# Facebook vs Messenger

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Messenger at 66% against Facebook's 40%. Messenger also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Facebook's advantage is chart position (#1 vs #8). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28M and 14M respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Facebook's written reviews are positive against 66% of Messenger's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Facebook | Messenger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (28M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/facebook/id284882215/reviews) | **[4.7 (14M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messenger/id454638411/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **28M** | 14M |
| Positive reviews | 40.2% of reviews | **66.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #8 |
| Size | 484 MB | 255 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Meta Platforms, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284882218) | [Meta Platforms, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284882218) |

## What reviewers say

### Facebook

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #5 Top Free · Social Networking, #23 Top Grossing, #47 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


### Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messenger/id454638411)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Free · Social Networking, #155 Top Free (US App Store)

Connect with friends and family through text, audio, and video calls. Share photos, videos, and large files, and express yourself with custom themes and animated content. Features an AI assistant for help and support.

**Highlights:** Text, audio, and video calls, High-definition photo sharing, Shared photo albums, QR code connections, Large file sharing (up to 100MB), Edit and unsend messages, Disappearing messages, AI assistant

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Avatar Item | $0.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $1.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $2.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $3.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $4.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $6.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $7.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $8.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $9.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Useful for staying connected with friends and family
- 🗣️ Enables easy communication through text, voice, and video
- 💬 Convenient group chat features
- 🌐 Works across multiple devices and platforms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Privacy and security concerns
- 🔄 Unnecessary updates that remove useful features
- 📤 Issues with message delivery and notifications
- 🗂️ Cluttered interface and poor organization of chats

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in or access account
- Messages failing to send or receive
- Unexpected app crashes and freezes
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Add option to delete or unsend messages
- Improve search functionality for chat history
- Introduce customizable notification settings
- Bring back old features like emoji reactions and location sharing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Facebook free?

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

### Is Messenger free?

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

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

Messenger is rated higher. Facebook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 28M ratings, while Messenger averages 4.7 from 14M ratings.

### Do Facebook or Messenger have ads?

Both Facebook and Messenger show ads.

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

Facebook ships an update weekly, and Messenger weekly. Most recently, Facebook was updated on September 26, 2026 and Messenger on September 26, 2026.

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

Facebook currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Messenger at #8. 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.*