Review score: 72 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.0★ · 272,787 ratings
72of 100
Telegram remains one of the most fully featured messengers: fast sync, channels, and cloud storage all work reliably. But editing messages breaks the keyboard, and signing in without a phone number is still not possible.
Praised
Fast message delivery, a lightweight client, and regular updates with genuinely new features.
Complaints
The editor covers the text with the keyboard, making it nearly impossible to fix a message in a channel.
Best for: People who want a messenger with channels and file storage
Review score: 68 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 1,053,068 ratings
68of 100
Signal encrypts properly and holds up on privacy, but message delivery delays and inconsistent voice call quality come up regularly in reviews. It is not ready to be someone's only messenger.
Praised
Users trust the app enough to build local communities around it and treat it as infrastructure.
Complaints
Messages often hang on 'Delivering' for several hours, and voice calls drop and sound unstable.
Best for: People who value privacy over convenience
Review score: 66 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 64,874 ratings
66of 100
A rare tool for creating chat-format stories that kids and teenagers have used for years for fan fiction and roleplay scenes. The core mechanic works reliably, but gradual paywalling of previously free features like colors and avatars hurts the most active part of the audience.
Praised
The 'write a conversation' format offers an easy path into storytelling for people who do not like writing prose.
Complaints
Basic character customization that used to be free is now behind a paywall, so stories all look the same.
Best for: Teen fan fiction writers and fans of roleplay stories
Rank 4. Review score: 62 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 18,157,399 ratings
62of 100
A global messenger with end-to-end encryption that covers the basic need for internet-based communication. Its weak point is mass unjustified account bans with no real support path and reliability issues with video calls.
Praised: Works where there is no reliable cellular service and across borders without roaming charges.
Complaints: The ban algorithm triggers on normal actions like messaging new contacts, and recovering an account is nearly impossible.
Best for: People who communicate with friends or family abroad
Rank 5. Review score: 61 out of 100. App Store rating: 3.9★ · 80,235 ratings
61of 100
Essential for staying in touch with Chinese relatives and colleagues, but registering without a contact already inside the platform is nearly impossible, and random account bans without explanation damage relationships with diaspora users. Calls and messaging are stable once you have an account.
Praised: Voice and video calls across borders work reliably and connect families in different countries.
Complaints: Signing up requires scanning a QR code with someone else's account, which makes registration contingent on knowing the right person.
Best for: Chinese people living abroad and their families
Rank 6. Review score: 60 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 2,152,239 ratings
60of 100
Marco Polo is an async video messenger for family and close friends: record a video, the other person watches when convenient. The core works, but captions have been moved behind a paywall, recordings sometimes cut off mid-message, and transcripts recently disappeared.
Praised: The video-voicemail format removes the pressure to reply immediately and keeps communication feel personal even across large time zone gaps.
Complaints: Subtitles and transcripts have been moved to a paid subscription, cutting off deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Best for: Families and close friends who want to see each other's faces but live in different time zones
Rank 7. Review score: 58 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 12,846,594 ratings
58of 100
A messenger built on the Facebook network with good call and video quality. The main flaw is duplicate and delayed notifications, and a persistent Meta AI that cannot be turned off.
Praised: Video calls work cleanly and stably, connecting people across the world with no noticeable lag.
Complaints: Read-message notifications repeat hours later, making it impossible to know what is actually new.
Best for: Facebook users who want to call and message in one place
Rank 8. Review score: 58 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.1★ · 36,764 ratings
58of 100
Apple's system messenger works as the default for anyone with an iPhone, but has accumulated real problems: texts 'teleport' between chats, group chat is capped at around 20 people, the sensitive content filter blocks harmless photos and interferes with calls. Message delivery reliability is questioned by a number of users.
Praised: Works without extra apps with any device including Android, and requires no registration.
Complaints: The group chat participant limit and an unpredictable content filter that blocks normal photos and voice calls.
Best for: iPhone owners who want one messenger for everything
Rank 9. Review score: 58 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.9★ · 20,010 ratings
58of 100
A team messenger designed for educational institutions with a solid foundation, but email login breaks, crashes happen after updates, and notification granularity leaves something to be desired.
Praised: Quick group replies and video calls run smoothly.
Complaints: There is no notification setting between 'all messages' and 'mentions only', so the phone buzzes all day.
Best for: Students and work teams on institutional platforms
Rank 10. Review score: 58 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 7,291 ratings
58of 100
A solid tool for personalized mass SMS campaigns where each recipient sees an individual message. Sending speed is slow, support is hard to reach, and delivery reliability is inconsistent.
Praised: Each recipient gets a personal message rather than a group thread, which increases the chance of a reply.
Complaints: Sending to a large group takes a long time, and each message requires a separate tap.
Best for: Organizers, coaches, and small businesses who need personalized SMS broadcasts
Rank 11. Review score: 58 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 4,228 ratings
58of 100
Privacy without a phone number and E2E encryption work, but notifications arrive hours late, video calls are unstable, and the read receipt setting appears in the toggle but does not function. Not suitable for urgent communication, but adequate for low-key private chatting.
