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WhatsApp

Global messaging app for secure chats, calls, groups, and media sharing

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  • Overview
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Pros
  • Cons
  • Reviews

WhatsApp Overview

  • Updated January 27, 2026

WhatsApp is a globally popular messaging application owned by Meta that enables users to send text messages, voice notes, images, documents, and videos over the internet. It supports voice and video calls, group chats, and business messaging.

Known for its simple interface and end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp is widely used for personal, professional, and community communication across mobile and desktop platforms.

Key Features

  • End-to-end encrypted text, voice, and video messaging
  • Voice and video calls with individuals or groups
  • Group chats with communities and broadcast lists
  • Media and document sharing
  • Multi-device support across mobile and desktop
  • Status updates with photos and videos
  • WhatsApp Business tools for customer communication

Price

Plan Price
WhatsApp (Consumer Messaging & Calling) Free
WhatsApp Business Platform (API) Per-message pricing (varies by market & message category: Marketing, Utility, Authentication; Service messages are free)

Price details: https://business.whatsapp.com/products/platform-pricing

Pros

Competitor

Pros
Telegram Compared to Telegram, WhatsApp offers a simpler, more familiar interface with stronger default privacy through end-to-end encryption enabled automatically for all chats. Its global user base is significantly larger, making it easier to reach contacts without asking them to switch apps, and voice/video calling reliability is generally more consistent.
Signal Versus Signal, WhatsApp provides broader functionality such as large group chats, Channels, Status updates, and better multimedia sharing while remaining free to use. WhatsApp’s onboarding is easier for non-technical users, and its massive adoption makes it more practical for everyday communication despite Signal’s stronger privacy-first positioning.
WeChat Compared with WeChat, WhatsApp is lighter, faster, and more focused on messaging without bundling payments, mini-apps, or social feeds. This simplicity improves ease of use and performance, especially outside Asia, and WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption offers stronger privacy protections than WeChat’s more centralized model.
Facebook Messenger Against Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp delivers stronger privacy by default with end-to-end encryption on all chats and calls. It also has fewer ads and distractions, offering a cleaner experience. WhatsApp works reliably across low-bandwidth networks, making it more accessible and dependable for international communication.
iMessage Compared to iMessage, WhatsApp is fully cross-platform, working seamlessly on Android, iOS, and web. This makes it more inclusive for mixed-device groups. It also supports international messaging without SMS fees, includes group calling across platforms, and provides a consistent experience regardless of device brand.

Cons

Competitor

Cons
Telegram Compared to Telegram, WhatsApp is less flexible for power users, lacking advanced features like large public channels with granular moderation, bots, and extensive customization. File size limits are lower, cloud-based message history is less accessible, and multi-device support, while improving, is still more limited than Telegram’s seamless syncing.
Signal When compared to Signal, WhatsApp raises more privacy concerns due to its ownership by Meta and associated data-sharing policies. Signal collects minimal metadata, while WhatsApp gathers more usage information. Privacy-focused users may also dislike WhatsApp’s integration with business messaging and commercial features.
WeChat Relative to WeChat, WhatsApp lacks an integrated ecosystem such as payments, mini-programs, and official services within the app. This makes it less suitable for users who want an all-in-one platform for communication, shopping, and services, particularly in markets where WeChat functions as a digital wallet and super app.
Facebook Messenger Compared with Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp offers fewer social and discovery features, such as integrated games, chat themes, and direct social media interaction. Businesses may also find WhatsApp’s API pricing model and setup more complex than Messenger’s tools, especially for small companies new to automated messaging.
iMessage Against iMessage, WhatsApp lacks deep operating system integration and polished extras like Animoji, FaceTime tie-ins, and seamless SMS fallback. iMessage also benefits from Apple’s ecosystem-level optimization, while WhatsApp relies on an external app experience that can feel less refined on Apple devices.

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