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All comparisons

Head-to-head · App Store (iOS)

Instagram vs Messenger

Side-by-side ratings, reviews, live chart rankings, release cadence, tech stack, and 30-day momentum.

Instagram

Photo & Video

4.6929,107,278 reviews
vs

Messenger

Social Networking

4.6612,585,277 reviews

At a glance

Higher rated

Instagram

by 0.03 stars

More reviews

Instagram

by 16,522,001

Ranks higher

Instagram

US Top Free, overall

Ships more often

Tied

release cadence

Wider reach

Instagram

countries charted

Full comparison

✓ marks the leader on each metric. Deltas are 7-day changes.

Metric
Instagram
Messenger
App Store rating✓4.694.66
Total reviews✓29,107,27812,585,277
US rank✓#21▲6#96
Best global rank#6🇦🇫Afghanistan✓#4🇱🇷Liberia
Countries charted✓173139
Top category rank——
Release cadence——
Versions tracked✓2v432.0.01v563.0.0
SDKs detected1018 frameworks15 frameworks
Tracking sinceMay 2026May 2026
PriceFreeFree
DeveloperInstagram, Inc.Meta Platforms, Inc.

30-day momentum

Last 30 snapshots

Instagram

Rating

4.69

Reviews

29,107,278

US rank

#21

Messenger

Rating

4.66

Reviews

12,585,277

US rank

#96

Tech stack

Detected by static analysis of each iOS App Store build.

Instagramv432.0.0
Third-party SDKs
10
Apple frameworks
18
Declares tracking
Yes
Languages
C/C++, Metal (shaders), Objective-C, Swift
Metal
Full Instagram tech stack →
Messengerv563.0.0
Third-party SDKs
1
Apple frameworks
5
Declares tracking
No
Languages
C/C++, Metal (shaders), Objective-C, Swift
Metal
Full Messenger tech stack →

Instagram vs Messenger: the rundown

As of June 2026, Instagram holds a 4.69-star App Store rating from 29,107,278 reviews and ranks #21 in the US Top Free chart. Messenger holds a 4.66-star App Store rating from 12,585,277 reviews and ranks #96 in the US Top Free chart. Instagram leads on rating and review volume.

On release velocity, Instagram ships updates — versus — for Messenger. Instagram currently charts in 173 countries, and Messenger in 139. Instagram holds the stronger overall chart position right now. All figures are collected by Tech Dev Notes every 4 hours from the App Store.

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Frequently asked

How does Instagram compare to Messenger?+

Tech Dev Notes tracks both Instagram and Messenger with daily ratings, review counts, App Store chart positions, and version release history. Visit the comparison page to see side-by-side trends.

Which app ranks higher, Instagram or Messenger?+

Check the live comparison chart for current US App Store rankings. Positions change daily based on downloads, so the comparison page shows the latest data alongside historical trends.

How often do Instagram and Messenger release updates?+

The comparison page shows version history and release cadence for both apps. You can see which app ships updates more frequently and track every release in the changelog.

More Instagram comparisons

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More Messenger comparisons

Messenger vs MastodonMessenger vs Bluesky SocialMessenger vs GroupMeMessenger vs Rakuten Viber MessengerMessenger vs BeReal: Photos & Friends DailyMessenger vs Tumblr: Social Media & ArtMessenger vs Nextdoor: Neighborhood NetworkMessenger vs WeChatMessenger vs Signal - Private Messenger

Go deeper

Instagram rankings by countryMessenger rankings by countryInstagram insights & trendsMessenger insights & trendsApp leaderboardWhat's trending this weekBrowse all comparisons