# Facebook vs GroupMe

The clearest difference is ads: GroupMe at none against Facebook's shown. GroupMe also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Facebook's advantage is ratings volume (28M vs 1.6M) and review sentiment (40% vs 30%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

GroupMe holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Facebook has 28M ratings behind it against 1.6M, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Facebook's written reviews are positive against 30% of GroupMe's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Facebook | GroupMe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (28M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/facebook/id284882215/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groupme/id392796698/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **28M** | 1.6M |
| Positive reviews | **40.2% of reviews** | 30.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | #7 |
| Size | 484 MB | 379 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Meta Platforms, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284882218) | [Skype Communications S.a.r.l](https://appshunter.io/developer/304219585) |

## What reviewers say

### Facebook

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

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #3 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


### GroupMe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groupme/id392796698)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Free · Social Networking, #98 Top Free (US App Store)

Connect with family, friends, and colleagues through group chats, direct messages, and shared media. Easily add members via phone number or email, control notifications, and express yourself with custom emojis and GIFs. Share photos and videos to relive memories later.

**Highlights:** Group chat creation, Direct messaging, Custom emoji and GIFs, Photo and video sharing, Notification control, Web access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Most Wanted Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Michigan Wolverines Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wisconsin Badgers Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Florida Gators Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| March Madness Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Most Wanted 2 Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| University of Alabama Emoji Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| University of Texas Emoji Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Adventure Time | $1.99 | one-time |
| University of Notre Dame Emoji | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent group communication
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🚀 Reliable
- 👍 Versatile for various use cases

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Syncing and loading issues
- 🐛 Notification problems
- 🐛 Bugs with media uploads
- 🐛 Laggy performance

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in or account issues
- Problems with adding/removing group members
- Disappearing messages and chat history
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to delete/edit messages
- Announcement mode for admins
- Pinned messages
- Improved group management features
- Better cross-device/platform sync


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Facebook free?

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

### Is GroupMe free?

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

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

GroupMe is rated higher. Facebook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 28M ratings, while GroupMe averages 4.7 from 1.6M ratings.

### Do Facebook or GroupMe have ads?

Facebook shows ads; GroupMe does not.

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

Facebook ships an update weekly, and GroupMe weekly. Most recently, Facebook was updated on September 25, 2026 and GroupMe on September 25, 2026.

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

Facebook currently peaks at #2 in the App Store charts, and GroupMe at #7. 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.*