WhatsApp isn't a protocol, it's a service. Webhosting : http :: Email : imap Yes, you can get it for free, but it's a service provided by someone. Unless you

WhatsApp isn't a protocol, it's a service. Webhosting : http :: Email : imap Yes, you can get it for free, but it's a service provided by someone. Unless you setup your own server, which still costs money, it's technically paid. Gmail doesn't charge you for it because they're crawling your data and using it to serve you ads, so they make money through advertising instead of charging you.