Comparison

KakaoTalk vs Winlab

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

Head to head
About

KakaoTalk

Connect instantly with friends, family, and colleagues through this feature-rich messenger. Organize conversations with folders and threads, enjoy group voice and video calls with screen sharing, and discover communities through Open Chat. Share photos, videos, and files effortlessly.

Highlights
  • Instant messaging and file sharing
  • Organized chats with folders and threads
  • Group Voice Talk and Face Talk
  • Screen sharing during calls
  • Open Chat communities for discovery
  • Customizable profiles
  • Message editing and deletion
Features
Read full description

■ KakaoTalk – Korea’s no. 1 messenger KakaoTalk is more than just a free messenger. It brings you instant connection, fun short-form content, and smart AI features—anytime, anywhere. Enjoy meaningful one-on-one and group conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, and discover new communities you're interested in via Open Chat. You can also share photos, videos, and files in just a tap! ■ Chat made easier, experience made better Keep your chats organized with folders, and easily edit or delete messages you’ve sent. Keep discussions on track with the new Threads feature, so every topic stays clear and easy to follow. ■ Voice Talk & Face Talk with screen sharing Hop on a group Voice Talk or Face Talk with up to 10 people. During a call, you can switch to Face Talk or share your screen. Make your Face Talk more fun with various screen effects. ■ See trends at a glance in Open Chat communities Discover real-time trends in Open Chat communities without entering a chat room. Choose a topic of interest and dive straight into the conversation. ■ Your profile with extra dimensionality Your profile is your own space to showcase your interests and tastes. Feel free to set your profile visibility by chat room. KakaoTalk may request access permissions to deliver its full range of features. You can still use the app without granting optional permissions, though some functions may be limited. [Optional permissions] - Location Services: For searching and sharing location information - Contacts: For adding friends, and sending contacts and profiles - Photos: For sending and saving photos, videos, and files - Bluetooth: For connecting to wireless audio devices - Microphone: For Voice Talk, Face Talk, voice messages, and recording - Speech Recognition: For speech-to-text transcriptions - Camera: For Face Talk, capturing photos/videos, and scanning QR codes and card numbers - Notifications: For receiving various alerts and message notifications - Face ID: Biometric authentication for in-app security verification - Siri: Access to read or write chat messages through Siri * “KakaoTalk,” “Info Talk,” “Open Chat,” “Face Talk,” etc., are registered trademarks (®) and trademarks (™) of Kakao Corp. ® and ™ symbols are omitted in the app. [KakaoTalk on social] - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kakao.today - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Kakaobrandmedia [Kakao Customer Service] https://cs.kakao.com/helps?service=8

About

Winlab

Features
Read full description

Winlab là một ứng dụng mạng xã hội dành cho người dùng muốn kết nối và chia sẻ với bạn bè, gia đình và cộng đồng của mình một cách nhanh chóng và tiện lợi. Tính năng chính: Hồ sơ cá nhân: Người dùng có thể tạo hồ sơ cá nhân với ảnh đại diện và thông tin cá nhân để chia sẻ với mọi người. Đăng tin và Bảng tin hoạt động: Cho phép người dùng có thể đăng tin và hiển thị những hoạt động mới nhất từ bạn bè và những người mà người dùng theo dõi. Thích và bình luận: Người dùng có thể thích hoặc bình luận về các bài đăng của bạn bè, tạo ra sự tương tác và kết nối. Thông báo thông minh: Ứng dụng cung cấp thông báo về các sự kiện và hoạt động quan trọng từ bạn bè, giúp bạn luôn kết nối với cộng đồng của mình. Ứng dụng Winlab được tài trợ và phát triển bởi công ty Winlab.

Screenshots

KakaoTalk4 screens
Winlab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Winlab at none against KakaoTalk's 10. Winlab also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). KakaoTalk's advantage is chart position (#90 vs unranked) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price and device support 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. KakaoTalk sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Winlab asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KakaoTalk ships an update weekly, Winlab fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
KakaoTalk versus Winlab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKakaoTalkWinlab
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (50K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews30.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings50K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#90 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size560 MB40 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperKakao Corp.HappyCare Joint Stock Company

Bugs and requests

KakaoTalk

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to delete account
  • Automatic account bans/restrictions
  • Inconsistent performance and stability issues
  • Verification code and login problems
  • Syncing and backup issues when changing devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add iPad support
  • Improve account recovery and login options
  • Add more language and region support
  • Improve organization and search for emoticons
  • Add 'typing' indicator and 'online' status

Winlab

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

KakaoTalk

Subscriptions5
  • (Discontinued)Talk Cloud 100GB$1.991 Month
  • Talk Cloud 30GB$1.991 Month
  • Talk Cloud 50GB$2.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Talk Cloud 200GB$3.991 Month
  • Emoticon Plus$5.991 Month
One-time5
  • Item Ticket$2.19
  • 200 CHOCO$2.19
  • Item Ticket$3.29
Show 2 more
  • 300 CHOCO$3.29
  • Item Ticket$4.39
None

Winlab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KakaoTalk free?
KakaoTalk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Winlab free?
Winlab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do KakaoTalk or Winlab have ads?
KakaoTalk shows ads; Winlab does not.
Which is updated more often, KakaoTalk or Winlab?
KakaoTalk ships an update weekly, and Winlab fortnightly. Most recently, KakaoTalk was updated on November 11, 2026 and Winlab on November 3, 2026.

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