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

Rakuten Viber Messenger vs Snapchat

Rakuten Viber Messenger 4.6★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner Rakuten Viber Messenger
Snapchat 4.5★ · Free + IAP 60

Rakuten Viber Messenger is the better choice for reliable communication with strong privacy concerns, while Snapchat excels in social interaction and creative features, despite recent monetization issues.

Full reviews: Rakuten Viber Messenger · Snapchat

Rakuten Viber Messenger offers robust messaging and calling, with users appreciating its security and reliability, though recent forced AI integration has caused significant backlash. Snapchat is favored for its social features, filters, and casual communication, but faces criticism for aggressive monetization, account bans, and storage changes.

Head to head

Core Messaging & Calling edge: Rakuten Viber MessengerR2R8R35R21
Rakuten Viber Messenger Rakuten Viber Messenger is highly praised for its excellent messaging and calling features, offering reliable communication for both domestic and international contacts R2R8R35. Users find it convenient and easy to use for business and personal communication R21R56.
Snapchat Snapchat is used for calling and chatting with friends . However, its core messaging functionality is less emphasized, with more focus on ephemeral content and social interaction.
Features & Innovation edge: SnapchatR8R23R57R4
Rakuten Viber Messenger Viber users appreciate features like sending pictures and messages, video chat, and customization of backgrounds and themes R8R23R57. However, recent forced integration of ChatGPT and business threads without opt-out options has been met with strong negative feedback, with users calling it 'junk' and 'AI slop' R4R16. Some users also desire features like stories and screen-sharing .
Snapchat Snapchat is loved for its wide variety of filters, Bitmoji customization, and social features . Users enjoy snapping friends and making memories R84. However, some features, like director mode, have been removed, and users desire more customization for Bitmoji .
Ease of Use & Reliability tieR21R56R1R9
Rakuten Viber Messenger Viber is generally considered easy and quick to use R21R56. However, users report issues with login, connection problems, and sending images/videos R1R9. There are also complaints about the edit button not working, purple screen errors, and disappearing messages . The backup system is criticized for not restoring recent chats .
Snapchat Snapchat is seen as easy to use for social interaction. However, users frequently report issues with account bans, login problems, and difficulty recovering accounts R64R67. Some users also experience bugs with the navigation bar and issues with saved photos not loading .
Privacy & Monetization edge: Rakuten Viber MessengerR2R4R16R19
Rakuten Viber Messenger Viber is praised for its security R2. However, recent updates have raised significant privacy concerns due to the forced integration of ChatGPT without an opt-out, which users fear involves selling their data R4R16R19. Users also complain about excessive ads, including those for Viber Plus R19.
Snapchat Snapchat users are increasingly frustrated with aggressive monetization strategies. This includes ads, features moving behind paywalls (Snapchat Plus), and charging for storage of memories that were previously free R75R82. Users feel that the app is getting greedy and changing terms after they've already subscribed R100.
Customer Support edge: Rakuten Viber MessengerR29R50R73R114
Rakuten Viber Messenger Viber users have positive experiences with customer support, noting quick and operative help with issues like transferring accounts to new numbers R29R50.
Snapchat Snapchat users report a lack of effective support, with complaints about no support or email, and appeals for banned accounts going unanswered R73R114.
Pick Rakuten Viber Messenger if

you prioritize secure and reliable messaging and calling, especially for international communication, and value good customer support R2R8R29R50. You should also pick Viber if you need a communication app for business or community use R21.

Pick Snapchat if

you primarily use messaging apps for casual social interaction, enjoy creative filters and Bitmoji, and want to connect with friends through ephemeral content .

Evidence note: Recent reviews for Rakuten Viber Messenger are heavily skewed negative due to the forced ChatGPT integration, which significantly impacts its overall user sentiment despite a higher lifetime rating. Snapchat's reviews show a consistent pattern of frustration with monetization and account issues, despite its popularity.

Frequently asked

Does Rakuten Viber Messenger have good privacy?
Rakuten Viber Messenger has historically been praised for its security R2, but recent forced integration of ChatGPT without an opt-out option has raised significant privacy concerns among users, who fear their data is being sold R4R28R43.
Why are Snapchat users complaining about storage?
Snapchat users are complaining because the app is now charging for storage of 'Memories' which were previously free, and users fear their old photos and videos will be deleted if they don't pay R75R82R96R100.
Is it hard to get banned from Snapchat?
Many Snapchat users report being banned from the app for no clear reason, often without the ability to appeal or recover their accounts, leading to significant frustration R64R67R72R84.

