Comparison

WhatsApp Messenger vs DatChat

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

DatChat

This app offers a private social network and messenger with self-destructing, screenshot-protected, and end-to-end encrypted posts and messages. Users can control messages even after sending, create private social groups, and secure photos with advanced encryption.

Highlights
  • Self-destructing messages and posts
  • Screenshot protection with notifications
  • End-to-end encrypted communication
  • Nuke conversations to erase both sides
  • Private social groups
  • Multiple accounts
  • Encrypted hidden photo storage
Features
Read full description

DatChat is a private social networking app and messenger that protects your privacy with self-destructing, screenshot protected, encrypted posts and messages. Get the security you deserve. Keep your messages and social posts private, secure, and out of the wrong hands. Our proprietary anti-screenshot protection makes it nearly impossible for others to screenshot messages, posts, or comments - and you will receive a notification that they even tried. Every message you send has an end-to-end encrypted connection. Control over messages doesn’t stop after you hit send - now you have control even after they are sent. “Nuke” conversations on both the sender and recipient’s devices to protect your privacy. You can also unsend messages with ease. Messages will vanish without trace when they reach view limits or are manually destructed. Using DatChat is like having your own private social network. Create Social Groups where only you and the friends you invite to the group can post, comment, and like. Have as many accounts as you like, with whatever friends and family you want. Secure, private messages and pictures are only visible when logged into that respective account. Only your profile picture is available for anyone to view on DatChat. All other photos and information are in a private camera roll, hidden and encrypted behind other pictures. Never worry about picture security again. Download DatChat today and enjoy free, private, and secure social networking. DATCHAT FEATURES: Free, Secure Messaging: - Private messenger protects your privacy - Propriety anti-screenshot protection makes it nearly impossible to screenshot a message, post, or comment - Receive notifications when someone attempts to screenshot messages, photos, or videos - Only the sender & intended recipients can view messages - they cannot be forwarded to others - Every message has an end-to-end encrypted connection Post-Send Control: - Control what happens to messages even after you send them - Self-destructing messages & posts protect your privacy - “Nuke” messages & completely eradicate both sides of a conversation, comments, and more - Messages & posts vanish without a trace when they reach a view limit or are manually destructed Secure Social Networking: - Create Social Groups where only you & your invited friends can post, comment, and like - Group & individual conversations available - Multiple accounts for different friends: messages are visible when logged into that respective account Picture Privacy: - Only the cover photo can be seen in plain sight - Senders can hide pictures and information on the camera roll, hidden & encrypted behind other pictures Download DatChat now to start sending secure, private messages. __ We now offer DatChat Pro at three membership tiers: - Monthly: $0.99, renews every month - Yearly: $9.99, renews annually - Lifetime: $24.99, one-time purchase good for the life of your account DatChat Pro is an optional subscription service that unlocks new features and removes existing limitations. Subscriptions are offered on a monthly, yearly, and lifetime basis. Monthly subscriptions will renew every month for $0.99. Yearly subscriptions will renew annually for $9.99. A lifetime subscription is a one-time payment of $24.99 that does not renew and will upgrade your status to Pro for the lifetime of your account. Prices may vary by location. Any portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. Subscriptions are charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Manage your subscription in Account Settings after purchase. Monthly and Yearly subscriptions must be canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period to prevent an auto-renewal. Once purchased, refunds will not be given for any unused portion of the term. Terms of Service: http://www.datchat.net/terms Privacy Policy: http://www.datchat.net/privacy

Screenshots

WhatsApp Messenger4 screens
DatChat4 screens

Verdict

The call

WhatsApp Messenger and DatChat both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of DatChat's written reviews are positive against 51% of WhatsApp Messenger's. DatChat also leads on ads (none vs shown). WhatsApp Messenger's advantage is ratings volume (19M vs 944) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and DatChat sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for WhatsApp Messenger against 4.8 for DatChat. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WhatsApp Messenger has 19M ratings behind it against 944, 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 91% of DatChat's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WhatsApp Messenger ships an update every 3 days, DatChat every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
WhatsApp Messenger versus DatChat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhatsApp MessengerDatChat
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (19M ratings)4.8 (944 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.5% of reviews90.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19M — better944
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#2 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.114.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size361 MB53 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperWhatsApp Inc.Myseum, Inc.

Customer experience

WhatsApp Messenger

All ratings18,645,986 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews16,421 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative41.3%

DatChat

All ratings944 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral0.3%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews129 reviews
Positive90.7%
Neutral0.8%
Negative8.5%

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

DatChat

From 944 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🔒 Privacy and security
  • 🚀 Innovative features
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Blockchain technology
  • 🔒 Anti-screenshot protection

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🔧 Needs more feature development
  • 👎 Dated UI design
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding recent messages

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

DatChat

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Inconsistent message delivery
  • Notifications not always working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Video chat functionality
  • Ability to like/react to messages
  • Improved message search and sorting
  • Customizable notification settings
  • Integration with other platforms

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
4 purchases

DatChat

Subscriptions2
  • Pro (Monthly)$0.991 Month
  • Pro (Yearly)$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • Remain Anonymous$1.99
  • DatChat Pro Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is WhatsApp Messenger free?
WhatsApp Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DatChat free?
DatChat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, WhatsApp Messenger or DatChat?
DatChat is rated higher. WhatsApp Messenger averages 4.7 out of 5 from 19M ratings, while DatChat averages 4.8 from 944 ratings.
Do WhatsApp Messenger or DatChat have ads?
WhatsApp Messenger shows ads; DatChat does not.
Which is updated more often, WhatsApp Messenger or DatChat?
WhatsApp Messenger ships an update every 3 days, and DatChat every 9 days. Most recently, WhatsApp Messenger was updated on September 24, 2026 and DatChat on September 21, 2026.

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