1.1 Executive Summary
MultiWA (formerly MultiWA Gateway) is a free, open-source, self-hosted WhatsApp API Gateway designed for developers and businesses who need full control over their messaging infrastructure—without vendor lock-in or hidden paywalls.
Core Values
- 🆓 Free Forever - No premium tiers, no feature gates
- 🔓 Open Source - MIT licensed, community-driven
- 🏠 Self-Hosted - Your data stays on your servers
- 🔌 Extensible - Plugin architecture for customization
- 📦 Multi-Language SDKs - Python, PHP, JavaScript (coming soon)
1.2 Vision & Mission
Vision
To become the go-to open-source WhatsApp integration platform for developers worldwide.
Mission
Provide a robust, scalable, and developer-friendly WhatsApp API that rivals commercial solutions—completely free.
1.3 Problem Statement
Pain Points Addressed
| Pain Point | Commercial Solutions | MultiWA Solution |
|---|
| Cost | $50-500/month | FREE |
| Vendor Lock-in | Proprietary APIs | Open standard REST API |
| Data Privacy | Data on third-party servers | Self-hosted, you own data |
| Customization | Limited or paid | Full source code access |
| Multi-Session | Often extra charge | Unlimited sessions |
| AI Integration | Rarely included | Built-in OpenAI/GPT |
1.4 Project Goals
Primary Goals
- 100% WhatsApp Feature Parity - Support all message types, groups, status
- Enterprise-Ready - Multi-tenant, RBAC, audit logging
- Developer Experience - SDKs, Swagger docs, WebSocket real-time
- Automation - Visual flow builder, auto-reply, n8n integration
- Scalability - Redis queues, horizontal scaling ready
Success Metrics
| Metric | Target |
|---|
| GitHub Stars | 1,000+ in 6 months |
| Docker Pulls | 10,000+ in 6 months |
| Active Deployments | 500+ worldwide |
| SDK Downloads | 5,000+ PyPI/Packagist |
1.5 Technology Stack
| Layer | Technology |
|---|
| Backend | NestJS + Fastify |
| Database | PostgreSQL + Prisma ORM |
| Cache | Redis |
| Queue | BullMQ |
| Frontend | Next.js 14 + Shadcn UI |
| WhatsApp | Baileys + WhatsApp-Web.js |
| Real-time | Socket.IO |
| Containerization | Docker + Docker Compose |
1.6 Competitive Positioning
| Feature | MultiWA | OpenWA | WAHA | Fonnte |
|---|
| Price | FREE | Free | $50+/mo | $30+/mo |
| Open Source | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| SDKs | Python, PHP | Coming Soon | ❌ | ❌ |
| n8n Integration | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| AI Auto-Reply | ✅ GPT-4 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Visual Flow Builder | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Groups API | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| WebSocket | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Multi-Tenant | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
1.7 Document History
| Version | Date | Author | Changes |
|---|
| 1.0 | Feb 2026 | MultiWA Team | Initial release |
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