Praised: Registration with no phone number or email: just an identifier, no personal attachment.
Complaints: Notifications about new messages arrive with delays of up to several hours.
Best for: People who need maximum anonymity and can tolerate delivery delays
Rank 12. Review score: 57 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 3,186,389 ratings
57of 100
Zoom is the de facto standard for video conferencing in remote work and education. Call quality is stable on a decent connection, but joining a session through the mobile app periodically breaks and forces a switch to the browser.
Praised: Brings people from different time zones into one video session with no setup needed — just a link, and everyone is in.
Complaints: Locking the phone screen during an active meeting ends the call without warning.
Best for: Teams and study groups that need scheduled video meetings
Rank 13. Review score: 57 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.4★ · 72,908 ratings
57of 100
A reliable option for video calls when FaceTime is unavailable or when cross-platform connectivity with Android users is needed. Picture quality is good, there are in-call games and drawing, but ads are intrusive and group calls perform worse than one-on-one.
Praised: Drawing on screen and mini-games during a video call make conversations feel alive.
Complaints: Adult advertisements appear on a platform marketed for teen socializing.
Best for: Children and teenagers staying in touch with friends and family
Rank 14. Review score: 55 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 3,471,460 ratings
55of 100
Discord handles organized communication for gaming and interest-based communities: servers, channels, voice rooms. The weak point on mobile is unreliable verification at login and frequent forced logouts.
Praised: Voice channels with no need to call — just join and talk until you leave.
Complaints: The CAPTCHA at login freezes on a blank screen, and getting back into an account often requires switching devices.
Best for: Gamers and online community members with persistent channels
Rank 15. Review score: 55 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 8,567 ratings
55of 100
A convenient Telegram client with additional features, but some are locked behind a paywall, ads are aggressive, and updates lag behind the official app. Without a VPN in Russia, stability is inconsistent.
Praised: Wide-format posts and extra customization tools on top of standard Telegram.
Complaints: Updates arrive later than the official client, so new Telegram features do not appear right away.
Best for: Telegram users who want extended customization
Rank 16. Review score: 55 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 5,904 ratings
55of 100
A good library of symbols and fonts for decorating messages, but the keyboard periodically stops appearing after updates, and the delete button sits too close to the working area.
Praised: A huge collection of symbols and non-standard fonts that are easy to paste into any messenger.
Complaints: No undo button means accidentally deleted text is gone for good.
Best for: People who decorate profiles and messages in games and social apps
Rank 17. Review score: 52 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 8,239,403 ratings
52of 100
ChatGPT is an AI assistant, not a messenger in the traditional sense: no message delivery between people, no groups, no contact sync. Response quality is uneven: strong on text and creative tasks, weak on precise facts and consistent memory.
Praised: Answers complex questions faster and in more detail than a search engine.
Complaints: Memory is inconsistent: it remembers facts about the user but then mixes up contexts and requires repeated reminders.
Best for: People who want an AI conversation partner for tasks, not a chat with other people
Rank 18. Review score: 52 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 303,221 ratings
52of 100
For internal work communication within Google Workspace it handles the job, but notifications drop out periodically, group chats require email invitations instead of simple adds, and Google Meet calls clutter the chat list with no way to remove them.
Praised: Cross-platform with no device lock-in, making it possible to message Android users where iMessage is unavailable.
Complaints: Notifications regularly stop working and require reinstalling the app to restore them.
Best for: Teams on Google Workspace who need a work chat
Rank 19. Review score: 52 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 113,945 ratings
52of 100
Messenger Kids solves a real problem: giving a child a safe chat under parental control with no access from strangers. But video calls freeze, group chats fail to create, and dependence on a parent's Facebook account becomes a blocker at any point of failure.
Praised: Children can message and call only contacts approved by a parent — no strangers.
Complaints: Video calls freeze and drop in the middle, and the problem is easy to reproduce.
Best for: Parents who want to give their child a messenger they can monitor
Rank 20. Review score: 52 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 15,627 ratings
52of 100
MySudo is strong as a privacy platform with multiple Sudos for different contexts, but incoming calls sometimes go straight to voicemail, message sync has delays, and support does not respond.
Praised: Multiple isolated numbers and email addresses in one app provide real control over your digital footprint.
Complaints: Incoming calls regularly fail to ring and drop to voicemail without notifying the user.
Rank 21. Review score: 52 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.4★ · 5,414 ratings
52of 100
ChatTales does one thing well: simulates a conversation between two people for storytelling and pranks. The two-character limit in the free version cuts off content creators right at the start.
Praised: A realistic iOS-style chat simulation that works well for short stories and pranks.
Complaints: The free version does not allow a third participant, making group conversations unavailable.
Best for: Text story creators and reaction video authors
Rank 22. Review score: 52 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.9★ · 5,213 ratings
52of 100
For small offline communities like running clubs or interest groups it works well enough: events, chat, and members are all in one place. The main weakness is notifications that arrive late or not at all, and there is no search through message history, which is painful for an active group.
Praised: Combines an events calendar with a group chat in one tool without extra switching.
