# Instagram vs Custom Emojis Maker

The clearest difference is monetization model: Instagram at free with in-app purchases against Custom Emojis Maker's subscription. Instagram also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Custom Emojis Maker's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (62% vs 31%). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Instagram sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Custom Emojis Maker sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Instagram holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Instagram has 30M ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 31% of Instagram's written reviews are positive against 62% of Custom Emojis Maker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Instagram ships an update weekly, Custom Emojis Maker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Instagram | Custom Emojis Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (30M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instagram/id389801252/reviews)** | [4.2 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-emojis-maker/id1237455461/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **30M** | 1K |
| Positive reviews | 31.3% of reviews | **61.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | — |
| Size | 583 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.3 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Instagram, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/389801255) | [Kossi Adzo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1645396238) |

## What reviewers say

### Instagram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instagram/id389801252)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Grossing · Photo & Video, #4 Top Free · Photo & Video, #8 Top Grossing, #23 Top Free (US App Store)

Connect with friends and discover new content through photos, videos, and short-form entertainment. Share your daily moments and life's highlights, or dive into personalized feeds based on your interests.

**Highlights:** Short-form video creation and discovery (Reels), Ephemeral content sharing (Stories & Notes), Private group chats (Close Friends), Personalized content feeds (Explore), Customizable posts with templates and filters, Discover brands and shop products

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Meta Verified Standard | $14.99 | per month |
| Instagram Badge | $0.99 | one-time |
| Instagram Badge | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Excellent way to connect with friends and family
- 🌍 Ability to discover new content and accounts
- 🎨 Great platform for artists and creators to showcase their work
- 🤝 Helps small businesses promote their products

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🤖 Overly aggressive AI moderation leading to unfair account suspensions
- 🔒 Poor customer support and lack of transparency around account issues
- 📊 Declining organic reach and push towards paid advertising
- 🔀 Confusing layout changes that make the app less user-friendly

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to post or view videos due to app crashing
- Saved posts and drafts randomly disappearing
- Notifications not working or showing outdated information
- Inability to log in or switch between multiple accounts

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit/delete individual photos from a multi-photo post
- Option to view posts in chronological order instead of algorithmic feed
- Better tools for small businesses to manage and grow their presence
- Improved accessibility features for users with disabilities


### Custom Emojis Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-emojis-maker/id1237455461)

Easily create personalized emoji stickers from your own face or friends' photos. Add custom text and art to express yourself uniquely in messages. Enjoy hilarious results and share your creations.

**Highlights:** Create emoji stickers from your face, Add text and art, Use in iMessage, Emoji friends' faces, Generate unique expressions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Subscription 1 Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlock Subscription 1 Month | $7.99 | per month |
| Unlock All Subscription 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlock All Subscription 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Create Unlimited Emojis | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Arts | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Text | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 😊 Fun and enjoyable
- 🎨 Customizable emojis
- 💡 Unique feature to create personalized emojis

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall for additional features
- 🔒 Limited free options
- 📢 Excessive ads
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Copy to clipboard function not working
- Crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent performance

**Requested features**

- Increase free emoji limit
- Add more editing tools
- Improve background removal
- Integrate with more messaging apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Instagram free?

Instagram is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Custom Emojis Maker free?

Custom Emojis Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Instagram or Custom Emojis Maker?

Instagram is rated higher. Instagram averages 4.7 out of 5 from 30M ratings, while Custom Emojis Maker averages 4.2 from 1K ratings.

### Do Instagram or Custom Emojis Maker have ads?

Instagram shows ads; Custom Emojis Maker does not.

### Which is updated more often, Instagram or Custom Emojis Maker?

Instagram ships an update weekly, and Custom Emojis Maker every 2 months. Most recently, Instagram was updated on September 26, 2026 and Custom Emojis Maker on September 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.*