Comparison

WA Backup Reader vs Chat Export Viewer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

WA Backup Reader

Features
Read full description

You exported your chat history and want to actually read it again? WA Backup Reader has you covered – cleanly, searchably, and entirely offline. ------------------------------ A FAMILIAR CHAT VIEW ------------------------------ Your exported chat files are displayed exactly the way you expect: your messages on the right, incoming on the left, timestamps, system notices, and media references – everything in the right place. No more digging through raw text files. ------------------------------ FULL-TEXT SEARCH ACROSS ALL CHATS ------------------------------ Remember a message but not which chat it was in? The built-in search scans every conversation at once and jumps straight to the result – in a fraction of a second. ------------------------------ MEDIA GALLERY ------------------------------ Photos, videos, and voice messages from your chats are gathered in a clean, browsable gallery. Stop scrolling through lines of text to find that one photo – it's right there, sorted and easy to browse. ------------------------------ ONE-ON-ONE & GROUP CHATS ------------------------------ Whether it's a private conversation or a busy group chat with many participants – WA Backup Reader renders everything correctly. Sender names, system notices, and shared content are fully preserved. ------------------------------ FULLY OFFLINE & PRIVACY-FIRST ------------------------------ Your data never leaves your device. The app works 100 % offline – no sign-up, no account, no connection to any external server. No tracking, no analytics, no sharing. Your chat history stays yours. ------------------------------ EASY IMPORT ------------------------------ Import chat exports directly as ZIP or TXT files – via the Files app, AirDrop, or the Share sheet. No computer needed, no complicated setup. ------------------------------ GERMAN & ENGLISH ------------------------------ WA Backup Reader is fully available in both German and English. ------------------------------ WA Backup Reader is an independent third-party app with no affiliation to WhatsApp LLC or Meta Platforms, Inc. The app reads the standardised chat export format provided by common messaging apps.

About

Chat Export Viewer

Features
Read full description

Chat Export Viewer opens WhatsApp exported chats on your phone — privately, offline, and without uploading anything to the cloud. SAVE SPACE, SKIP THE CLOUD BILL Cloud backups fill up fast, and extra storage gets expensive. Import a WhatsApp export, then keep it as a compact ZIP or TXT on your device. Bundle every chat into one space-saving ZIP — already-compressed chats stay nested without wasteful re-packing, so you avoid duplicate bulk. Same history, much smaller footprint — no monthly cloud plan required. IMPORT YOUR EXPORT • Open .zip or .txt files from a WhatsApp export • Import a multi-chat ZIP (or the app’s all-chats backup) in one go • Re-import updates existing chats when there are new messages — skips duplicates READ LIKE A CHAT • Familiar bubbles, timestamps, and date separators • Search, filters, and jump to a date • Photos, videos, audio, and PDF previews • Reply quotes and photo captions in the same bubble ORGANIZE & SHARE • Media and documents gallery • Multi-select to copy or share messages and attachments • Export one chat as compressed ZIP or lightweight TXT; PDF export with Premium • Export all chats as a single re-importable ZIP backup PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account required • Your chats stay on your device • Interface in 24 languages Premium unlocks PDF export and an ad-free experience. Chat Export Viewer is an independent app and is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://github.com/KennyHacrt/chat-export-viewer-privacy/blob/master/PRIVACY_POLICY.md

Screenshots

WA Backup Reader4 screens
Chat Export Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: WA Backup Reader at 13.0 against Chat Export Viewer's 15.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. WA Backup Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chat Export Viewer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WA Backup Reader ships an update every 4 days, Chat Export Viewer weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 6 level
WA Backup Reader versus Chat Export Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWA Backup ReaderChat Export Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterWeekly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInnervateMing Hin Lee

In-app purchases

1 purchases

WA Backup Reader

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
3 purchases

Chat Export Viewer

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Premium Annual$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is WA Backup Reader free?
WA Backup Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chat Export Viewer free?
Chat Export Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do WA Backup Reader or Chat Export Viewer have ads?
Both WA Backup Reader and Chat Export Viewer show ads.
Which is updated more often, WA Backup Reader or Chat Export Viewer?
WA Backup Reader ships an update every 4 days, and Chat Export Viewer weekly. Most recently, WA Backup Reader was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chat Export Viewer on October 31, 2026.

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