Complaints: Notifications are unreliable, and there is no message search — very inconvenient in large groups.
Best for: Organizers of offline communities: clubs, activity groups, interest meetups
Rank 23. Review score: 48 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 103,617 ratings
48of 100
MEGA stores files with zero-knowledge encryption and a generous free tier, but video playback regularly stalls due to bandwidth quotas and encryption latency, and losing the recovery key means permanent loss of access to the account.
Praised: End-to-end encryption and 20 GB of free storage with convenient file sharing.
Complaints: Video streaming constantly buffers even on a fast connection due to server-side bandwidth limits.
Best for: Anyone who needs a private storage solution with a large free quota
Rank 25. Review score: 48 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 5,701 ratings
48of 100
Zoho Cliq integrates reasonably well with the Zoho ecosystem, but the mobile app is unstable: it crashes on older iPhones, logs itself out spontaneously, and drops notifications. That is not enough for reliable team communication.
Praised: Tight integration with other Zoho products means fewer browser tabs to juggle.
Complaints: The app logs out on its own, causing notifications to disappear at the worst possible moment.
Best for: Teams already working in Zoho One who need a built-in team chat
Rank 26. Review score: 48 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 4,826 ratings
48of 100
The idea of sending one message to a large contact list without creating a group thread is useful and workable. But as the list grows, sending speed drops sharply, the app hangs mid-broadcast, and updates periodically wipe contacts. Reliability is not enough for regular professional use.
Praised: Lets you send a personal message to hundreds of people individually rather than in a shared thread.
Complaints: With large lists (300+ contacts) the broadcast stalls and will not complete without a manual restart.
Best for: Event organizers and small businesses with regular mass broadcasts
Rank 27. Review score: 47 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 25,336 ratings
47of 100
The MagicJack VoIP app is stable enough for domestic voice calls, but suffers from system-level limitations: no MMS or photo support, spam calls reach the private number, and the call drops when the screen turns off. International calls are unreliable.
Praised: Lets you call US numbers from abroad as if it were a local call, with no roaming charges.
Complaints: No way to send or receive photos or files — only text and voice.
Best for: Americans who need a second number for calls without giving out their main one
Rank 28. Review score: 46 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.5★ · 369,670 ratings
46of 100
The app works as a social network for young people, face verification filters out some fakes, but basic messaging features are hidden behind coins, match locations are global instead of local, and bans arrive without any clear reason.
Praised: Users genuinely meet and build relationships — several reviews describe couples who got together through the app.
Complaints: Incoming messages and friend requests cannot be seen without payment, making connecting impossible without spending money.
Best for: Teenagers and young adults up to 22 looking for new friends online
Rank 29. Review score: 46 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.4★ · 20,757 ratings
46of 100
A live video chat app for strangers that worked better when it had a random matching feature, which was removed. Now calls drop after 10 to 30 seconds, coins are deducted during technical failures without refunds, and moderation fails to handle repeat offenders.
Praised: When video works stably, it genuinely connects users with real people and no bots.
Complaints: Removing the random video call feature took away the main reason users chose this app.
Best for: People who want live video conversations with strangers around shared interests
Rank 30. Review score: 44 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 831,773 ratings
44of 100
Basic messaging and calls work stably, but the forced ChatGPT integration with no way to disable it triggered widespread discontent and hurt the rating. The product is losing trust because of changes users never consented to.
Praised: Voice and video calls abroad work without notable interruptions, which users with family in other countries appreciate.
Complaints: ChatGPT is embedded permanently in the chat feed and cannot be removed even through settings — the disable option does not work.
Best for: Diaspora communities and families communicating across countries
Rank 31. Review score: 44 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 92,842 ratings
44of 100
Burner provides a real second number for calls and SMS and has served as a work line for years — that is genuine value. But the app takes 20 seconds to open, message history sometimes fails to load at all, and notifications do not arrive from unknown numbers.
Praised: A permanent second number that works for business calls without a second phone.
Complaints: The app takes an unusually long time to launch — up to 20 seconds on a modern iPhone.
Best for: Freelancers and small businesses who need a separate work number
Rank 32. Review score: 44 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 61,876 ratings
44of 100
Google Voice remains useful as a second number for call screening, but long-standing reliability issues have worsened: missed calls with no ring, failures when picking up, and Google silently reassigning numbers to other users without warning.
Praised: A permanent Google account number for registrations and as a screen for incoming calls.
Complaints: Calls go to voicemail without ringing on the device, and the recipient has no idea.
Best for: Google Workspace users who need a US number
Rank 33. Review score: 44 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 36,373 ratings
44of 100
A messenger for Korean audiences with rich customization and good photo quality, but largely unusable for users outside Korea: contact search does not work, ads appear directly in personal chats as fake messages, and constant verification prompts on login are annoying.
Praised: Photos are transferred without quality loss, and the profile can be customized in more detail than most messengers allow.
Complaints: Ads are embedded in the personal message feed and are visually indistinguishable from real chats.
