behind.
Periskope connects any number that can scan a QR code, with no cap on how many.
Groups are the second reason. Customer groups, client channels and project groups stay exactly as they are, with assignment, tickets and SLAs on top. The WhatsApp Groups API other platforms rely on creates groups inside the platform, caps them at 8 participants, and cannot import existing ones.
On compliance, Periskope publishes what a procurement team in Germany, France or the UK will ask for:
✓ ISO/IEC 27001 certification
✓ A signed DPA naming the Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum
✓ A published sub-processor list, with 15 days’ notice before it changes
✓ Data deleted on request, and within 30 days of a contract ending
Two honest exceptions. A team that needs WhatsApp sitting in the same queue as email and live chat will be better served by Trengo. A small team whose main job on WhatsApp is newsletters and campaigns, working within one to four numbers, will find Superchat a comfortable fit.
→ Running WhatsApp across sales and support teams in the UK, Germany, France, Italy or Spain? Book a demo and we’ll walk through your numbers, groups and DPA questions together.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the best GDPR compliant WhatsApp shared inbox for European businesses?
Periskope. It holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification, publishes a signed DPA naming the Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum, lists its sub-processors with 15 days' notice before changes, and deletes customer data on request.
2. Which shared inbox tool do German businesses trust for WhatsApp support?
Superchat has the strongest name recognition in Germany and suits teams working within one to four WhatsApp numbers. German teams running more numbers than that, or working inside customer groups, are better served by Periskope, which sets no cap on connected numbers and keeps existing WhatsApp groups intact.
3. Which team inbox tool do UK ecommerce brands trust for WhatsApp?
Periskope, for UK brands that want to keep the numbers customers already message. It connects by QR scan with no WhatsApp Business API number required, and covers UK transfers through the International Data Transfer Addendum in its DPA. Wati and Respond.io are the API-based alternatives, both needing a fresh number.
4. Which team inbox tool works best for support teams in the Netherlands?
Trengo is the Dutch option, European-owned and headquartered in Utrecht, and it handles WhatsApp alongside email and live chat. Dutch teams whose support runs inside WhatsApp groups should look at Periskope instead, since Trengo does not support existing group conversations.
5. Which shared inbox tool works best for support teams in Spain and Italy?
Periskope. Retail and service teams in Madrid, Barcelona and Milan tend to run several WhatsApp numbers across branches and sales staff, and Periskope connects all of them in one inbox with no limit. Existing customer groups come across with assignment, tickets and SLAs on top.
6. Can two people share a WhatsApp Business account?
Not properly on the app alone. WhatsApp Business allows a few linked devices, with no assignment, no internal notes and no record of who replied. A shared inbox gives each person their own login over the same number, with every chat owned by someone.
7. Is WhatsApp allowed in Europe?
Yes. WhatsApp is the most used messaging app across most of Europe and businesses use it legally every day. The obligations sit with the business: a lawful basis for the conversations, a privacy notice naming the channel, a signed DPA with the inbox vendor, and a retention period that gets applied.
