Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Facebook vs Instagram

Facebook 4.5★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Instagram
Instagram 4.7★ · Free + IAP 70

Instagram has a slight edge over Facebook due to fewer complaints about excessive advertising and a more focused user experience, despite both apps sharing similar issues with technical glitches and customer support.

Full reviews: Facebook · Instagram

Facebook and Instagram, both Meta products, face similar user frustrations including overwhelming ads, technical bugs, and poor customer support. Instagram, however, appears to maintain a slightly better user experience with less pervasive advertising and a clearer focus on visual content, while Facebook struggles with a cluttered interface and AI integration issues.

Head to head

Features and Content tieR2R4R6R8
Facebook Facebook users appreciate connecting with friends and family, sharing daily devotionals, and using it for recruiting and displaying projects R2R8. However, recent updates have removed functionalities like tagging people during live streams, finding old hashtags, and editing comments as a host . Users also dislike the new AI features being forced upon them, finding them annoying and unnecessary R13. There are complaints about not being able to change profile pictures back to old ones without making them new posts R4, and issues with posts not appearing in chronological order R6.
Instagram Instagram is valued for sharing ideas, connecting with people, and its visual content, especially reels . Users enjoy it for business success and for making videos and pictures look neat and clean . However, some users are frustrated with the app's shift towards reels, feeling it's copying TikTok and has lost its identity as a photo-sharing app . There are requests for features like changing audio on edited posts , better organization of saved posts , and the ability to see more live users . The forced integration of AI, including the use of user photos for AI training, is a significant concern R82R100R109.
Ease of Use and Interface tieR7R9R12R18
Facebook Facebook's interface is described as ugly, clumsy, and cluttered, with stories taking up too much space on the home screen R9R18. Users report issues with posts not loading R7R49, having to repeatedly go in and out of the app to open responses R12, and the camera function not working properly for stories . Some find the web browser version easier to use and more functional than the app .
Instagram Instagram is generally considered easy to connect and talk with people . However, users report issues with the app crashing immediately upon opening R66 and videos constantly buffering . There are complaints about the inability to view reposts and problems with saved items reappearing after deletion . Some users dislike the current rectangular display of posts on profiles and wish for the return of smaller, square posts for a more aesthetic look .
Reliability and Performance tieR7R16R22R33
Facebook Facebook users experience frequent glitches, such as notifications appearing when there are none R16, grey images and videos , and the app turning off music from other apps R22. Account hacking is a concern R7, and some users struggle with verification processes that prevent them from logging in, especially when away from their phone R33. The app is described as glitchy and slow, with picture albums taking over 20 minutes to load R49.
Instagram Instagram also suffers from reliability issues, with the app crashing constantly and messages getting corrupted . Users report being logged out for no reason and being unable to log back in , as well as accounts being blocked or suspended without cause . There are issues with follower lists not being shown and reposts not loading . Some users report being shadowbanned, leading to their content not reaching their audience .
Advertising and Monetization edge: InstagramR3R12R19R21
Facebook Facebook is heavily criticized for an overwhelming number of commercials and ads, with users stating they rarely see friends' posts anymore R3R19R21R27. Ads appear in the middle of reels, which users find disrespectful , and accidental clicks on ads lead to unwanted messages R12. Many feel there are too many ads from the USA that are irrelevant to UK users .
Instagram Instagram users also complain about excessive advertising, with ads appearing every other post or multiple times in stories . The app is described as a "Glorified Ad Center" . However, the volume of complaints about ads seems slightly less pervasive than for Facebook, with more focus on AI integration and account issues.
Support and Community tieR1R34R37R40
Facebook Facebook's support is widely criticized, with users reporting an inability to get help for account issues, including suspensions and hacks R34R37R40. There's a lack of human interaction, with complaints about Meta/Facebook support refusing to cooperate R40. The "Anonymous mode" feature is exploited for harassment, which Facebook allegedly ignores R1. Users also report issues with fake IDs and harassment , and discrimination in the marketplace .
Instagram Instagram users face similar frustrations with support, reporting that problems are never fixed despite being reported R61. Many accounts are wrongfully banned by Meta AI, with no way to reach a human for help or appeal decisions . Users complain about fake accounts and harassment not being addressed by guidelines . There are also issues with bot accounts following private profiles and liking posts without approval .
Pick Facebook if

Pick Facebook if you primarily want to connect with a broad network of friends and family, use it for community engagement, or leverage its features for recruiting and showcasing projects R2.

Pick Instagram if

Pick Instagram if you prioritize visual content sharing, enjoy reels, and want a platform that feels slightly less cluttered with ads, despite similar underlying issues .

Evidence note: Both apps, being owned by Meta, share many common complaints, particularly regarding AI integration, technical glitches, and customer support. The evidence for advertising is more pronounced for Facebook.