Best for: People who communicate with Korean contacts or are learning Korean
Rank 35. Review score: 44 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 11,119 ratings
44of 100
The inReach device itself works reliably as a satellite communicator, but the companion app is unintuitive, suffers from pairing failures, and requires an internet connection in places where the entire point is to work without one.
Praised: Reliable satellite communication in areas with no network coverage at all.
Complaints: Some basic features require an internet connection, even though the device exists specifically to work without one.
Best for: Hikers and travelers in areas without cellular coverage
Rank 36. Review score: 44 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 4,913 ratings
44of 100
This is essentially a browser with picture-in-picture, not a messenger. For background video playback it works reasonably well, but after updates X/Twitter stopped opening, links from other apps do not open, and there is no way to save a list of favorite URLs. As a communication tool it has almost no value.
Praised: Video from any website plays in PIP mode without ads and in the background.
Complaints: No URL saving — you have to type the address manually every time.
Best for: iPhone users who want to watch YouTube in the background without a subscription
Rank 37. Review score: 42 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 64,208 ratings
42of 100
A second number for texts is issued quickly and works in basic mode, but for some users it stops functioning after a few days and support only offers to unsubscribe. Suitable for one-off tasks, not ongoing use.
Praised: Instant delivery of a separate number without changing the SIM card.
Complaints: Contacts disappear from the address book without any visible reason and cannot be recovered.
Best for: People who want a separate number for marketplaces or dating apps
Rank 38. Review score: 42 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.4★ · 22,888 ratings
42of 100
An anonymous SMS app that works stably for basic texts for some users, but for others messages never reach recipients — especially after payment. Support does not respond.
Praised: Lets you pick a number with a desired area code and start texting right away.
Complaints: After activating a paid number, SMS delivery can stop entirely with no explanation.
Best for: People who need a temporary anonymous number for one-off messaging
Rank 39. Review score: 42 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 7,619 ratings
42of 100
Text messaging works stably, but video calls drop constantly, audio echoes, and connection depends on the network. Fine as a text messenger, not as a video call tool.
Praised: A closed environment where children can message only adult contacts approved by a parent.
Complaints: Video calls drop and freeze, making voice communication unreliable.
Best for: Parents who want to give their child a safe messenger under their own control
Rank 40. Review score: 41 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.4★ · 14,445 ratings
41of 100
The SMS conversation simulator for storytelling works as intended, but aggressive review prompts and a mandatory paywall from the first launch drive users away.
Praised: A realistic SMS dialogue interface lets you create engaging text stories.
Complaints: Pop-ups asking for a rating interrupt the workflow right in the middle of creating a story.
Best for: Teenagers who make text stories to share on social media
Rank 41. Review score: 38 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 3,363,403 ratings
38of 100
Microsoft Teams is a corporate platform for chat and calls that most users install on employer demand. The unread message counter is chronically wrong, sync between devices lags, and the app hijacks FaceTime calls.
Praised: For basic work chats and scheduled meetings it behaves predictably.
Complaints: The unread badge does not reset correctly for months on end, making it impossible to navigate the message queue.
Best for: Corporate Microsoft 365 users with no alternative
Rank 42. Review score: 38 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 271,258 ratings
38of 100
TextPlus provides a virtual number where no real one is available, and that is its core value. But messages get stuck on 'sent' with no delivery confirmation, calls drop without warning, and accounts are blocked unpredictably.
Praised: Works as a backup number for registrations and calls when a real SIM is unavailable.
Complaints: Message delivery status does not update — a conversation can disappear until the app is restarted.
Best for: Anyone who needs a one-time US number for verification
Rank 43. Review score: 38 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 9,072 ratings
38of 100
A collection of ready-made greetings and messages with a wide library, but text quality is uneven: many templates contain errors or sound generic. This is an inspiration tool, not a live messenger.
Praised: A large library of greetings for different occasions that is updated regularly.
Complaints: Some templates are written with errors or use outdated phrasing.
Best for: People who want a ready-made card or greeting without having to write one themselves
Rank 44. Review score: 38 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 6,718 ratings
38of 100
The WhatsApp Web wrapper works, but the session resets almost daily — which defeats the purpose of persistent access. Ads are aggressive and appear inside chats.
Praised: Lets you keep WhatsApp open on a device without the main account, which is handy for a second SIM.
Complaints: The session drops on its own repeatedly, requiring the QR code to be scanned again and again.
Best for: Users with two numbers or without the official WhatsApp app on their device
Rank 45. Review score: 38 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 4,767 ratings
38of 100
An OCR tool for copying text from the screen that works decently in typical scenarios, but handwritten text recognition is poor and accuracy dropped noticeably after updates. This app has no messaging features and is not a messenger.
Praised: Recognizes printed text from photos accurately enough and requires no complex setup.
Complaints: Handwritten text is recognized with errors, and OCR quality has declined after updates.
Best for: Anyone who needs to quickly copy text from a photo or screenshot
Rank 46. Review score: 36 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 1,451,217 ratings
36of 100
WhatsApp Business adds a business profile, catalog, and auto-replies on top of regular WhatsApp, but after several updates the app stopped launching reliably on older iPhones and suppresses the busy-line notification during an incoming call.
