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About Snapchat
Snapchat is a messaging app from Snap Inc. for chatting, sending photo and video Snaps and making video calls with friends. It also includes Stories, the Spotlight video feed, a map for exploring places and a large library of camera Lenses.
The main app is for phones, and a desktop web version lets you log in to chat, snap, video call and watch Stories from a computer. It suits people who mostly talk with friends through photos and short videos.
Strengths
- Chat, Snaps and video calls in one app
- Large library of camera Lenses
- Desktop web access alongside the mobile app
Limitations
- Proprietary, account-based service with advertising
- Much of the app is built around feeds and discovery rather than messaging
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree to download and use; the service carries advertising.
- License
- Proprietary
- Developer
- Snap Inc.
- Platforms
- Android, iOS, Web
- How it runs
- Downloadable app, Web application
- Account
- Required
- Works offline
- No
- Best suited for
- Casual messaging with friends through photos and short videos
- Categories
- Messaging, Social networks
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Snapchat
Compare allSoftware that can replace Snapchat for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
WhatsApp
An end-to-end encrypted messaging and calling app for phones, desktop computers and the web.
WhatsApp focuses on end-to-end encrypted messaging and calls rather than Snaps, Lenses and feeds, and adds desktop apps, but still needs a phone number account.
Messenger
Meta's messaging and video calling service for chatting with Facebook friends and family.
Messenger reaches Facebook friends and family through a Meta account, with messaging and video calls in the browser, instead of camera Lenses and Stories.
Telegram Desktop
The official Telegram client for the desktop, with open source code and chats that are not end-to-end encrypted.
Telegram Desktop offers open source clients with cloud chats synced across devices, large groups and channels, but ordinary chats are not end-to-end encrypted and a phone number is required.
Signal
An end-to-end encrypted messenger for calls and chats on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux, run by a nonprofit.
Signal replaces an ad-supported service with a nonprofit, open source messenger that encrypts every message and call end to end, though it lacks Snapchat's Lenses and Stories.
LINE
A popular messaging app with free text messages, voice and video calls, and stickers.
LINE offers free messaging, calls and stickers and is widely used in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, but is a closed source mobile app without camera Lenses.
Viber
A messaging and calling app with group chats, stickers and public communities, synced across devices.
Viber offers calls, group chats, stickers and communities with desktop sync, but its listed platform is Android and it stays proprietary and centrally run.
WeChat
Tencent's messaging app with chats, voice and video calls, Moments and mobile payments.
WeChat bundles chat, calls, a social feed and payments with a large user base in China, trading Snapchat's camera focus for a much broader closed source app.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
Discord
A voice, video and text chat app for communities and friends, organised into servers and channels.
Beeper
A unified chat app that brings WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Discord and other networks into one inbox.
Zalo
A Vietnamese messaging and calling app for phones and desktop computers, used by tens of millions.
