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

WeChat vs Facebook

WeChat 3.9★ · Free + IAP 70
Winner Tie
Facebook 4.5★ · Free + IAP 68

WeChat is better for international communication and integrated services, especially for connecting with people in Asia, while Facebook excels as a general social networking platform for staying in touch with a broader circle, despite its issues with ads and glitches.

Full reviews: WeChat · Facebook

WeChat is highly valued for its robust communication tools, including international calls and payments, particularly for users connecting with family and friends in Asia. Facebook, with its massive user base, remains a popular choice for general social networking, though it faces significant criticism for excessive ads and technical issues.

Head to head

Communication & Connectivity edge: WeChatR5R14R17R48
WeChat WeChat is praised for enabling communication with relatives in Asia and facilitating international calls and texts, even across different phone types R5R14R48. It also offers features like voice and video calls, and photo sharing R17.
Facebook Facebook helps users stay in touch with loved ones and friends, providing a platform for general social interaction . However, some users report issues with adding friends or finding people .
Features & Functionality edge: WeChatR5R17R48R4
WeChat WeChat offers a wide range of features including messaging, voice/video calls, social networking, and mobile payments R5R17. Users appreciate the translation feature for communicating across languages R48. However, some find the app's size and the number of integrated, often unwanted, features like 'Small Shop' overwhelming and disruptive to the user experience R4R16R37R43. There are also requests for more customization options, like message ringtones or chat bubble colors .
Facebook Facebook serves as a broad social media platform with features for sharing posts, stories, and connecting with local news . Users desire more options for emojis and music in posts . The platform is criticized for a cluttered interface and an algorithm that prioritizes ads over friend content .
Ease of Use & Account Management tieR17R1R6R10
WeChat WeChat is generally considered easy to use for its core communication functions R17. However, a significant number of users report severe difficulties with account creation and login, often requiring an existing member to scan a QR code for verification, which is a major barrier for new users without existing connections R1R6R10R13. Account blocking and restrictions without clear reasons are also frequent complaints, making it hard for users to access their accounts .
Facebook Facebook is generally perceived as easy to use . However, users encounter login issues, including difficulties with verification codes and being unable to log in on new devices without their phone . Some users also report their accounts being disabled without clear justification .
Reliability & Performance tieR39R18R24R38
WeChat WeChat users report issues with app stability, including frequent crashes R39 and messages not syncing between devices R18. Some experience problems with specific features, like pictures not opening in Excel sheets after updates R24 or video calls being cropped on iPad R38. The app is also noted for using a lot of memory .
Facebook Facebook is frequently criticized for being glitchy, with pages not loading, videos freezing, and notifications lagging or disappearing R66R82. A common complaint is that the app steals audio from other apps like Spotify .
User Experience & Ads edge: WeChatR4R16R37R43
WeChat WeChat's user experience is negatively impacted by the forced inclusion of shopping features and frequent, intrusive ads, sometimes using system notifications R4R16R37R43. Users express frustration over the inability to disable these unwanted features and ads R37. There are also concerns about privacy and data collection .
Facebook Facebook is heavily criticized for an overwhelming number of ads that disrupt the user experience, appearing frequently in feeds and covering parts of videos R61R64R75R79. Users find the ads irrelevant and annoying, wishing for more content from friends instead . Concerns about privacy and content moderation are also present .
Pick WeChat if

You primarily need to communicate with friends and family in Asia, require integrated payment and translation features, and are willing to navigate some account setup complexities.

Pick Facebook if

You want a broad social networking platform to connect with a wide circle of friends and family, follow local news, and are tolerant of frequent ads and occasional technical issues.

Evidence note: WeChat's reviews are fewer and often highlight specific frustrations with account access and unwanted features, while Facebook's vast number of reviews show a broader range of complaints, particularly regarding ads and app performance. The free-to-use nature of both apps means many negative reviews stem from general user experience friction rather than paid features.

Frequently asked

Which app is better for international communication?
WeChat is highly recommended for international communication, especially for connecting with people in Asia, as it offers reliable messaging, voice, and video calls, along with useful translation features R5R14R48.
Do either of these apps have too many ads?
Both apps have issues with ads, but Facebook is more frequently and severely criticized for an overwhelming number of ads that disrupt the user experience, appearing too often and covering content R61R64R75R79. WeChat also has unwanted shopping features and ads, but the complaints are fewer in comparison R4R16R37.
Is it hard to create an account on WeChat?
Yes, many users find it difficult to create a WeChat account, often reporting that they need an existing member to scan a QR code for verification, which is a significant barrier for new users who don't have friends already on the platform R1R6R10R13.
Which app has better technical reliability?
Both apps have reliability issues; WeChat users report crashes and syncing problems R39R18, while Facebook users frequently complain about glitches, freezing videos, and notifications not working R66R82. Neither app consistently outperforms the other in terms of technical reliability.