Praised: A business profile with a catalog and quick replies reduces routine when working with customers through WhatsApp.
Complaints: The app does not show a 'busy' status to callers, so clients call again and again while interrupting an ongoing conversation.
Best for: Small businesses whose audience is already on WhatsApp
Rank 48. Review score: 35 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 140,839 ratings
35of 100
Talkatone provides a free Wi-Fi number, but message delivery reliability is inconsistent: outgoing messages are flagged as 'spam' during normal conversations, verification codes do not arrive, and support is effectively unavailable.
Praised: Easy to get a number without personal data and start calling for free.
Complaints: The anti-spam system blocks outgoing messages if you send several in a row during a normal exchange.
Best for: Anyone who needs a free Wi-Fi number for calls in the US without a real SIM
Rank 49. Review score: 35 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 78,781 ratings
35of 100
Positioned as a TikTok alternative for older audiences, but basic messenger features break regularly: messages do not send, live stream notifications disappear, and new accounts become invisible to other users.
Praised: A platform without heavy moderation gives a sense of free expression for older audiences.
Complaints: The content feed algorithm is unpredictable and pays little attention to the user's language and interests.
Best for: Content creators looking for a TikTok alternative
Rank 50. Review score: 34 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.5★ · 5,848,645 ratings
34of 100
Snapchat is a messenger with disappearing messages and AR filters, but its core — snap delivery — breaks regularly: videos do not display, notifications ignore disabled categories, and sessions crash. The product is degrading under monetization pressure.
Praised: Disappearing messages and AR lenses still make communication feel visually alive.
Complaints: Notifications ignore user settings and push filter ads regardless.
Best for: Teenagers who communicate through images rather than text
Rank 51. Review score: 34 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 13,008 ratings
34of 100
A spam message blocker that worked well for the first few months, then degraded: it lets spam through, blocks important messages from pharmacies and doctors, and does not work on Mac or iPad.
Praised: At its best the filter genuinely brings spam down to zero with no manual configuration.
Complaints: The filter loses precision after updates and starts blocking legitimate messages from real senders.
Best for: iPhone users willing to tolerate instability in exchange for a quiet period with no spam
Rank 52. Review score: 34 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 5,791 ratings
34of 100
The mass SMS app used to work for years, but after recent updates it reliably sends messages to only part of the recipient list. Support is silent. The core feature is broken.
Praised: Used to let organizers send a personal SMS to hundreds of contacts in one tap without a group thread.
Complaints: After updates, the message only goes to the last contact added, not the full group.
Best for: Church community and club organizers who need mass SMS broadcasts
Rank 53. Review score: 33 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 4,810 ratings
33of 100
The app is positioned as a messenger for international video calls, but basic problems have gone unsolved for years: the call automatically drops after 5 minutes, audio does not switch to AirPods without hanging up and calling back, and messages appear out of chronological order. Group video calls are absent.
Praised: Users in the UAE note stable video quality where other apps are blocked.
Complaints: Calls drop automatically after 5 minutes, and audio through headphones does not switch without hanging up.
Best for: Users in countries with restricted access to WhatsApp and FaceTime
Rank 54. Review score: 32 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 907,464 ratings
32of 100
Basic SMS delivery works adequately, but calls are interrupted by ads mid-conversation, spam calls target even paying users, and support is unreachable. The product is unreliable as a primary communication channel.
Praised: Quick setup of a second number and eSIM activation without visiting a store.
Complaints: Spam calls are not blocked even on the paid plan, making it hard to tell a real contact from a robot.
Best for: Anyone who needs a temporary number for a one-time registration
Rank 56. Review score: 32 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.1★ · 7,170 ratings
32of 100
BFF fails at the basics: messages do not send, sessions crash, and phone verification works intermittently. The interest-group concept is solid, but the audience is too small to feel it.
Praised: Interest-based groups genuinely ease the first contact and remove the awkwardness of a one-on-one.
Complaints: Messages stall or do not arrive, especially after a session break.
Best for: People looking for offline friends who are willing to put up with instability
Rank 57. Review score: 31 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.2★ · 300,817 ratings
31of 100
The app bans well-behaved users due to errors in the automated verification system and does not respond to appeals, while continuing to charge for subscriptions. The core dating and messaging function is unreliable.
Praised: Mandatory face verification reduces the number of fakes compared to similar apps.
Complaints: The automated ban triggers at registration without any violation, and there is no way to appeal through support.
Best for: Young people looking for friends through short video introductions
Rank 58. Review score: 31 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.4★ · 106,284 ratings
31of 100
Messenger Multi Business is an unofficial WhatsApp client for iPad and multi-account use that requires constant re-syncing while retaining access to the user's account. Sync drops daily, QR codes are flagged as invalid, and video calls have poor audio.
Praised: The free version provides the main WhatsApp features with only a single banner at the bottom of the screen.
Complaints: The session drops every day and requires scanning the QR code again, which defeats the whole idea of multi-device access.
