Meta's free Business AI or your own assistant: which does your shop need?
In June 2026 Meta launched its own Business AI: free to start, it answers questions, recommends products and books appointments on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. For many small shops it is the right first step. Here is when it is enough, and when an assistant set up for your shop is worth paying for.
Updated
What Meta's Business AI does
- Answers product questions and recommends items from your catalogue.
- Books appointments, qualifies leads and helps close a sale.
- Replies in your customers' language, in a tone you choose, and your staff can take over any chat.
- Free to start. Meta has said paid plans are coming; check its current terms before you rely on it.
When the free tool is enough
- Your products and prices are all in your Meta catalogue, and they rarely change.
- Most questions are simple: price, size, colour, opening hours.
- You don't need orders, bookings or reports in a system of your own.
When your own assistant pays off
- Prices or delivery charges depend on rules: the town, the quantity, a free-delivery threshold.
- Customers write in Romanized Nepali, and you want replies that sound like your team.
- You want each order recorded with cash on delivery or pay-first, on your own dashboard, and a follow-up when someone goes quiet.
- You need it never to confirm a payment itself, and to hand the chat to you at the right moment.
- It has to work with your website, booking system or store, and you want monthly numbers: how many asked and how many bought.
A sensible order
- 1Start with Meta's free tool if your questions are simple.
- 2Watch for a month: which questions it answers badly, and which sales it loses.
- 3If those cost you more than an assistant would, move to one built for your shop. Use one or the other on each inbox: two automatic replies to the same customer confuse them.
Try the difference
Our live demo is a made-up tea shop with delivery charges by town and a cash-on-delivery order flow. Ask it the delivery charge to your town in Romanized Nepali, or place an order, and compare it with what your customers get today.
Open the live demoQuestions owners ask
Is Meta's Business AI really free?
It has a free starting tier. Meta has said it plans paid subscription plans; check its current terms.
Can I use Meta's AI and a custom assistant together?
Not on the same inbox at once. Two automatic replies to one customer look broken. Choose one per channel.
What does a custom assistant cost?
A fixed setup price agreed in writing before we start, plus the running costs for hosting and AI use, which you see up front. Book a free call and we will tell you honestly if Meta's free tool is enough for you.
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