WhatsApp Messenger vs Stereo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- End-to-end encrypted messaging
- High-quality voice and video calls
- Group chats and calls
- Cross-device connectivity
- Status updates
- Location sharing
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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
Stereo
This social app allows users to share and discover voice notes, engage in live conversations, and connect with others through messaging. It also offers in-app games and avatar customization to enhance social interaction.
- Viral voice notes
- Spontaneous conversations
- Live talks
- In-app messaging
- Play games
- Customizable avatars
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Stereo is the social app where people speak up – literally. Download Stereo and come find: Viral voice notes, spontaneous conversations and your community. SPEAK UP Reply to posts or share your own topic and hear what others have to say. TALK LIVE Looking for live conversation? Start or join a Talk with friends. New here? We’ll find you people to talk to. MESSAGE Keep up with people 1:1 or in a group after a Talk has ended or share your favorite Soundbites by sending messages in-app. PLAY GAMES Break the ice by playing Mafia, Who Am I? and Buzzword Buddies. CUSTOMIZE Design your Stereo avatar your way, with customizable features like your hairstyle, nose, eyes, facial hair, accessories and more. Change up your vibe at any time and keep an eye out for new looks. Still reading? Why? Download Stereo and come find out what we're talking about. By using Stereo, you’re agreeing to our Terms of Service (https://stereo.com/terms) and any policies referenced therein.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stereo at none against WhatsApp Messenger's 11. Stereo also leads on ads (none vs shown). WhatsApp Messenger's advantage is ratings volume (19M vs 10K) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 11 days). On price, rating and review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. WhatsApp Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.00 per month. Stereo asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for WhatsApp Messenger against 4.6 for Stereo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WhatsApp Messenger has 19M ratings behind it against 10K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of WhatsApp Messenger's written reviews are positive against 46% of Stereo's.
WhatsApp Messenger ships an update every 3 days, Stereo every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WhatsApp Messenger | Stereo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (19M ratings) — better | 4.6 (10K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.5% of reviews — better | 45.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 19M — better | 10K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 11 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #2 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 361 MB | 163 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | WhatsApp Inc. | Stereo App Ltd |
Customer experience
WhatsApp Messenger
Stereo
User reviews
WhatsApp Messenger
From 19M App Store ratingsWhat 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
Stereo
From 10K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great for live conversations
- 👍 Unique concept for social interaction
- 💡 Potential for community building
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive interface
- 👍 Helpful for practicing public speaking
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Concerns about moderation and safety
- 👎 Poor content discovery and navigation
- 👎 Lack of pause/rewind functionality
- 👎 Automatic audio playback upon app launch
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
Stereo
Reported bugs
5 issues- Accounts being banned for unclear reasons
- Audio issues like echoes and cutting out
- Inconsistent age verification and restrictions
- Inability to sign up or log in properly
- Recorded messages disappearing unexpectedly
Requested features
5 requests- Add pause and rewind functionality
- Improve content discovery and browsing
- Implement better moderation and safety controls
- Allow users to customize their avatars
- Provide more options for monetization and rewards
In-app purchases
WhatsApp Messenger
- 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
Stereo
No in-app purchases