Best for: iPad owners who need WhatsApp without a second phone nearby
Rank 59. Review score: 31 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 68,941 ratings
31of 100
A virtual number for calls and texts that is unreliable: audio is quiet or muffled, message notifications drop, and accounts are blocked without warning. Reliability is at the level of a backup number, not a primary one.
Praised: Quick setup of a second number for separating personal and work contacts.
Complaints: Calls frequently drop or sound muffled underwater, making them unsuitable for business conversations.
Best for: Anyone who needs a temporary backup number
Rank 60. Review score: 31 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 4,062 ratings
31of 100
This is not a messenger but a catalog of ready-made phrases and quotes to forward on WhatsApp. It works as a utility: copy text and send. But ads insert a download link into copied text, which annoys recipients.
Praised: A large library of ready-made messages for holidays and occasions — no writing required.
Complaints: When copying text, the app automatically appends an ad link to the app download page.
Best for: People who regularly congratulate loved ones and do not want to write something each time
Rank 61. Review score: 30 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 12,225 ratings
30of 100
The social chat for meeting people has deteriorated: moderation stopped working, content has become coarser, and users receive permanent bans without explanation or any way to appeal.
Praised: At launch the app created a live community where people genuinely answered questions and made connections.
Complaints: The ban system is opaque and inconsistent: well-behaved users are blocked while actual violators keep using the app.
Best for: Teenagers over 16 looking for casual conversation, if they can tolerate chaotic moderation
Rank 62. Review score: 30 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.1★ · 5,377 ratings
30of 100
The app offers a collection of notification sounds, but installing a chosen tone on iPhone without iTunes is extremely difficult, and the custom tone creation feature may not work after payment.
Praised: A large library of non-standard sounds that are not available in the default iOS set.
Complaints: Setting a tone on the device requires iTunes and several manual steps, which puts most users off.
Best for: iPhone users willing to deal with iTunes for a non-standard notification sound
Rank 63. Review score: 29 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 1,559,015 ratings
29of 100
GroupMe holds on in the niche of group chats for schools and teams, but basic features are broken: messages get lost in open chats, pins disappeared after an update, and logging in becomes a cycle of password resets.
Praised: Group chats work across mobile platforms, which is convenient for mixed-platform teams.
Complaints: Messages regularly get lost even when the chat is open and active — which undermines the entire point of reliable group communication.
Best for: School and sports groups stuck on this platform
Rank 64. Review score: 29 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 789,252 ratings
29of 100
The app lost its audience after the pandemic and now suffers from intrusive notifications, a broken in-room chat, and a creator reward program that does not pay what it promises. It is no longer reliable as a communication tool.
Praised: Those who stayed have found a close community and spend up to 14 hours a day in rooms.
Complaints: The chat inside an active room does not show new messages until you leave and rejoin.
Best for: Audio fans who joined back in 2020 and never left
Rank 65. Review score: 29 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.5★ · 224,184 ratings
29of 100
Bigo Live is a streaming platform with chat and virtual gifts, not a full messenger. Bans arrive without explanation and can last up to a year, moderation is inconsistent, and private messages are rife with scam schemes.
Praised: Streamers appreciate the live audience and the gifting system, which actually works.
Complaints: The matching algorithm ignores gender and orientation settings and shows irrelevant people.
Best for: Mobile streamers who want a live audience with donation support
Rank 67. Review score: 28 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 92,171 ratings
28of 100
A social walkie-talkie for random conversations around the world, but recent updates removed key modes and broke basic channel navigation. Long-time users are leaving precisely because the app stopped being itself.
Praised: The atmosphere of random voice encounters and the feel of a live radio broadcast.
Complaints: Duet conversations and frequency shuffling — the mechanics that drove discovery — have been removed.
Rank 68. Review score: 28 out of 100. App Store rating: 3.2★ · 17,977 ratings
28of 100
LINE is losing users in the US because login without an old device is impossible and phone number registration is blocked. Media delivery is unreliable even for existing users.
Praised: Stickers and the app's atmosphere work well within the Japanese market.
Complaints: Transferring an account to a new device is virtually impossible without simultaneous access to the old one.
Best for: Users in Japan and Asia who have been on the same device for a long time
Rank 69. Review score: 28 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 5,500 ratings
28of 100
Blink is positioned as a friend-finding app, but phone number verification breaks, fake and potentially unsafe profiles appear frequently, and core features work unpredictably.
Praised: The concept of quickly meeting compatible people without a romantic framing appeals to part of the audience.
Complaints: Phone verification fails regularly, blocking new users from getting in.
Best for: Teenagers and young adults looking for new friends online
Rank 70. Review score: 28 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 4,371 ratings
28of 100
The app was built on privacy trust but has degraded: notifications are broken, sending photos and videos does not work, and copy-paste was removed in an update. The core messenger function — reliable delivery and notifications — is not working.
Praised: Messages disappear after 24 hours without any configuration, anonymously and with no extra steps.
Complaints: Notifications for incoming messages arrive inconsistently or not at all.
