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

Instagram vs Facebook

Instagram 4.7★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Instagram
Facebook 4.5★ · Free + IAP 55

Instagram is generally preferred for its community and content, but both apps suffer from significant user frustration regarding AI features, excessive ads, and poor customer support.

Full reviews: Instagram · Facebook

Instagram and Facebook, both Meta platforms, face similar user complaints about intrusive AI, overwhelming ads, and account suspension issues. While Instagram is praised for its community and ease of use, Facebook is valued for connecting with friends and its Marketplace, despite its flaws.

Head to head

Features and Content tieR2R4R5R6
Instagram Instagram users appreciate new content and features, with some wishing for more control over photo carousels and story prompts R2R5R6. However, a significant number express frustration with the forced integration of AI features like chatbots and avatars, and too many ads R4R10R13R46. Some also report glitches with notifications and the app's interface .
Facebook Facebook users value the app for connecting with friends and finding relatable information . The Marketplace is a key feature for many, though it's also a source of frustration due to irrelevant listings and suspension issues . Users dislike the cluttered home screen, the prevalence of stories, and the lack of control over content .
Ease of Use edge: InstagramR11R12R31R36
Instagram Instagram is generally considered easy to use and helpful for businesses R11. However, users report glitches with updates, such as the repost button not appearing or the reorder grid feature not working R12R31. Some also mention issues with the app stopping opening or crashing after updates R36.
Facebook Facebook users experience issues with updates making the app ugly and clumsy . Problems include difficulty opening responses, the camera function not working, and grey images/videos . Login issues due to excessive verification are also a common complaint .
Reliability and Support tieR1R7R16R19
Instagram Instagram users frequently report mass suspensions and account disabling for no clear reason, with many losing access to their memories R1R7R19R40. There's widespread dissatisfaction with customer support, with users stating it's difficult to get help or speak to a human R22R32. Issues with reporting inappropriate content also go unresolved R16.
Facebook Facebook users also face account suspension and hacking issues, with some losing years of content and receiving no help from Meta R67. Many complain about inconsistent moderation, censorship, and reports of violations not being acted upon . Login and verification problems are also common .
Price/Value tieR13R64R75R81
Instagram Instagram is a free app, but users are increasingly frustrated by the overwhelming number of ads, with some reporting that every 2-3 posts are ads R13. This significantly detracts from the user experience.
Facebook Facebook is also a free app, but users widely complain about the excessive number of ads, stating that ads appear every other post and hinder seeing friends' content R64R75R81. Some ads even override phone brightness settings .
Pick Instagram if

You prioritize a visually-driven social experience and a platform that feels easy to use for sharing content, despite frustrations with AI and ads R11.

Pick Facebook if

You want to connect with a broad network of friends and family, utilize a built-in marketplace, and engage with diverse groups, even with the prevalence of ads and occasional technical issues .

Evidence note: Both apps receive a high volume of negative reviews, often related to similar issues like AI integration, ads, and account management. The lifetime ratings are high, but recent reviews skew negative, indicating growing user dissatisfaction.

Frequently asked

Are Instagram and Facebook free to use?
Yes, both Instagram and Facebook are free to use, but both platforms heavily integrate in-app purchases (IAP) and users frequently complain about the overwhelming number of ads R13R64R75.
Do Instagram and Facebook have issues with AI features?
Yes, both Instagram and Facebook users express significant frustration with the integration of AI features, with many finding them annoying, useless, and feeling like AI is being 'shoved down our throats' R4R10R13R46.
Is customer support good for Instagram or Facebook?
No, customer support for both Instagram and Facebook is widely criticized, with users reporting long wait times, difficulty getting help, and an inability to speak to a human, especially concerning account suspensions and hacking R22R32R40R67.

