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ConnectChats vs Open-source WhatsApp MCP servers

WhatsApp MCP: open source or hosted

Open-source WhatsApp MCP servers like lharries/whatsapp-mcp run on your own computer. ConnectChats runs the same kind of WhatsApp link for you and gives you one URL for any AI app.

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Facts as of November 2026. ConnectChats works with WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Slack and 11 more chat apps.

The short version

As of November 2026, the best-known open-source option, lharries/whatsapp-mcp, pairs a Go bridge built on the whatsmeow library with a Python MCP server. It stores your messages in a local SQLite database, needs Go, Python and uv installed, is documented for Claude Desktop and Cursor, and was last updated in July 2025. Both it and ConnectChats link to WhatsApp as a linked device. The difference is who runs it: you, on your computer, or ConnectChats, in the cloud, with passkey sign-in and send approval.

Side by side

What ConnectChats and Open-source WhatsApp MCP servers each offer, feature by feature.

Feature ConnectChats Open-source WhatsApp MCP servers
What it is Hosted WhatsApp MCP server Self-hosted WhatsApp MCP server
Runs on ConnectChats servers Your computer
Documented AI apps ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Cursor, Codex and more Claude Desktop, Cursor
Where messages are stored Encrypted with a key only your passkey can unlock Local SQLite file on your computer
Computer must stay on No Yes, the bridge must be running
Sending Drafts you approve, auto-send per chat Your AI client's tool approval
Open source No Yes, MIT
Last updated Maintained by ConnectChats July 2025
Price Free for 2 chat apps Free

Facts about Open-source WhatsApp MCP servers come from its public website and docs as of November 2026, and can change. Check Open-source WhatsApp MCP servers for the latest details.

Which one should you pick?

Pick ConnectChats if

  • You want WhatsApp in ChatGPT or Claude on the web, not only in a desktop client.
  • You do not want to install Go and Python or keep a bridge running.
  • You want every send to wait for your approval, with only the chats you pick visible.

Pick Open-source WhatsApp MCP servers if

  • You want your messages to stay on your own computer.
  • You are comfortable running Go and Python and want code you can read and change.
  • You only use Claude Desktop or Cursor on one machine.

Questions

What is a WhatsApp MCP server?

It is a server that gives AI apps WhatsApp tools through the Model Context Protocol, such as listing chats, reading and searching messages and sending replies. ConnectChats is a hosted one. lharries/whatsapp-mcp is a well-known open-source one you run yourself.

Is it safe to give an AI access to WhatsApp?

Any tool that gives an AI your messages and a way to send them can be targeted by prompt injection, where a message tries to steer the AI. The whatsapp-mcp README warns about this, and Invariant Labs published attacks against it in April 2025. ConnectChats turns every send into a draft you approve unless you turn on auto-send for a chat, and your AI only sees the chats you share.

Does ConnectChats store my messages?

Yes, so search and summaries work while your phone is off. Stored messages are encrypted with a key that only your passkey can unlock, and the free plan keeps them for 30 days.

Try ConnectChats with your chats

ConnectChats works in ChatGPT, Claude and the other supported AI apps. Start with the guide for your app.

Features mentioned on this page

How ConnectChats protects your messages

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