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] Rakuten Viber Messenger 5/5 · US Viber: Viber provides excellent messaging and calling features with great security and reliability.
  2. [R8] Rakuten Viber Messenger 5/5 · US Great Communications app: I’ve been using Viber for years and have been very happy with it. I’m able to communicate by phone, text or video with loved ones who live abroad. Signal continues to improve. I have no complaints.
  3. [R35] Rakuten Viber Messenger 5/5 · US Helpful apps: Awesome, clear, and quality.
  4. [R21] Rakuten Viber Messenger 3/5 · US Feedback for Viber: I find Viber very convenient and easy to use for business communication. It’s user-friendly and I personally prefer it over many other communication apps. However, there is one issue that I often face. Images and files that were sent earlier sometimes expire or become unavailable over time. When I need to search for important files again, I’m unable to find or access them. I wo
  5. [R23] Rakuten Viber Messenger 4/5 · US Almost Perfect.: Viber app is so practical and allows me to connect worldwide. Send pics and messages and video chat. Everything is good except data management. It stores on phone memory unlike FB messenger which allows me to store data using their system.
  6. [R57] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US ChatGPT and Gen AI: I’ve used Viber for years and have by in large loved it. It was easy to use, worked even when my SMS messages didn’t (which was a common issue for me), and allowed a level of customization of backgrounds and themes not a lot of other apps did. I even bought the Viber Plus subscription because I felt like I was supporting a company that was doing a “lesser evil” than some of its
  7. [R4] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US Forced AI no opt out: I used to love Viber however I am deleting my account permanently due to the forced ChatGPT integration and lack of a privacy opt-out switch. Not cool Viber and Apple! I won’t have you hold me hostage.
  8. [R56] Rakuten Viber Messenger 5/5 · US Best communication app ever: Easy and quick to use
  9. [R1] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US Problem with the app: When i write my number I only get phone option.. there’s no sms option and the phones options isn’t working
  10. [R9] Rakuten Viber Messenger 3/5 · US Lately, sending pictures and videos has been inconvenient. · translated
  11. [R16] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US Forced ChatGPT feature: Viber added a ChatGPT feature that I do not need and do not want to use and did not provide an opt out option.
  12. [R19] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US Remove chatgpt: Remove chat gpt. I understand it’s optional to use but I don’t want it there at all. I want it gone. I don’t want random message tab with chat GPT that drives me insane that I can’t hide it, i don’t want the bar on bottom show the icon in the center. Make it gone. I will never use it, never did. I don’t want my viber looking like bot. Viber app looks like spam right now filled with
  13. [R29] Rakuten Viber Messenger 5/5 · US User support: I really appreciate user support team's effort. Good job.
  14. [R50] Rakuten Viber Messenger 5/5 · US Number change: The support team helped resolve the issue of transferring the app to a new number. Everything was done quickly and efficiently. · translated
  15. [R73] Snapchat 1/5 · US No support: L app, no support or email. pages don’t work either .
  16. [R114] Snapchat 3/5 · GB disappointed to say the least: i had an account with 14k followers and a million snapscore, also continuously paying for snapchat plus for 4 years STRAIGHT. i got banned one day and my account locked tried to appeal and they didn’t reply. i’m very disappointed. i cannot talk to my friends or grandparents because of this, i am very lonely now. i wasted money just for my account to be banned i’m so
  17. [R28] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US ChatGPT now built in and inescapable. Why??: Nobody asked for your AI slop. We know that the only way Viber is providing ChatGPT to users “for free” is by selling our data to OpenAI. Nobody wants this malignant technology built in. Will be deleting my Viber account and removing the app from my phone. Genuinely disgusted.
  18. [R43] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US Forcing ChatGPT: Forcing ChatGPT on users who have supported this app almost from the beginning is terrible. It’s activated automatically without asking permission and even when disabled and chat cleared it still lingers on the chat list and can’t be removed. This is a major privacy concern and not a feature anyone asked for or needed.
  19. [R75] Snapchat 3/5 · US Snap chat storage: It's very upsetting I've had Snapchat since 2013 and it's now trying to charge for storage
  20. [R82] Snapchat 1/5 · US memories: please let me keep my memories this is ridiculous i have barley any iphone storage so i have been using snapchat as my camera roll for years just for all of my memories to get deleted soon. please change this i beg
  21. [R96] Snapchat 3/5 · US Snapchat Review: I love snapchat but I hate how they make you PAY for storage after not having us pay for the past 15 years and now if you don’t pay it will delete your memories. Honestly makes me want to delete the app.
  22. [R100] Snapchat 1/5 · US Greed: Disgusting behavior trying to force your community to pay for the photos they already had
  23. [R64] Snapchat 2/5 · US It’s ok: I had Snapchat for two years and it was fun but then I got banned for no reason, and I used it all the time.
  24. [R67] Snapchat 1/5 · US Bad: Banned me for no reason
  25. [R72] Snapchat 3/5 · US It’s cool: Got banned for life on my old one for no reason and there was nothing I could do to fix it
  26. [R84] Snapchat 3/5 · US snap: i love snapchat snapping everyone making memories but few things that i don’t really like that is you have to pay for the memories that you want to save from like the beginning of when you got it it got me logged out of it and stuff and i can’t talk to my best friend anymore that i have no contact with we just had snap not number or anything and it banned me for no reason and i didn’t do any

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