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] Instagram 5/5 · US Cool: Coming up with new stuff every day
  2. [R4] Instagram 1/5 · US Random features and useless AI: The AI features and random new additions are so goddamn annoying. We don’t need an AI chatbot, we don’t need AI avatars, and we don’t need whatever “instants” are
  3. [R5] Instagram 5/5 · US LOVE: Love the app but I wish I had the update where I can move around the pictures on the carousel to change which one is the cover photo🥹
  4. [R6] Instagram 3/5 · US Add your’s story prompts needs its own section.: Instagram knows that story engagement is paramount given feed posting is no longer as popular. The “add your’s” story prompts and other story features, I.e custom filters made by creators need to be way more easily findable. I don’t want to solely rely on a friends story to add my own post.
  5. [R11] Instagram 5/5 · US I love IG: Out of all the social medias Instagram is definitely my favorite. I feel it’s very easy to use and is very helpful as a business
  6. [R12] Instagram 3/5 · US Unfair: Love this app and was super upset when all my friends got the new reorder grid update and it's been weeks and I still haven't.
  7. [R31] Instagram 1/5 · US Reorder grid isn’t working: Please fix. Keeps saying something’s wrong error
  8. [R36] Instagram 3/5 · GB Stopped opening!: Instagram App stopped working after version 436.0.0 did not work on 437.0.0 or 437.0.1 - my iPad version is 16.7.16 😥
  9. [R1] Instagram 1/5 · US Mass suspension: Instagram is a really amazing app but the mass suspension going on by the ai reviews is really concerning and frustrating. I got my ig account @au10entiko, perma suspended after it was doing amazing with reels and post. I was getting a lot of views and likes, and one day I get suspended for a reason that wasn’t even close to being true. I hope you resolve this issue, and I hope t
  10. [R7] Instagram 1/5 · US Stop banning for no reason: Dear instagram my account 5waystogettothapape got suspended but this is the 20th I been suspended. And this is wrongly m. I didn’t do nun.
  11. [R16] Instagram 1/5 · US Racist platform: This app genuinely sucks, people in here are so rude and racist. Whenever I report something NOTHING gets done. Not to mention the state of the comments after they added the image feature.
  12. [R19] Instagram 1/5 · US They will suspend your account and won't tell you why: Had to finally delete the app after years of using and loving it because they suspended my account for absolutely NO reason! All my memories are GONE! including my PROM PICTURES!!!!!!! I'm incredibly disappointed and will never recommend this app to anybody unless they want to lose all their memories for zero reason
  13. [R13] Instagram 1/5 · US Way too many ads: Every 2-3 post is an ad. And the other one is an influencer selling you something. So that makes 33-50% of the content you see to be ads. Also the worst AI I have ever seen so far is the Meta AI. And now it’s in everything.
  14. [R64] Facebook 1/5 · US Too many ads , algorithm not refined enough: Title says it all
  15. [R75] 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. [R81] Facebook 3/5 · US Ads: Too many ads
  17. [R10] Instagram 1/5 · US We're going downhill: I used to love instagram- but with all the new updates, it feels as if AI is being shoved down our throats. I'm ready to just delete it.
  18. [R46] Instagram 1/5 · US Poor App: Added AI to everything so now it sucks
  19. [R22] Instagram 1/5 · US Support sucks bad: I’ve been waiting for a week to get care minimum help. I am very unhappy with instagram.
  20. [R32] Instagram 5/5 · US Instagram: Great community that I only wish had an option to speak to a human for help when it is needed. Customer service is the only thing I think is desperately needed. The app is a truly great way to connect people
  21. [R40] Instagram 1/5 · US Disabled for nothing and I can’t even contact anyone: I had this same ig for years and got banned it’s been about 2 months everytime I try to make an acc the account gets instantly disabled please recover my account @jaixcartier @mon3cler
  22. [R67] Facebook 1/5 · US Meta Hack and lost over 20 Years of work: A boy name Gabriel Solis QuisQuina hacked into my Meta Account and posted some things involving a minor. When I try to retrieve this download report, it will not allow me to review it. Meta is a generated A.I. that will allow a person to hacked and retrieve people’s data and it will take months to get an account back. This really piss me off

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