Best for: People who want an anonymous ephemeral chat and can accept limited functionality
Rank 71. Review score: 26 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 658,768 ratings
26of 100
Messages get stuck on 'sending', incoming images do not arrive, calls drop, and accounts are blocked without warning or any path to appeal. The product is unreliable as a communication channel.
Praised: Works as a backup number when you need to reach someone who has blocked your main contact.
Complaints: The spam algorithm blocks conversations with real people, including family members, without explanation.
Best for: People who want to hide their real number from a specific contact
Rank 72. Review score: 26 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.1★ · 4,431 ratings
26of 100
The app is positioned as a way to run a second WhatsApp on iPad, but it is essentially just a browser wrapper opening web.whatsapp.com. Message sync breaks after updates, and users who realize what they actually bought feel misled.
Praised: For anyone who needs a second WhatsApp account on the same device, the concept works.
Complaints: After updates, sync with the main WhatsApp breaks and messages stop loading.
Best for: iPad users with two WhatsApp numbers who need quick access from a tablet
Rank 73. Review score: 25 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.1★ · 25,087 ratings
25of 100
A social messenger for dating where ads literally cover interface buttons and make the chat inaccessible without a paid subscription. Live streaming was removed from the app entirely. Message sending is unreliable.
Praised: Over years of operation it has gathered a real community of regular users who have been there a long time.
Complaints: Ad banners cover the bottom navigation menu and make it impossible to tap the chat buttons.
Best for: Users who registered long ago and came for a specific social circle
Rank 74. Review score: 24 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 587,513 ratings
24of 100
Calls drop after an hour, ads redirect to potentially harmful pages, incoming call notifications do not trigger, and registration often hits an error wall. The product does not reliably perform basic functions.
Praised: For tablets without a SIM card it is one of the few ways to text Android contacts.
Complaints: Incoming calls go straight to voicemail with no chance for the user to answer.
Best for: Tablet owners without a SIM who need some kind of number
Rank 76. Review score: 22 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 102,009 ratings
22of 100
Azar started as a random video chat for meeting strangers, but a new update replaced random matches with gem-based invites. Users are demanding a rollback en masse, credits are deducted without connections being made, and there is no way to search by username.
Praised: The idea of a random video chat with people from around the world was alive and worked before the update.
Complaints: There is no way to find someone by username — only a random match or invite — making reconnection impossible.
Best for: People who want to video chat with strangers from other countries
Rank 77. Review score: 22 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.4★ · 31,090 ratings
22of 100
An anonymous communication app where the core feature of sending messages periodically stops working after updates. Notifications do not lead to the right chat, and content moderation is nearly absent. Much of the audience has been inactive for years.
Praised: An anonymous profile allows communication without any attachment to a real identity.
Complaints: Messages stall on sending indefinitely, and new chat notifications do not open the right conversation.
Best for: People looking for anonymous communication with strangers without revealing their identity
Rank 79. Review score: 22 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 5,238 ratings
22of 100
The app is positioned as a shortcut for messaging on WhatsApp without saving a contact, but basic features do not work: devices keep disconnecting, the QR code must be scanned every time, and phone numbers are not recognized. This is not a messenger — it is a wrapper that breaks on first real use.
Praised: The idea of opening a chat with an unknown number in one tap is convenient for businesses and services.
Complaints: The device connection drops constantly and requires re-linking via QR code.
Best for: Small businesses that need quick chats without saving contacts
Rank 80. Review score: 22 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 4,298 ratings
22of 100
After updates call quality dropped sharply: missed calls do not appear in notifications, OTP codes do not arrive on re-login, and group calls have no audio. The app is unstable for regular communication.
Praised: Works in the UAE where other messengers are blocked.
Complaints: Incoming calls do not appear in phone notifications unless the app is opened manually.
Best for: Users in countries with VoIP call restrictions
Rank 81. Review score: 21 out of 100. App Store rating: 3.7★ · 4,718 ratings
21of 100
An anonymous-chat social app for meeting people that suffers from slow media loading, freezes on re-login, and a complete absence of audience filtering. Video sending is so slow that users assume the feature is broken. The quality of interaction depends on the audience makeup — and it is inconsistent here.
Praised: There is a live audience from different countries, and some conversations genuinely take off.
Complaints: Video does not send properly, and the app freezes on re-login via Google.
Best for: People looking for casual chat with strangers around the world
Rank 82. Review score: 20 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 30,357 ratings
20of 100
The app positions itself as a Wi-Fi call and text tool, but incoming texts disappear from the interface, incoming calls interrupt and drop the current call, and verification codes from third-party services never arrive. The core use case does not work.
Praised: The concept works on paper: a second number via Wi-Fi without a physical SIM card.
Complaints: Received messages disappear from history with no trace of delivery.
Best for: Anyone who needs a second number for Wi-Fi calls — if they can find a working alternative
Rank 83. Review score: 20 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.4★ · 6,219 ratings
20of 100
SayHi is overrun by scammers and fake accounts, voice calls do not work for some users, and a points system restricts communication. Finding a genuine conversation partner is difficult.
