Comparison

WhatsApp Messenger vs FaceTime

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

Head to head
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

About

FaceTime

Connect with loved ones through high-quality audio and video calls. Share experiences like watching videos or listening to music together, collaborate on projects, and enhance your calls with fun effects and improved audio quality. Easily invite anyone to join, regardless of their device.

Highlights
  • Video and audio messaging
  • SharePlay for synced media
  • Screen sharing with remote control
  • Real-time document collaboration
  • Web link invitations for non-Apple users
  • Advanced mic modes and video effects
  • Seamless call handoff between devices
Read full description

Connect with family and friends around the world with FaceTime audio and video calls. FaceTime Messages When someone doesn’t pick up your FaceTime call, leave them a video or audio message to capture exactly what you want to say. SharePlay Watch videos and listen to music together with SharePlay. Synced playback and shared controls keep everyone on the same beat, and smart volume makes it easy to keep the conversation going over FaceTime while enjoying a video or song you love. Screen sharing Share your iPhone, iPad or Mac screen to bring your favorite apps into FaceTime. When someone is screen sharing, you can tap and draw on your screen to point out what they should do on theirs. If you need to assist more directly, you can ask for permission to remotely control their device. Collaboration Work on documents, presentations and more with the people on your call. Unknown Callers list Screened calls from unknown numbers are placed in a new area of your call list and out of your way. FaceTime links Invite your friends into a FaceTime call using a web link you can share anywhere. Even friends who don’t have an Apple device can join the call from their browser instantly — no login necessary. Mic Modes Automatic Mic Mode picks the right Mic Mode for you. Voice Isolation blocks out ambient noise and spotlights your voice. Wide Spectrum will leave ambient noises unfiltered, allowing your voice and all the sounds around you to be heard. Portrait mode & Studio Light Portrait mode blurs your background, while Studio Light dims the background and brightens your face. Reactions & gestures Layer screen effects directly into your camera feed, like balloons, confetti, stormy rain, fireworks, or laser beams. Double tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the reaction buttons, or trigger reactions using hand gestures. Contact Posters Create a customized poster to represent yourself when you give people a FaceTime Audio call. Choose from various treatments for photos, Memoji and your name. Spatial audio With spatial audio, your friends’ voices are spread out to sound like they’re coming from the direction in which they’re positioned on the call. Grid view Grid view lets you see people in your Group FaceTime calls in the same-size tiles, and highlights the current speaker so it’s easy to know who’s talking. Center Stage Center Stage uses machine learning to adjust the front-facing Ultra Wide camera during FaceTime video calls to help keep you and anyone else with you in the frame. Handoff in FaceTime Move FaceTime calls seamlessly from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad, and vice versa. When you hand off a call, your connected Bluetooth headset transitions to the new device simultaneously. Handoff to FaceTime on Apple TV 4K Connect with family and friends around the world from the comfort of your couch. Launch the FaceTime app on Apple TV to initiate a call or start on iPhone and handoff to Apple TV. Get everyone together Enjoy Group FaceTime calls with up to 32 people at once. Live Captions in FaceTime See automatically transcribed dialogue integrated into your FaceTime video calls. With speaker attribution, it's easy to follow along with group conversations. Flexible calling Reach contacts using their phone number or Apple Account. FaceTime works over Wi-Fi and cellular. Dual Capture on FaceTime Stream your front and rear cameras at the same time during one-on-one FaceTime calls—great for sharing what you’re looking at while staying face to face. (Available on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 models)

Screenshots

WhatsApp Messenger4 screens
FaceTime2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: WhatsApp Messenger at 4.7 against FaceTime's 4.2. WhatsApp Messenger also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (19M vs 27K). FaceTime's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. WhatsApp Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.00 per month. FaceTime asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WhatsApp Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WhatsApp Messenger has 19M ratings behind it against 27K, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WhatsApp Messenger ships an update every 4 days, FaceTime every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
WhatsApp Messenger versus FaceTime: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhatsApp MessengerFaceTime
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (19M ratings) — better4.2 (27K ratings)
Number of ratings19M — better27K
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#2 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.110.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size384 MB6 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperWhatsApp Inc.Apple Distribution International

Customer experience

WhatsApp Messenger

All ratings18,761,318 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.8%

FaceTime

All ratings26,960 ratings
Positive78.8%
Neutral4.7%
Negative16.5%

User reviews

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

FaceTime

From 27K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💕 Seamless and reliable video calling
  • 🔍 Excellent audio and video quality
  • 🤝 Great for staying connected with friends and family
  • 🎨 Fun features like Animoji and Memoji
  • 🌐 Compatibility with non-Apple devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent call drops and connection issues
  • 🔇 Audio cutting out or not working
  • 🔍 Blurry or low-quality video
  • 🤯 Confusing UI changes and button placements
  • 🔋 Phone overheating during calls

Bugs and requests

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

FaceTime

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Calls not connecting or dropping unexpectedly
  • Inability to mute or unmute during calls
  • Duplicate participants in group calls
  • Screen sharing not working as expected
  • Automatic call receiving with speaker on

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add filters and fun effects
  • Improve screen sharing functionality
  • Implement a video voicemail feature
  • Allow mirroring of asymmetric faces
  • Provide an option to permanently display the camera button

In-app purchases

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
None

FaceTime

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WhatsApp Messenger free?
WhatsApp Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FaceTime free?
FaceTime is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, WhatsApp Messenger or FaceTime?
WhatsApp Messenger is rated higher. WhatsApp Messenger averages 4.7 out of 5 from 19M ratings, while FaceTime averages 4.2 from 27K ratings.
Do WhatsApp Messenger or FaceTime have ads?
WhatsApp Messenger shows ads; FaceTime does not.
Which is updated more often, WhatsApp Messenger or FaceTime?
WhatsApp Messenger ships an update every 4 days, and FaceTime every 6 months. Most recently, WhatsApp Messenger was updated on October 18, 2026 and FaceTime on October 18, 2026.

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