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. [R5] WeChat 5/5 · US Super useful: It helped me communicate with my relatives in Asia since they didn’t have messages. Also, it is very useful for paying and transferring money to other people. You don’t need to use cash and credit card anymore.
  2. [R14] WeChat 5/5 · US Love this app: This app is great! You can call friends and text them from all over the world. If your friend is using a different phone you can also text/call them! You can post what you did today and share it with your friends and they can comment/like it. In general this app is great not only you can talk to people all over the world but you can also talk to people that is using another phone!
  3. [R17] WeChat 5/5 · US Best: My experience with WeChat has been quite good. It is a useful app for messaging, voice and video calls, and sharing photos with friends and family. I also like that it includes extra features such as mobile payments and social networking. The app is easy to use, and communication is usually fast and reliable.
  4. [R48] WeChat 5/5 · US Must Have App!: This app is amazing it translates and helps me communicate with my friends that speak different languages other than English. Absolutely phenomenal and a must have to talk to your friends from all around the world. Love it
  5. [R4] WeChat 2/5 · US Why add a "mini-shop" module to the international version? Ever since a "mini-shop" feature was added to the "Cards & Offers" module, it frequently displays product ads, even using system notifications (badges/red dots) to induce clicks. The app's interface consistency is ruined, and user experience is greatly diminished! I really don't understand why WeChat would add a mini-shop feature to the international version. Does anyone outside China actually use it? Does it accept foreign cards? Can purchases be shipped to international addresses? Can it assist with customs clearance? After clearance, is there a local service provider for delivery? Is there international after-sales service? What's the point of rushing to push this feature when these issues haven't been resolved step-by-step? Even if you push the mini-shop feature and show ads, why do you pop up system notifications on the bottom bar's "Me" tab? Is that fun, product manager, I ask you! If I win a bar of soap in a lottery, can I go knock on your door with gongs? Ah! · translated
  6. [R1] WeChat 1/5 · US Tengo problema no me deja iniciar: Menos de una estrella le daría ni me deja iniciar y no hay otro modo de iniciar sección
  7. [R6] WeChat 3/5 · US acception: i want someone to help me to join app with scanning my QR cood
  8. [R10] WeChat 1/5 · US Rubbish app: To create account dose not suppose to need membership help, is not making any sense 😂 What about those people that want to join and don’t have any member close to them?
  9. [R39] WeChat 2/5 · US The latest 8.0.75 version crashes easily: Every time I switch back from another app, there's a high chance of having to log in again. · translated
  10. [R18] WeChat 3/5 · GB Messages not syncing between two phones: As the title says, it's very annoying. · translated
  11. [R24] WeChat 3/5 · GB New Update issue: Whenever I receive new excel sheet from someone , the pictures in the sheet is not opening and I can’t see my products list or photos . CHECK EXCEL SHEETS .. NEW UPDATE has this problem !! Please resolve
  12. [R38] WeChat 4/5 · US Fix bug: WeChat video call on iPad PiP picture size are accurate, but video full screen on iPad picture is cropped and zoomed in. Video call was from Samsung tab ultra to iPad
  13. [R16] WeChat 1/5 · US Updates are getting bigger and bigger with a bunch of useless features: Mini-shop and Cards & Offers. Many features cannot be disabled. Hope for a clean version of WeChat. · translated
  14. [R37] WeChat 1/5 · US WeChat Mini-Shop has no shame: Mini-shop notifications cannot be turned off or hidden. Forcing a shopping feature onto a communication app is absolutely disgusting. The product manager who came up with this feature is seriously lacking in virtue. · translated
  15. [R43] WeChat 1/5 · US Messy and bad 👎: An app bigger than the OS. All sorts of cluttered features are crammed in. And they can't be turned off. For example, 'My Posts,' 'Orders,' and 'Cards & Offers.' · translated
  16. [R61] Facebook 2/5 · US It’s getting old: Facebook is starting to get old… and has WAY TOO MANY ADS😩 The ads at the bottom of the videos are the worse! When you click on them to close so that you can see what’s going on, on the bottom and you accidentally open them up and they don’t close is annoying! I literally see more ads than I see my friend’s pages/posts 😡🤬
  17. [R64] Facebook 1/5 · US Hot garbage: Lots of unwanted ads that are both disgusting and unending. If you report the ads you just see more. Find another way to keep in touch with your family.
  18. [R75] Facebook 3/5 · US Social media flaw: Way to many adds and most are not relatable
  19. [R79] Facebook 1/5 · US Ads, ads annoying ads: The algorithm is unforgiving
  20. [R13] WeChat 1/5 · US Sucks literally trash: I can’t even sign up I don’t anybody that uses this app I just need it for my fardriver and it’s not letting me sign up cus I have to get it scanned by someone that has the app but literally nobody has it cus this app is straight ahh
  21. [R66] Facebook 3/5 · US Notifications & other: I am experiencing disappearing notifications and slow response to regular commands. Regarding the notifications, when I first open that window there are none when notifications are showing on the function bar at the bottom of the page. When I grab the notification window and pull it down the notifications appear then disappear again. As far as the slow response I indicate
  22. [R82] Facebook 1/5 · US Glitchy AF: I’ve had to uninstall and reinstall the app to get it working properly. And it still glitches.

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