Praised: There are real users from different countries, and some of them genuinely want to connect.
Complaints: Moderation cannot handle the volume of scammers and extortionists, which poisons the entire experience.
Best for: People looking for language exchange partners who are willing to filter out scammers themselves
Rank 84. Review score: 19 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.5★ · 22,209 ratings
19of 100
A VoIP call and SMS app with a virtual number where text messages consistently fail to reach recipients, calls drop due to network issues, and you can only manage a group you created yourself. Support does not respond for months.
Praised: The approach works for privacy: a separate number with no SIM card attachment.
Complaints: You cannot join a group created by another user — only your own.
Best for: Not recommended for anyone in its current state
Rank 85. Review score: 19 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.5★ · 4,543 ratings
19of 100
A virtual phone number app for calls and SMS that issues a number but after payment calling does not actually work: no dial tone, SMS do not arrive, verification codes never come through. The payment structure is confusing — a subscription does not include minutes, you have to buy coins separately.
Praised: The need for a second number without a SIM is real, and occasionally after a long wait calls do go through.
Complaints: After payment, calls and SMS often do not work at all and verification codes do not arrive.
Best for: Users who need a temporary second number for verification
Rank 86. Review score: 18 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.5★ · 32,275 ratings
18of 100
The app consistently fails to deliver SMS and calls after activation: numerous reviews document the same thing — messages do not reach sender or recipient, credits are spent with nothing sent, and support does not respond. The core virtual number feature does not work.
Praised: The ability to choose a number from a list at registration is a convenient and clear experience.
Complaints: SMS do not reach the recipient even with an active balance and a working connection.
Rank 87. Review score: 18 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 11,082 ratings
18of 100
Messages do not arrive, assigned phone numbers are lost while the subscription is active, and support does not respond. The virtual number as a product does not work.
Praised: The idea of getting a separate number for different tasks is clear and in demand.
Complaints: The assigned number can disappear at any moment without warning.
Rank 88. Review score: 18 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 5,154 ratings
18of 100
The app promises to turn chat screenshots into formatted stickers, but almost all functionality is behind a paywall from the very first message. There is no real value as a communication tool — this is customization for its own sake with a minimal free tier.
Praised: The idea of overlaying a styled sticker on top of a real message looks visually interesting.
Complaints: Stickers do not fit over other people's messages well: the scale is off and the orientation is wrong.
Best for: Teenagers who want to decorate chat screenshots
Rank 89. Review score: 15 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.3★ · 374,429 ratings
15of 100
The chat feed hangs and shows 'loading' indefinitely, streams crash every 4 to 5 minutes, face verification does not work, and the majority of profiles are bots or scammers. The product is broken across all key functions.
Praised: Streamers receive a higher share of gift revenue than on large platforms.
Complaints: Opening the incoming message list is impossible — the app freezes on loading.
Best for: Streamers for whom gift monetization matters more than reach
Rank 90. Review score: 15 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 9,255 ratings
15of 100
The app is positioned as an SMS replacement, but it only works within its own network. Writing to anyone in your regular contacts is impossible unless they also install this messenger.
Praised: The interface looks like a standard calls-and-messages app.
Complaints: Communication with numbers outside the app does not work, even though that is exactly what the description promises.
Rank 91. Review score: 14 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.6★ · 270,880 ratings
14of 100
Litstick is a sticker overlay for pranks, not a messenger: it creates a fake-chat image to place over a screenshot. Most users do not understand how it works, the sticker does not match the chat bubble size, and the vast majority of reviews express disappointment.
Praised: The idea appealed to people who wanted to prank their friends.
Complaints: The sticker overlay does not scale to actual message bubbles, so the result always looks fake.
Best for: Teenagers who want to fake a chat screenshot for a prank
Rank 92. Review score: 14 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.1★ · 39,543 ratings
14of 100
The app is positioned as a dating service, but the overwhelming majority of active profiles are described by male users as bots or people requesting money. Genuine meetings are rare, chat is unstable, and the like algorithm is opaque.
Praised: A handful of real users did find connections, which shows the concept can work.
Complaints: There is no way to tell a live profile from a bot without paying to reveal a match.
Rank 94. Review score: 4 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 6,931 ratings
4of 100
The app is filled with bots posing as real people: the same phrases, conversations that drop after two messages, and AI avatars. There is no real communication.
Praised: Some users find it useful for killing time in a one-sided way.
Complaints: Nearly all conversation partners are bots or fake profiles — genuine interaction does not happen.
Best for: Not recommended
About scores
Two scores — two sources
They help compare apps, but they don’t replace checking your own job.
Review score · up to 100
The stored score from inApp research on review texts. It rates the app overall in the archive, not the reliability of any one feature.
Store rating · up to 5
The rating from the app’s page when the data was collected. The current rating and version may differ.
In the archived sample for this topic: 94 apps and 27,176 reviews read. That is the total size of the research, not the number of reviews per app.
A gap between the scores doesn’t prove manipulation. The calculation date and the full scoring method aren’t in the mobile archive. Compare the job descriptions and the source quotes, and check the terms in the current version.