Frequently asked

Which app has more ads?
Facebook has significantly more complaints about excessive advertising, with users frequently stating that ads appear every other post and overshadow content from friends R3R19R21R27.
Are there issues with AI in these apps?
Yes, both Facebook and Instagram users express strong dissatisfaction with the forced integration of AI, finding it annoying, unnecessary, and intrusive, with concerns about AI using user photos for training without consent R13R82R100R109.
Which app has better customer support?
Neither app is praised for its customer support; users of both Facebook and Instagram report significant difficulties in getting help for account issues, suspensions, and hacks, often citing a lack of human interaction and ineffective appeal processes R34R37R40R61.
Do these apps have technical problems?
Yes, both Facebook and Instagram users report numerous technical problems, including app crashes, content not loading, glitches with notifications and media, and issues with account access and functionality R7R16R49R66.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Facebook 5/5 · US Viaje en familia: Hermoso
  2. [R4] Facebook 1/5 · US Profile pics: Why can’t you change your profile pic back to an Old pic without making it a new one??
  3. [R6] Facebook 3/5 · US What happened?: Posts do not come in order of date posted, sometimes days or even weeks.
  4. [R8] Facebook 5/5 · US To FaceTime me back today: My last Post today to Tracey Rankins
  5. [R7] Facebook 1/5 · US Ridiculous: Can’t get half the stuff to load and people hacking accounts left and right
  6. [R9] Facebook 3/5 · US Facebook updates: Latest upstate present ugly and clumsy. Definitely detract from former pleasurable experience.
  7. [R12] Facebook 3/5 · US Problems: I have to go in and out of Facebook to be able to open responses. It gets old I get very irritated with the adds at the bottom of posts! If you hit them by accident you get messages. These need to be removed!
  8. [R18] Facebook 3/5 · US Get rid of stories on home screen: It takes up space on the home screen that is already too busy and cluttered and creates a error path for sending reactions to users that were unintended by accidentally tapping on them and its really annoying the "heart" is the default reaction. Lose it. Or provide a way to customize home screen and default reactions to be customized to how we want it seen not t
  9. [R16] Facebook 1/5 · US Glitchy app, invasive !!!: I am sick and tired of notifications constantly appearing when I don’t have any !!!! I assume it’s from notifications I’ve turned off on certain feeds but for whatever reason you still find the need to show a notification on the app on my Home Screen even though I do not have a notification !!!! This has literally been going on for more than a year !! I’m sure you do it
  10. [R22] Facebook 1/5 · US Totally Ruins Music experience: App always turns off music form other apps and it highly annoying. Nothing is playin in the Facebook app and there is no pictures with added music even on the page and it will just do it anyway.
  11. [R33] Facebook 3/5 · GB To many verification.: I can’t login my own account to my computer. Sometimes the code doesn’t working. Even If I know the password then it wants me to verify with phone. Sometimes it’s show a QR code screen. What if I visit new place and I really need to login my account but my phone left home? What should I do. Please fix this.
  12. [R3] Facebook 3/5 · US Too many commercials: I had always enjoy seeing the posts of my friends. I rarely see them anymore. I have 200 friends and see maybe a handful. All I see are commercials. False advertising companies of the same thing repeating over and over again. A lot of scamming
  13. [R19] Facebook 2/5 · US Sucks: Too much advertising and too many fake stories! Gone down hill.
  14. [R21] Facebook 3/5 · US Great App but…: I do love Facebook but I have to say lately the ads are getting ridiculous. I get that with ads is how you can make it free but literally ever other post is an ad. I don’t even see friends stuff much anymore. It’s frustrating
  15. [R1] Facebook 1/5 · US the negative aspects of facebok: "Anonymous mode" is a terrible feature on Facebook. Many people exploit it to harass, abuse, and insult others, yet Facebook turns a blind eye to this, which is truly awful.
  16. [R34] Facebook 1/5 · US I have a big issue or a problem, but not anyone can help me for fix my problem like so bad for a F b: Always bad a conversation with a Facebook technology not anyone can fix my problem
  17. [R37] Facebook 1/5 · US Facebook has gone downhill: Facebook has gone downhill. I don’t understand what’s going on there. I have tried to get my account unsuspended. I tried to get a hearing. Let me I don’t know what I have done wrong and that is the truth and nobody will tell me nothing. They just suspended my account for no reason. That I know of I have said nothing I just re-share stuff and I don’t know if that’s what
  18. [R40] Facebook 1/5 · US Oh my previous review was erased: BBB complaint filed since meta/facebook support refuses to cooperate and chooses to non respond a complaint via email. Meta is now using data obtained from “research” through a job I applied for to continue the retaliatory behavior and has completely removed any actual training, boundaries, and restrictions set by pelting me with racist and content targeting my
  19. [R27] Facebook 3/5 · US Ads: Too many ads
  20. [R13] Facebook 1/5 · US Meta: Can’t do anything without the ai, it’s extremely annoying I’m not brainless I can form a thought 🤯. Don’t understand why it’s every where on the app now and you can’t even turn it off?? I don’t need it to help write comments I am not brainless, I don’t need it when I look up stuff I don’t need it on post. IT DOSENT NEED TO BE ANYWHERE meta is ruining your apps
  21. [R82] Instagram 1/5 · US Meta: They are ruining all their apps shoving their ai down your throat, and letting it use people’s pics to train?? Like no one wants to train it, no one wants it. Maybe do something good with your app and people would actually use it😭
  22. [R100] Instagram 1/5 · US Anyone can make ai generated slop using your photos and artwork: I had to make the tuff choice to delete my whole gallery after years of building an audience. I luckily have a bigger following on TH so I’m safe but I do feel bad for the artists that exclusively use instagram
  23. [R109] Instagram 1/5 · US META I: The implementation of AI with no option to opt out is absolutely disgusting. The new feature of ANYONE on instagram to be able to use the likeness of someone (create a fake AI version of anyone on the app) should not be legal. Meta should turn this new feature off immediately. No one wants this. No one asked for this. This makes everything more dangerous.
  24. [R61] Instagram 1/5 · US They don’t help you: I have had so many problems with instagram lately and every time I report it it’s never fixed
  25. [R49] Facebook 1/5 · US Loading…: There is so much garbage on this app now, that my own picture albums won’t load on WiFi of 5G UB for OVER 20 MINUTES!!!! This whole platform is in a downward spiral
  26. [R66] Instagram 3/5 · US Crashing-update: Update: issue appears to have been fixed for now. App crashes immediately upon opening on my iPhone 8 Plus after most recent update. Tried the usual solutions (shut down, uninstall) but still is happening. Please fix the bug.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store