# Snapchat vs PicWrite

The clearest difference is ads: PicWrite at none against Snapchat's shown. Snapchat's advantage is chart position (#2 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Snapchat sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PicWrite sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Snapchat ships an update every 6 days, PicWrite every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and May 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Snapchat | PicWrite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (5.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snapchat/id447188370/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.9M** | — |
| Positive reviews | 30.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 399 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Snap, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/446889612) | [Kevin Wainwright](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840393350) |

## What reviewers say

### Snapchat

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

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Grossing · Photo & Video, #6 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


### PicWrite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picwrite/id6752710710)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PicWrite Premium | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Snapchat free?

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

### Is PicWrite free?

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

### Do Snapchat or PicWrite have ads?

Snapchat shows ads; PicWrite does not.

### Which is updated more often, Snapchat or PicWrite?

Snapchat ships an update every 6 days, and PicWrite every 3 days. Most recently, Snapchat was updated on September 26, 2026 and PicWrite on May 19, 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.*