WhatsApp Technology
The WhatsApp client is a closed source application, which must be downloaded and installed before use.
As a key feature of WhatsApp, it appears that voice and video connectivity is sent using SDES (Security Descriptions for Media Streams), so encryption is provided by default. WhatsApp doesn’t use WebRTC technologies and instead appears to use the PJSIP library (open source multimedia communication library written in C language) to implement its VoIP calling features.
When making calls, it is only possible to call other WhatsApp users. This may not be problematic for certain circumstances, since WhatsApp is one of the most widely used social media platforms, boasting around 2 Billion users, but it will not be as flexible as traditional telephony calling technologies.
Aircall Technology
Aircall uses WebRTC technology, which is an open-source platform created by Google and other maintainers. Therefore, its source code is freely available and easily scrutinized by third parties.
Audio streams initiated within Aircall are encrypted both at the Internet level and within the audio packets themselves. Once received by the Aircall servers, the audio format of the stream is converted to a format required for transportation along traditional telephony carrier lines and vice-versa. No other transformations are applied beyond the format conversion and the WebRTC-specific routines.
Aircall can be used to connect with any telephone-enabled device, meaning it can reach a substantial number of people. Today, there are far more telephony-connected devices than there are people, so almost anyone may be contacted through the Aircall platform.
Comparison - Overview
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Aircall |
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Calling/reachability |
Aircall can be used to connect with any telephone-enabled device |
It is only possible to call other WhatsApp users |
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Connection |
Aircall is able to run directly within the Google Chrome browser (phone.aircall.io) |
Downloads are required |
Voice Throughput Comparison
The WebRTC technology is updated regularly by numerous individuals and organizations, such as Microsoft, Apple and Google. This results in all potential vulnerabilities being eradicated at the fastest possible time.
In comparison, with WhatsApp being proprietary, any vulnerabilities are fixed only as and when WhatsApp / Facebook / Meta is made aware of them. This makes WebRTC particularly more reliable and potentially safer for end-users.
Conclusion
WhatsApp is without doubt a formidable social media platform, thanks to its design. However, these same design decisions are what may hinder WhatsApp as a serious business tool. With its less than infallible security layer and its limited calling capabilities, WhatsApp may be best left to more socially oriented applications.
In comparison, Aircall was designed as a business tool first. With its tight security, integration into numerous other business tools, flexible API configuration capabilities and added benefits that facilitate users at the business level, it enables much greater functionality beyond the communication features.