Whatsapp, Viber, Line, KakaoTalk, WeChat, Fight!
Updated 23 Dec 2013.
Update 25 Feb 2014: WeChat has revamped their UI to have a much smoother navigation experience in version 5.2.
Update 9 Oct 2014:Many have changed in few months, I will be updating this article later.
Update 25 Feb 2014: WeChat has revamped their UI to have a much smoother navigation experience in version 5.2.
Update 9 Oct 2014:Many have changed in few months, I will be updating this article later.
| Viber | Line | KakaoTalk | |||
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| Available on | Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Symbian, Nokia S40. | Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry, PC (Windows, Mac, Linux), Windows 8, Symbian, Bada. | Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry, PC (Windows, Mac), Windows 8, Nokia Asha. | Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry, PC (Windows), Bada. | Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Symbian, Nokia S40, Browser. |
| Version | 2.11.152 | 4.1.1.10 | 3.10.0 | 4.2.2 | 5.0.3.1 |
| Origin1 | US | Cyprus | Japan | Korea | China |
| License | First year free, USD 0.99/year thereafter. | Free, digital sticker store. | Free, digital sticker store. | Free, digital item store. | Free, digital sticker store. |
| Interface preview |
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| Application Size2 | 17.95MB (Non-movable to SD card) | 27.92MB (7.12MB after moved to SD card) | 28.45MB (7.45MB after moved to SD card) | 19MB (Non-movable to SD card) | 35.98MB (7.9MB after moved to SD card) |
| Free Calls | None. | Video and voice. | Video and voice. | Voice. | Video and voice. |
| Attachment | Gallery and camera, video and audio recording, location, contact. | Gallery and camera, video and audio recording, hand drawing, location. | Gallery and camera, video and audio recording, location, contact. | Gallery and camera, video and audio recording, location, contact. | Gallery and camera, video and audio recording, location, contact, message. |
| Stickers and emoticons preview |
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| Notable features3 | They started it. |
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1The origins of the developers are not definite and the most relevant ones are stated. For example, the founder of Viber is tied to Israel, and LINE Corporation is a subsidiary of Naver Corporation of South Korea.
2Application size could vary on different phone system, and small size benefits older phone with smaller system storage. Some apps could not be moved to SD card (not the external SD card, but the your phone USB storage). The stats are acquired on a Samsung Galaxy SII (Android 4.1.2)
3One thing to note about WeChat is that I have to add multiple accounts one-by-one. The official account feature provided is also rather awkward as it is non-browsable, you have to know what to search for. WeChat 4.5 introduce Live Chat that allows walkie-talkie-style chatting with a group of friends, which, unfortunately, I could not test it on my phone.
At long last, I have updated my small comparison among mobile instant messenger clients on Android, featuring the popular Whatsapp to the less-known KakaoTalk. The reason for their popularity is simple: Convenience. They use your mobile number as your user identity and automatically add your contacts (maybe not WeChat) if they have installed the same app. I have included WeChat this time but still reluctant to add Skype and Facebook Messenger as they do not really fit into the same category.
Please bear in mind that this comparison is not comprehensive and some missing features might be the nail in the coffin for you. At the end of the day, only two things are important for me: the amount of family and friends using the same app and the available ways to contact them. Have fun trying!
PS. I tried to get the data of memory usage for the apps, but the variation is big, ranging from 8 to 35 MB with 15 to 20 MB commonly occurring. Viber is noticeably higher than the rest.
2Application size could vary on different phone system, and small size benefits older phone with smaller system storage. Some apps could not be moved to SD card (not the external SD card, but the your phone USB storage). The stats are acquired on a Samsung Galaxy SII (Android 4.1.2)
3One thing to note about WeChat is that I have to add multiple accounts one-by-one. The official account feature provided is also rather awkward as it is non-browsable, you have to know what to search for. WeChat 4.5 introduce Live Chat that allows walkie-talkie-style chatting with a group of friends, which, unfortunately, I could not test it on my phone.
At long last, I have updated my small comparison among mobile instant messenger clients on Android, featuring the popular Whatsapp to the less-known KakaoTalk. The reason for their popularity is simple: Convenience. They use your mobile number as your user identity and automatically add your contacts (maybe not WeChat) if they have installed the same app. I have included WeChat this time but still reluctant to add Skype and Facebook Messenger as they do not really fit into the same category.
Please bear in mind that this comparison is not comprehensive and some missing features might be the nail in the coffin for you. At the end of the day, only two things are important for me: the amount of family and friends using the same app and the available ways to contact them. Have fun trying!
PS. I tried to get the data of memory usage for the apps, but the variation is big, ranging from 8 to 35 MB with 15 to 20 MB commonly occurring. Viber is noticeably higher than the rest.
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