# Kik Messaging & Chat App vs ChalloMates

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChalloMates at none against Kik Messaging & Chat App's 15. ChalloMates also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Kik Messaging & Chat App's advantage is chart position (#106 vs unranked). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kik Messaging & Chat App sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ChalloMates asks for nothing beyond the download.

Kik Messaging & Chat App ships an update fortnightly, ChalloMates weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kik Messaging & Chat App | ChalloMates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (486K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kik-messaging-and-chat-app/id357218860/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **486K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 35.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#106** | — |
| Size | 169 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Medialab - Kik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1677859788) | [Dinnova AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557907125) |

## What reviewers say

### Kik Messaging & Chat App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kik-messaging-and-chat-app/id357218860)

**Currently charting:** #106 Top Free · Social Networking, #180 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with friends and discover new ones through chat. Share photos, videos, games, and more without needing phone numbers. Explore interests and join groups for seamless communication.

**Highlights:** Connect with friends, Group chats, Share photos and videos, Play games, Meet new people, Username-based accounts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Free | $2.99 | per month |
| Ad free (annual) | $32.99 | per year |
| 100 Live Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100 Live credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3 Chat Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 200 Live Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| 500 Live Credits Offer | $1.99 | one-time |
| 500 Live Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2000 Live Credits | $14.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $14.99 | one-time |
| 3700 Live Credits | $24.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $99.99 | one-time |
| 16500 Live Credits | $99.99 | one-time |
| 70000 Live Credits | $399.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💬 Great chat features
- 🌐 Connects people globally
- 🤝 Helps make new friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Overrun by bots and spam
- 💤 Slow and laggy performance
- 📢 Intrusive and annoying ads
- 🔑 Account security issues
- 🔒 Lack of moderation and safety

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working properly
- Messages not sending or getting stuck
- Profile pictures not updating correctly
- Frequent app crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Improved group management tools
- Option to disable live streaming
- Better chat organization and search
- Ability to delete messages across devices
- Restore previous video chat functionality


### ChalloMates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challomates/id1645864245)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kik Messaging & Chat App free?

Kik Messaging & Chat App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ChalloMates free?

ChalloMates is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Kik Messaging & Chat App or ChalloMates have ads?

Kik Messaging & Chat App shows ads; ChalloMates does not.

### Which is updated more often, Kik Messaging & Chat App or ChalloMates?

Kik Messaging & Chat App ships an update fortnightly, and ChalloMates weekly. Most recently, Kik Messaging & Chat App was updated on October 28, 2026 and ChalloMates on October 12, 2026.

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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.*