# Friendly Social Browser vs Messenger

The clearest difference is ads: Friendly Social Browser at none against Messenger's shown. Messenger's advantage is ratings volume (14M vs 84K) and review sentiment (66% vs 48%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Friendly Social Browser sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Messenger sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Friendly Social Browser against 4.7 for Messenger. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Messenger has 14M ratings behind it against 84K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of Friendly Social Browser's written reviews are positive against 66% of Messenger's.

Friendly Social Browser ships an update every 2 weeks, Messenger weekly. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Friendly Social Browser | Messenger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (84K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friendly-social-browser/id400169658/reviews) | **[4.7 (14M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messenger/id454638411/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 84K | **14M** |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **66.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #204 | **#7** |
| Size | 58 MB | 281 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Friendly, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1670227485) | [Meta Platforms, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284882218) |

## What reviewers say

### Friendly Social Browser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friendly-social-browser/id400169658)

**Currently charting:** #204 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Access all your social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, in one streamlined browser. Enjoy an ad-free experience with built-in privacy features, media controls, and customization options.

**Highlights:** Access multiple social networks in one app, Block ads and trackers, Save device space and battery, Download photos and videos, Advanced media player, Privacy Shield with passcode lock

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nice tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Friendly Plus | $1.99 | one-time |
| Generous tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Amazing tip | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient app
- 🔒 Private experience
- 👍 Customization options
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Convenient all-in-one app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Glitchy performance
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications
- 🐛 Inconsistent navigation
- 🐛 Issues with video playback

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Issues with loading posts and comments
- Problems with logging in and staying logged in
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating between screens
- Inability to upload videos or images in certain scenarios

**Requested features**

- Add voice/video chat in Messenger
- Improve real-time notifications
- Enhance integration with other social apps
- Provide better support for Facebook Pages
- Add option to disable automatic feed refresh


### Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messenger/id454638411)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Free · Social Networking, #137 Top Free (US App Store)

Connect with friends and family through text, audio, and video calls. Share photos, videos, and large files, and express yourself with custom themes and animated content. Features an AI assistant for help and support.

**Highlights:** Text, audio, and video calls, High-definition photo sharing, Shared photo albums, QR code connections, Large file sharing (up to 100MB), Edit and unsend messages, Disappearing messages, AI assistant

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Avatar Item | $0.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $1.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $2.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $3.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $4.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $6.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $7.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $8.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $9.99 | one-time |
| Avatar Item | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Useful for staying connected with friends and family
- 🗣️ Enables easy communication through text, voice, and video
- 💬 Convenient group chat features
- 🌐 Works across multiple devices and platforms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Privacy and security concerns
- 🔄 Unnecessary updates that remove useful features
- 📤 Issues with message delivery and notifications
- 🗂️ Cluttered interface and poor organization of chats

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in or access account
- Messages failing to send or receive
- Unexpected app crashes and freezes
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Add option to delete or unsend messages
- Improve search functionality for chat history
- Introduce customizable notification settings
- Bring back old features like emoji reactions and location sharing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Friendly Social Browser free?

Friendly Social Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Messenger free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Friendly Social Browser or Messenger?

Messenger is rated higher. Friendly Social Browser averages 4.6 out of 5 from 84K ratings, while Messenger averages 4.7 from 14M ratings.

### Do Friendly Social Browser or Messenger have ads?

Messenger shows ads; Friendly Social Browser does not.

### Which is updated more often, Friendly Social Browser or Messenger?

Friendly Social Browser ships an update every 2 weeks, and Messenger weekly. Most recently, Friendly Social Browser was updated on October 18, 2026 and Messenger on October 18, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Friendly Social Browser or Messenger?

Friendly Social Browser currently peaks at #204 in the App Store charts, and Messenger at #7. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*