# Instagram vs Photos

The clearest difference is rating: Instagram at 4.7 against Photos's 3.1. Instagram also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (30M vs 16K). Photos's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Instagram sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Photos asks for nothing beyond the download.

Instagram holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Instagram has 30M ratings behind it against 16K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Instagram's written reviews are positive against 22% of Photos's.

Instagram ships an update weekly, Photos every 10 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Instagram | Photos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (30M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instagram/id389801252/reviews)** | [3.1 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photos/id1584215428/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **30M** | 16K |
| Positive reviews | **31.5% of reviews** | 21.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 641 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.3 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Instagram, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/389801255) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Instagram

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

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Free · Photo & Video, #3 Top Grossing · Photo & Video, #8 Top Grossing, #25 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, iPhone Duo support

**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


### Photos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photos/id1584215428)

Organize, enhance, and share your cherished memories. This app provides intelligent tools to browse, edit, and manage your photos and videos. Discover new ways to relive your experiences and keep your library secure.

**Highlights:** Interactive photo and video grid, Organize by collections and media types, Powerful on-device search, Create custom albums, Relive memories with spatial scenes, Photo and video editing tools, Seamless sharing options

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Innovative features
- 💡 Customization options
- 👍 Intuitive user interface
- 👍 Seamless photo/video management
- 🚀 Efficient photo organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🤔 Confusing UI changes
- 🤯 Unintuitive navigation
- 🤔 Lack of basic organization features
- 🤦‍♂️ Forced iCloud integration

**Reported bugs**

- Photos not syncing properly across devices
- Editing tools and markup functionality unreliable
- Frequent crashes and performance issues
- Inconsistent behavior when managing albums
- Shared library causing unexpected photo deletions

**Requested features**

- Allow manual people tagging
- Add option to hide/remove photos from 'All Photos'
- Improve search and filtering capabilities
- Provide more customization options for albums/folders
- Implement password protection for sensitive photos


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Instagram free?

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

### Is Photos free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Instagram or Photos?

Instagram is rated higher. Instagram averages 4.7 out of 5 from 30M ratings, while Photos averages 3.1 from 16K ratings.

### Do Instagram or Photos have ads?

Instagram shows ads; Photos does not.

### Which is updated more often, Instagram or Photos?

Instagram ships an update weekly, and Photos every 10 months. Most recently, Instagram was updated on November 1, 2026 and Photos on November 1, 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.*