# Facebook vs WhatsApp

The clearest difference is monetization model: Facebook at ad-supported against WhatsApp's free with in-app purchases. WhatsApp's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 41%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

WhatsApp holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29M and 19M respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Facebook's written reviews are positive against 50% of WhatsApp's.

Facebook ships an update weekly, WhatsApp every 4 days. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Facebook | WhatsApp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (29M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/facebook/id284882215/reviews) | **[4.7 (19M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whatsapp/id310633997/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29M** | 19M |
| Positive reviews | 40.6% of reviews | **50.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #2 |
| Size | 528 MB | 392 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Meta Platforms, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284882218) | [WhatsApp Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/310634000) |

## What reviewers say

### Facebook

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #4 Top Free · Social Networking, #19 Top Grossing, #27 Top Free (US App Store)

Connect with friends, discover communities, and explore interests through personalized feeds, reels, and AI-powered tools. Share your world with custom creations and private messaging. Features may vary by region.

**Highlights:** Personalized feed customization, AI-powered content creation, Marketplace for buying and selling, Group communities for shared interests, Reels for short-form video, Private 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


### WhatsApp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whatsapp/id310633997)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Free · Social Networking, #14 Top Free, #43 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with friends and family through messaging, voice, and video calls. Organize groups, share moments, and make plans with features like polls and live location sharing. Enjoy private conversations with end-to-end encryption across multiple devices.

**Highlights:** Group messaging and calling, End-to-end encryption, Live location sharing, Polls for decision making, HD photo and video sharing, Disappearing messages, Cross-device compatibility

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No ads (1 account) | $4.00 | per month |
| No ads (4 accounts) | $21.99 | per month |
| No ads (5 accounts) | $26.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Facebook free?

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

### Is WhatsApp free?

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

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

WhatsApp is rated higher. Facebook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 29M ratings, while WhatsApp averages 4.7 from 19M ratings.

### Do Facebook or WhatsApp have ads?

Both Facebook and WhatsApp show ads.

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

Facebook ships an update weekly, and WhatsApp every 4 days. Most recently, Facebook was updated on November 11, 2026 and WhatsApp on November 11, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Facebook or WhatsApp?

Facebook currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and WhatsApp at #2. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*