# Zalo vs Ola

The clearest difference is rating: Ola at 2.9 against Zalo's 2.1. Ola also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (35% vs 6%). Zalo's advantage is ratings volume (8.6K vs 16) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Zalo sells 21 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Ola sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ola holds the better App Store score, 2.9 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zalo has 8.6K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 6% of Zalo's written reviews are positive against 35% of Ola's.

Zalo ships an update fortnightly, Ola every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zalo | Ola |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (8.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zalo/id579523206/reviews) | **[2.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ola/id803785425/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.6K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 6.3% of reviews | **35.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#154** | — |
| Size | 278 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Zalo Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/822220029) | [MicroGame Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/464239963) |

## What reviewers say

### Zalo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zalo/id579523206)

**Currently charting:** #154 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

This messaging app offers fast and private communication with friends. Send text, voice, and group messages, share your location, and discover new people nearby. It also allows for in-app games and expressive emoticons.

**Highlights:** Fast messaging with instant notifications, Expressive emoticons and stickers, High-quality voice messaging, Discover and connect with nearby friends, Easy group messaging, In-app games, Location sharing

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases (21)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| zCloud Mini | $0.99 | per month |
| zStyle - 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| zStyle - 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| zCloud 100GB Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| zStyle - 6 Months | $3.99 | per 6 months |
| zStyle - Annual | $5.99 | per year |
| zStyle - 12 Months | $6.99 | per year |
| zStyle - 12 Months | $6.99 | per year |
| zCloud Mini | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro 1 month | $9.99 | per month |
| zCloud Standard | $22.99 | per year |
| zCloud Standard | $24.99 | per year |
| zCloud Family | $79.99 | per year |
| Pro 12 months | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro 12 months | $99.99 | per year |
| Sticker zStyle - 29K | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sticker zStyle - 9K | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sticker zStyle - 19K | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gift zStyle - 3M | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gift zStyle - 6M | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gift zStyle - 12M | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient messaging
- 🚀 Good call quality
- 💡 Customizable features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔒 Privacy and security concerns
- 🔋 High data and battery usage
- ⚠️ Difficult account recovery

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to receive verification codes
- Inconsistent performance on different devices
- Deleted accounts and lost data
- Unreliable video/audio calls

**Requested features**

- Ability to use on multiple devices simultaneously
- Improved cloud sync and backup
- Better translation and language support
- Option to disable unwanted notifications


### Ola

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ola/id803785425)

Connect with others through a modern chat interface and vibrant friend lists. Manage your media with simultaneous uploads and discover a lively community. Explore additional features designed for ease of use and interaction.

**Highlights:** Modern chat interface, Vibrant friend lists, Community chat, Contact integration for finding friends, Media management, Simultaneous photo uploads

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 185,000 KEN | $4.99 | one-time |
| 390,000 KEN | $9.99 | one-time |
| 810,000 KEN | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2,200,000 KEN | $49.99 | one-time |
| 4,500,000 KEN | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zalo free?

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

### Is Ola free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Zalo or Ola?

Ola is rated higher. Zalo averages 2.1 out of 5 from 8.6K ratings, while Ola averages 2.9 from 16 ratings.

### Do Zalo or Ola have ads?

Zalo shows ads; Ola does not.

### Which is updated more often, Zalo or Ola?

Zalo ships an update fortnightly, and Ola every 2 months. Most recently, Zalo was updated on November 2, 2026 and Ola on October 23, 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.*