Best for reaching the most people
Messenger vs Telegram vs Viber: which messaging app should you choose?
Choose Messenger for its huge reach, Telegram for groups and customization, or Viber for free international calls and expressive chats.
At a glance
| App | Google Play rating | Price | In-app purchases | Platforms | Age rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MessengerMeta Platforms, Inc. | 4.7 out of 5114,813,598 ratings | Free | Yes ($0.05 - $7,999.99 per item) | Android, iOS | Everyone |
 TelegramTelegram FZ-LLC | 3.8 out of 517,343,583 ratings | Free | Yes ($0.31 - $289.99 per item) | Android, iOS | Mature 17+ |
 Rakuten Viber MessengerViber Media | 4.1 out of 516,690,539 ratings | Free | Yes ($0.99 - $99.99 per item) | Android, iOS | Teen |
Ratings, prices and age ratings come from the Google Play listings, read on Nov 7, 2026. Listings change over time.
How we compared them
Messenger, Telegram, and Rakuten Viber Messenger all bring chats, calls, and media sharing to Android and iOS. Each is free to download, has more than a billion installs, and offers encrypted communication, but they differ in reach, group features, ads, and privacy trade-offs.
This comparison weighs their Google Play ratings and costs alongside their stated features and data-safety disclosures, so you can choose the app that fits the people you contact and the way you communicate.
How we compared them
We compared the Google Play figures read on November 7, 2026: ratings, install ranges, pricing, in-app purchase ranges, and whether each app contains ads. We also considered their communication features and the specific strengths and trade-offs associated with each.
For privacy context, we included each app’s Google Play data-safety declarations, including whether it says it shares data with third parties, what kinds of information it collects or shares, encryption in transit, and the option to request deletion. These declarations are not a complete measure of privacy or a guarantee that every chat is end-to-end encrypted.
Messenger
Meta Platforms, Inc.4.7 out of 5 on Google Play
Best for reaching friends and family across a huge user base
Messenger has the widest reach of these three by a substantial margin, with 5 billion-plus installs and a 4.7 Google Play rating. Its approachable interface, fast delivery, and support for photos, videos, and other media make it an easy choice when many of your contacts already use Meta’s messaging service.
The trade-off is a broad data-safety declaration: Messenger says it shares contact and account identifiers and collects information including contacts, photos, videos, and device data. Chats require an internet connection, and frequent updates, battery drain, and the potential for distraction are other drawbacks.
- Price
- Free, no ads
What we like
- Largest reach: 5 billion-plus installs
- Highest Google Play rating here: 4.7
- User-friendly chats with rich media support
What to know
- Declares sharing several account and device identifiers
- Requires internet access and may be distracting
Telegram
Telegram FZ-LLC3.8 out of 5 on Google Play
Best for large groups, customization, and cross-platform syncing
Telegram is the strongest fit for large group conversations, customizable themes, and bot-based features. It also synchronizes across platforms, and its Google Play data-safety declaration says it shares no data with third parties. That declaration is a useful distinction, though it does not mean every Telegram chat is end-to-end encrypted.
Telegram’s rating is 3.8, the lowest among these three, and its content rating is Mature 17+. Its regular chats are not all end-to-end encrypted, sign-up requires a phone number, and bots can carry security risks. Its battery use and video-call features are also trade-offs compared with the other options.
- Price
- Free, no ads
What we like
- Strong support for large group chats
- Themes and bots offer customization
- Declares no data sharing with third parties
What to know
- Not all chats are end-to-end encrypted
- Lowest Google Play rating here: 3.8
Rakuten Viber Messenger
Viber Media4.1 out of 5 on Google Play
Best for free international calls and expressive conversations
Viber combines free voice and video calls worldwide with end-to-end encrypted chats, expressive stickers, and group conversations. It also lets you delete sent messages, giving it a useful mix of call and messaging features for people who want more than text chats.
Viber contains ads, and its Google Play rating of 4.1 is below Messenger’s 4.7. Long calls can use considerable battery, message sending can occasionally lag, and the app works best with a stable internet connection. Its data-safety declaration also says it collects several kinds of personal and device information.
- Price
- Free, with ads
What we like
- Free voice and video calls worldwide
- End-to-end encrypted chats
- Stickers and the option to delete sent messages
What to know
- Contains ads
- Long calls can drain battery
Which one should you pick?
Best for groups and customization
Telegram
Best for free international calls
Rakuten Viber Messenger
Frequently Asked Questions
Which app has the highest Google Play rating?
Messenger has the highest rating of these three at 4.7, compared with Viber at 4.1 and Telegram at 3.8.
Which app is best for privacy?
Telegram declares that it shares no data with third parties, while Messenger and Viber declare data sharing. However, Telegram’s regular chats are not all end-to-end encrypted, so check the chat type and privacy settings that matter to you.
Are Telegram chats end-to-end encrypted by default?
No. Not all Telegram chats are end-to-end encrypted, so do not assume that a regular chat has this protection.
Which app is best for free international calls?
Viber is a strong choice if free voice and video calls worldwide are your priority. Calls still require an internet connection.