# Facebook vs Messages

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Messages at none against Facebook's 10. Messages also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.1). Facebook's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Facebook sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Messages asks for nothing beyond the download.

Facebook holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Facebook has 29M ratings behind it against 38K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Facebook's written reviews are positive against 45% of Messages's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Facebook ships an update weekly, Messages every 9 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Facebook | Messages |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (29M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/facebook/id284882215/reviews)** | [4.1 (38K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messages/id1146560473/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **29M** | 38K |
| Positive reviews | 40.4% of reviews | **45.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 495 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meta Platforms, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284882218) | [iTunes K.K.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Facebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/facebook/id284882215)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #4 Top Free · Social Networking, #22 Top Grossing, #30 Top Free (US App Store)

Connect with friends and discover communities based on your interests. Share moments, explore content, and use AI tools to express yourself creatively. Find unique items and engage with creators.

**Highlights:** Personalized feed, Marketplace shopping, AI-powered content creation, Reels and stories, Community groups, Direct messaging

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter | $2.49 | per month |
| Supporter | $4.99 | per month |
| 99 Stars | $0.99 | one-time |
| 45 Stars | $0.99 | one-time |
| 95 Stars | $1.99 | one-time |
| 145 Stars | $2.99 | one-time |
| 250 Stars | $4.99 | one-time |
| 310 Stars | $5.99 | one-time |
| 530 Stars | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Stars | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Helpful for staying connected with family and friends
- 👍 Useful for business and advertising
- 👍 Great for sharing photos and memories
- 👍 Convenient marketplace for buying and selling items

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and buggy app with frequent issues
- 🤖 Overly aggressive content moderation and censorship
- 🤖 Biased and inconsistent enforcement of community guidelines
- 🤖 Lack of effective customer support
- 💸 Overrun with scams and fraudulent activity

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and login issues
- Inability to edit or delete old posts and comments
- Marketplace listings getting incorrectly flagged or removed
- Inconsistent behavior between mobile app and web version

**Requested features**

- Improved customer support and appeal process
- More transparency and consistency in content moderation
- Better tools for managing and organizing content
- Customizable feed and notification settings


### Messages

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messages/id1146560473)

Communicate with contacts through unlimited texts, photos, videos, and documents. Supports iMessage for Apple devices and RCS, SMS, and MMS for others. Features include message editing, unsending, and scheduling.

**Highlights:** Send unlimited texts, photos, videos, and documents, iMessage, RCS, SMS, and MMS support, Edit and unsend messages, Schedule messages, Message effects and stickers, Group chat features, Messages in iCloud

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable messaging
- 🔒 End-to-end encryption
- 👍 Seamless integration with Apple devices
- 💡 Fun features like Memoji and stickers
- 🤝 Easy group chat management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 📤 Inability to delete messages for others
- 🔔 Lack of typing indicators in group chats
- 📱 Incompatibility with non-Apple devices

**Reported bugs**

- Messages not delivering consistently
- App crashing or freezing on launch
- Issues with iCloud sync and message history
- Problems with location sharing and privacy

**Requested features**

- Ability to schedule messages
- Option to lock specific conversations
- More customization options for Memoji
- Improved voice message functionality
- Expanded reaction/emoji options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Facebook free?

Facebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Messages free?

Messages is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Facebook or Messages?

Facebook is rated higher. Facebook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 29M ratings, while Messages averages 4.1 from 38K ratings.

### Do Facebook or Messages have ads?

Facebook shows ads; Messages does not.

### Which is updated more often, Facebook or Messages?

Facebook ships an update weekly, and Messages every 9 months. Most recently, Facebook was updated on October 17, 2026 and Messages on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*