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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Facebook vs Messenger

Facebook 4.5★ · Free + IAP 55
Winner Messenger
Messenger 4.7★ · Free + IAP 70

Messenger is the better choice for dedicated communication, offering more reliable messaging and calling features, while Facebook struggles with an overwhelming amount of ads and content issues.

Full reviews: Facebook · Messenger

Messenger, with a lifetime rating of 4.66, generally provides a more stable and focused communication experience, despite some recent glitches. Facebook, rated 4.52, is plagued by excessive ads, irrelevant content, and numerous technical issues that detract from its social networking purpose.

Head to head

Features edge: MessengerR1R5R13R15
Facebook Facebook offers a wide range of features beyond social networking, including games R5, recruiting , and sharing daily devotionals . However, users report issues with core functionalities like tagging during live streams, editing comments, and adding photos R15. The app also has an 'anonymous mode' that some users feel is exploited for harassment R1, and the recent integration of AI is seen as annoying and unnecessary by many R13.
Messenger Messenger is primarily focused on communication, offering features like video calls R74R88, messenger games , and customizable chat backgrounds and emojis . Users appreciate its reliability for long-distance calls with good clarity R88R92R110. However, some users report issues with audio during calls and problems with custom picture themes .
Ease of Use tieR4R9R12R18
Facebook Facebook users find the app cluttered with too many stories on the home screen R18 and complain about the new updates making the experience ugly and clumsy R9. Many struggle with basic functions like changing profile pictures R4 or getting responses to load R12. The newsfeed is often filled with irrelevant posts from people users don't know , and the web browser version is sometimes preferred for better functionality .
Messenger Messenger is generally considered easy to use , with users appreciating its straightforward communication interface. However, some users report issues with auto-logout , disappearing draft messages , and messages vanishing mid-conversation . There are also complaints about glitches when opening chats and a white screen pop-up .
Reliability edge: MessengerR7R16R22R45
Facebook Facebook is frequently described as glitchy, with issues like content not loading R7R49, notifications constantly appearing without actual messages R16, and the app turning off music from other apps R22. Users also report problems with grey images and videos R45 and accounts being hacked R7.
Messenger Messenger users experience glitches such as the app becoming hot on iPhones , messages being auto-removed , and notifications not showing up correctly . Video calls can have issues like not ringing or minimizing problems . Despite these, many users praise its call quality and reliability even with poor network conditions R88R92.
Price/Value edge: MessengerR3R12R19R21
Facebook Facebook is a free app, but users widely complain about the overwhelming number of ads, which often appear every other post R3R12R19R21. These ads detract significantly from the user experience, making it difficult to see friends' posts R3R21.
Messenger Messenger is also a free app. While some users express general dissatisfaction with Meta apps consuming data , there are no specific complaints about excessive advertising within Messenger itself, unlike Facebook.
Support tieR33R34R37R40
Facebook Facebook's customer support is a major point of frustration for users. Many report being unable to get help with account suspensions R37, login verification issues R33, or hacked accounts R34R40. Users describe support as uncooperative and unresponsive R34R40.
Messenger Messenger users also report issues related to account verification, with some being asked to verify their identity multiple times or facing unknown suspensions . There are general complaints about Meta's customer service being terrible , but fewer specific instances of unresponsiveness compared to Facebook's core app.
Pick Facebook if

Pick Facebook if you primarily want a broad social networking platform for sharing posts, photos, and engaging with a wide community, and you are willing to tolerate a high volume of ads and occasional technical issues .

Pick Messenger if

Pick Messenger if your main priority is reliable and clear communication, especially for calls and messaging with friends and family, and you enjoy features like messenger games and customizable chat experiences R74R92.

Evidence note: The evidence for Messenger's support is less detailed, often generalized to 'Meta,' making a direct comparison to Facebook's specific support complaints challenging.

Frequently asked

Is Facebook or Messenger better for calls?
Messenger is generally better for calls, with users praising its clarity and reliability for long-distance conversations, even when network conditions are poor R88R92R110. Some users specifically note the ability to FaceTime people who don't have iPhones through Messenger R74.
Why does Facebook have so many ads?
Facebook has a very high volume of ads, with users reporting that ads appear every other post, making it difficult to see content from friends and family R3R21R27. This is a frequent complaint that significantly detracts from the user experience R19.
Do both apps have glitches?
Yes, both apps have users reporting glitches; Facebook users experience issues with content loading, notifications, and app stability R7R16R22R49, while Messenger users report problems with app heating, disappearing messages, and notification delays .

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. [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.
  2. [R5] Facebook 5/5 · US 8ballStrike: I think it is the best game ever made
  3. [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
  4. [R15] Facebook 3/5 · US Tags, hashtags, and more not up to par: Do you hate churches and spiritual people? Can no longer tag people during a Facebook Live. Can’t find the hashtags that used to be used just 3 months ago. Can’t edit a comment during a live (I’m the host) and can’t put up a photo during a live. All this used to be done before. Please bring all these functionalities back!
  5. [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??
  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. [R7] Facebook 1/5 · US Ridiculous: Can’t get half the stuff to load and people hacking accounts left and right
  10. [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
  11. [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.
  12. [R45] Facebook 3/5 · GB Grey Images and Videos: What is happening with the Grey images and Videos ? A lot of users have this issue
  13. [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
  14. [R19] Facebook 2/5 · US Sucks: Too much advertising and too many fake stories! Gone down hill.
  15. [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
  16. [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.
  17. [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
  18. [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
  19. [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
  20. [R74] Messenger 5/5 · US this is the best title: you can FaceTime people when you can’t do it off of their phone cause I don’t have an iPhone
  21. [R88] Messenger 2/5 · US The Clarity!: I’m in Los Angeles and I just talked to my wife in Paris on messenger and the clarity was unbelievable, and there was absolutely no delay in the phone call whatsoever, which really is amazing. We downloaded another Messenger so that we could talk, but nothing beats Facebook
  22. [R92] Messenger 5/5 · US Never disappointing: I love when I can use messenger even when wifi and T mobile can't pick up the call. Sound is clear and I haven't had a problem with the call dropping.
  23. [R110] Messenger 5/5 · US Sisters!: I wonderful way to have a long chat with my sister in Australia.
  24. [R27] Facebook 3/5 · US Ads: Too many ads
  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

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