# Snapchat vs Custom Emojis Maker

The clearest difference is monetization model: Snapchat at free with in-app purchases against Custom Emojis Maker's subscription. Snapchat also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (5.9M vs 1K). Custom Emojis Maker's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (62% vs 30%). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Snapchat sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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.

Snapchat holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Snapchat has 5.9M ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 30% of Snapchat'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.

Snapchat ships an update every 6 days, Custom Emojis Maker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Snapchat | Custom Emojis Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (5.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snapchat/id447188370/reviews)** | [4.2 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-emojis-maker/id1237455461/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.9M** | 1K |
| Positive reviews | 30.3% of reviews | **61.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 399 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Snap, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/446889612) | [Kossi Adzo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1645396238) |

## What reviewers say

### Snapchat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snapchat/id447188370)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Grossing · Photo & Video, #7 Top Free · Photo & Video, #7 Top Grossing, #66 Top Free (US App Store)

Instantly share photos and videos with friends and family. Express yourself with creative tools, connect through live messaging and video calls, and discover content from the community. Save your favorite moments and explore shared memories.

**Highlights:** Camera with Lenses and Filters, Live Messaging and Video Chat, Friend and Group Stories, Spotlight for user-created content, Location Sharing Map, Memories for saving photos/videos, Friendship Profiles

**Features:** Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Memories Storage | $1.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ Monthly Plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ Monthly Plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ (Monthly Plan) | $3.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ (Monthly Plan) | $4.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ (Monthly Plan) | $4.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ Monthly Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Snapchat+ (Annual Plan) | $29.99 | per year |
| Snapchat+ (12-Month Plan) | $39.99 | per year |
| Snapstreak Restore | $0.49 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $0.99 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $1.49 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $2.99 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $3.99 | one-time |
| Snapstreak Restore | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💬 Great way to communicate with friends
- 📷 Convenient for sharing photos and videos
- 🤳 Fun filters and customization options
- 🔒 Secure messaging with disappearing content
- 🗺️ Useful location-based features like Snap Map

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Forced AI assistant that can't be removed
- 🤢 Dislike for new 3D bitmoji design
- 🕰️ Frustration over Snapchat+ paywall for basic features
- 🔇 Inability to disable shutter sound
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Accounts being permanently locked for unclear reasons
- Inability to create new accounts on banned devices
- Disappearing Memories and lack of data retrieval
- Inconsistent video upload and playback issues
- Notifications and chat features not working properly

**Requested features**

- Allow permanent deletion of Memories
- Add multi-video upload to Stories
- Improve customer support and account recovery
- Provide option to disable AI assistant
- Bring back 2D bitmoji customization


### 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 Snapchat free?

Snapchat 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, Snapchat or Custom Emojis Maker?

Snapchat is rated higher. Snapchat averages 4.5 out of 5 from 5.9M ratings, while Custom Emojis Maker averages 4.2 from 1K ratings.

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

Snapchat shows ads; Custom Emojis Maker does not.

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

Snapchat ships an update every 6 days, and Custom Emojis Maker every 2 months. Most recently, Snapchat 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.*