Comparison

Facebook vs WhatsApp Messenger

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Facebook

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
Read full description

Where real people propel your curiosity. Whether you’re thrifting gear, showing reels to that group who gets it, or sharing laughs over fun images reimagined by AI, Facebook helps you make things happen like no other social network. Explore and expand your interests: * Shop Marketplace for hidden gems and take your hobbies to the next level * Personalize your Feed to see more of what you like, less of what you don’t * Ask Meta AI for information and get answers instantly * Drive into reels that reflect the things you're interested in * Search Facebook on any topic and get more interactive results Connect with people and communities: * Join groups to learn tips from real people who’ve been there, done that * Get inspired by creators, or catch up with Friends * Add new Friends to your world, but also decide how closely to keep up with them * Privately message relatable posts that only your BFF will get or that reels trend everyone’s talking about Share your world: * Use generative AI to create custom stickers and images to delight friends * Customize your profile to choose how you show up and who sees your posts * Effortlessly create reels from trending templates, or showcase your creativity with a full suite of editing tools * Capture moments on the fly with stories Some features may not be available in your country or region. Terms & Policies: https://www.facebook.com/policies_center Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy Learn how we're working to help keep our communities safe across Meta technologies at the Meta Safety Center: https://about.meta.com/actions/safety

About

WhatsApp Messenger

Connect with friends and family globally through private messaging and high-quality calls. Share moments, documents, and stay in touch across devices, even on slow connections. Your conversations are secured with end-to-end encryption.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encrypted messaging
  • High-quality voice and video calls
  • Group chats and calls
  • Cross-device connectivity
  • Status updates
  • Location sharing
Features
Read full description

WhatsApp from Meta is a free messaging and calling app used by over 2 billion people across 180+ countries. It's super simple, reliable and private, making it perfect for staying in touch with your friends and family worldwide. WhatsApp works across mobile, tablet, and desktop even on slow connections, with no subscription fees*. Private messaging and calls across the world Your privacy is our priority. With end-to-end encryption, you can be sure that your personal messages and calls stay between you and who you send them to. And no one, not even WhatsApp, can read or listen to them. Simple and secure connections, right away All you need is your phone number - no usernames or logins needed. Easily view your contacts on WhatsApp and start messaging. And what's more, you can easily link your other devices, including iPads, for seamless connectivity. High quality voice and video calls Enjoy free, secure video and voice calls with up to 32 people for free. Your calls work across devices, even on slower connections, using your phone or tablet’s Internet service. Group chats to keep you in contact Stay close to friends and family through end-to-end encrypted group chats and calls. Share messages, photos, videos and documents across mobile, tablet, and desktop. You can also use call links and screen-sharing to make group calls and collaboration easy. Stay connected in real time You can share your location with those in your individual or group chats while using WhatsApp on your mobile phone. Or record a voice message for those moments when just text isn't good enough. Share daily moments through Status Share your everyday life with those who matter. With Status you can share text, photos, video, and GIF updates that disappear after 24 hours. You're always in control of who sees your status. Just choose who you want to share it with - all your contacts or selected ones. And bring your everyday to life. *Data charges may apply. Contact your provider for details. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have any feedback or questions, please go to WhatsApp > Settings > Help > Contact Us Terms of Service: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service Learn more about messaging privately: https://www.whatsapp.com/privacy Learn more about WhatsApp safety: https://www.whatsapp.com/security

Screenshots

Facebook4 screens
WhatsApp Messenger4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: WhatsApp Messenger at 4.7 against Facebook's 4.5. WhatsApp Messenger also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 40%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Facebook sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and WhatsApp Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WhatsApp Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28M and 19M respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Facebook's written reviews are positive against 51% of WhatsApp Messenger's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Facebook ships an update weekly, WhatsApp Messenger every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Facebook versus WhatsApp Messenger: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFacebookWhatsApp Messenger
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (28M ratings)4.7 (19M ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.2% of reviews50.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings28M — better19M
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#2#1 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size484 MB361 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperMeta Platforms, Inc.WhatsApp Inc.

Customer experience

Facebook

All ratings28,451,570 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral3.6%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews21,312 reviews
Positive40.2%
Neutral8.3%
Negative51.6%

WhatsApp Messenger

All ratings18,645,986 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews16,421 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative41.3%

User reviews

Facebook

From 28M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

WhatsApp Messenger

From 19M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💬 Great communication tool
  • 🌍 Connects people globally
  • 🔒 Secure and private messaging
  • 📱 Versatile features (calls, video, groups)
  • 🆓 Free to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (freezing, crashing, notification issues)
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data sharing
  • 🙈 Lack of customization and control (status, groups)
  • 📤 Backup and restore issues
  • 🚫 Arbitrary account bans

Bugs and requests

Facebook

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

4 requests
  • 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

WhatsApp Messenger

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezing and crashing issues
  • Notification problems (missing, delayed)
  • Backup and restore failures
  • Arbitrary account bans with poor support

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve group management features
  • Allow more customization of status and notifications
  • Enhance backup and restore functionality
  • Provide better customer support and appeal process

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Facebook

Subscriptions2
  • Supporter$2.491 Month
  • Supporter$4.991 Month
One-time8
  • 99 Stars$0.99
  • 45 Stars$0.99
  • 95 Stars$1.99
Show 5 more
  • 145 Stars$2.99
  • 250 Stars$4.99
  • 310 Stars$5.99
  • 530 Stars$9.99
  • 1200 Stars$19.99
3 purchases

WhatsApp Messenger

Subscriptions3
  • No ads (1 account)$4.001 Month
  • No ads (4 accounts)5 variants$21.991 Month
  • No ads (5 accounts)4 variants$26.991 Month

Questions

Is Facebook free?
Facebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is WhatsApp Messenger free?
WhatsApp Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Facebook or WhatsApp Messenger?
WhatsApp Messenger is rated higher. Facebook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 28M ratings, while WhatsApp Messenger averages 4.7 from 19M ratings.
Do Facebook or WhatsApp Messenger have ads?
Both Facebook and WhatsApp Messenger show ads.
Which is updated more often, Facebook or WhatsApp Messenger?
Facebook ships an update weekly, and WhatsApp Messenger every 3 days. Most recently, Facebook was updated on September 24, 2026 and WhatsApp Messenger on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Facebook or WhatsApp Messenger?
Facebook currently peaks at #2 in the App Store charts, and WhatsApp Messenger at #1. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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