**FaceTime vs WhatsApp: Apple-Only or Everyone** > FaceTime is built into Apple devices and free; WhatsApp works everywhere. Neither dials a telephone number, and only one works if the other person is on Android. Source: https://telvio.app/vs/facetime-vs-whatsapp/ · updated: 2026-09-04 1. [Home](https://telvio.app/) 2. [Compare apps](https://telvio.app/vs/) 3. FaceTime vs WhatsApp Compare apps # FaceTime vs WhatsApp Both free, both app-to-app only, and separated by one hard constraint: FaceTime needs an Apple device on the other end, and most of the world does not have one. vs **FaceTime requires the other person to have an Apple device** — an iPhone, iPad or Mac — and cannot be installed on Android at all. Non-Apple users can join a FaceTime link from a supported browser, but there is no Android client. WhatsApp runs everywhere and is the closest thing to a universal default. **Neither can dial a telephone number.** Both reach only their own users, so calling a landline, a business, or a relative without a smartphone is outside what either does. FaceTime is free and included with the device; WhatsApp is free and requires a phone number to register. ## Side by side Pick what you care about and the differences reorder. Calling a real phoneWhat it costsWhat they ask of meMy devices Show everything FaceTime WhatsApp Calls a phone number No No Billing unit App to app only App to app only Connection fee None None Credit expiry Never Never Subscription No No Account required Required Required Platforms iOS, macOS, iPadOS iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS Service status Operating Operating 1 of 8 fields differ; 6 are the same. ## How to read this comparison Work down in this order and most comparisons resolve in under a minute. First, can it reach the number you actually need — a service that only calls its own users is not a cheaper version of one that dials a landline, it is a different thing. Second, what are the billing terms: the unit a call is measured in, and whether a fixed fee is added to each one. Third, what happens to money you do not spend. The per-minute rate is deliberately not the first question here, and it is the only question most comparisons ask. At the same advertised rate, a service that rounds every call up to a whole minute and adds a per-call fee can cost close to double another on the short calls that make up most people's actual usage. The rate is the number that gets compared because it is the number that gets published. ## Where they actually differ ### Platforms FaceTime runs on iOS, macOS, iPadOS. WhatsApp runs on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS. This decides more comparisons than it ought to: a service that is excellent and unavailable on the device in your hand is not a candidate at all, and a desktop client matters more than it sounds when the alternative is holding a phone against your ear for an hour. ## Where they are the same - Calls a phone number: both only reaches its own users. - Billing unit: both app to app only. - Connection fee: both none. - Credit expiry: both never. - Subscription: both no subscription. - Account required: both account required. ## What each one is ### FaceTime FaceTime is Apple’s built‑in audio and video calling service that enables internet‑based calls between Apple devices and, via FaceTime links, allows others to join using supported browsers; it does not provide PSTN calling to regular phone numbers except when relaying iPhone cellular calls. ### WhatsApp WhatsApp is a cross‑platform messaging and VoIP app that provides end‑to‑end‑encrypted text messaging, voice and video calls, and media sharing between users over the internet, but does not offer PSTN calling to regular phone numbers. ## How each one bills you ### As published by FaceTime - none from Apple; cellular minutes may be consumed when relaying normal phone calls through iPhone. - FaceTime does not use prepaid calling credit; usage relies on Wi‑Fi or cellular data and, when relaying, on iPhone cellular voice plans. ### As published by WhatsApp - none - No calling credit is used for consumer WhatsApp; usage depends on internet connectivity provided by the user’s operator or Wi‑Fi. ## What each one asks of you ### As published by FaceTime Users must sign in with an Apple ID on a supported iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac to place and receive FaceTime calls. ### As published by WhatsApp Registration requires a mobile phone number for SMS or call verification; the number serves as the primary account identifier. ## Plans, where each one sells them ### As published by FaceTime No separate subscription for FaceTime; usage is covered by device purchase and internet or cellular plans. ### As published by WhatsApp Consumer app has no in‑app subscription for calling; WhatsApp Business is also free to download, with business API usage billed separately by Meta partners. ## Published rates The corridor prices each provider published at the time of the research. An empty list means the provider does not publish its rates outside its own app, which is itself worth knowing before you top up. ### FaceTime FaceTime publishes no per-country rates outside its own app. Source, as recorded: Apple FaceTime support documentation (no PSTN tariff tables; calls use data or carrier voice minutes when relaying). ### WhatsApp WhatsApp publishes no per-country rates outside its own app. Source, as recorded: WhatsApp consumer apps do not provide paid PSTN calling; calls are app‑to‑app over data. ## What each one does ### FaceTime - Provides one‑to‑one and group video and audio calls between Apple devices. - Integrated into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS with deep Contacts and Phone app integration. - Supports Group FaceTime calls with up to 32 participants on compatible OS versions. - Uses Apple ID and device‑based accounts; no separate username system is required. - Supports additional features such as screen sharing, SharePlay, Live Captions, and Live Translation on recent OS versions. - Can relay regular cellular phone calls from a paired iPhone to a Mac or iPad via Continuity, using the carrier’s minutes. - End‑to‑end encryption is applied to FaceTime calls according to Apple’s platform security descriptions. - Preinstalled on supported Apple hardware; no separate download is required on iOS devices. ### WhatsApp - Provides end‑to‑end‑encrypted messaging and voice/video calls between WhatsApp users. - Supports group chats and group voice/video calls (up to 32 participants on mobile as per recent app descriptions). - Available on mobile apps, WhatsApp Web, and desktop clients, with chats synced across devices. - Uses phone numbers as identifiers, eliminating separate usernames. - Offers free international messaging and calls over data without per‑minute charges from WhatsApp itself. - Owned and operated by Meta Platforms, Inc. - WhatsApp Business app adds business‑oriented messaging tools while using the same underlying calling and messaging infrastructure. - As of 2020 it had more than 2 billion active users worldwide, and remains one of the most widely used messaging apps globally. ## What users complain about ### FaceTime - FaceTime is limited to the Apple ecosystem, requiring an Apple device or supported browser link for participation, which some users see as restrictive. - User reviews in various App Store regions mention battery drain and device heating during long or group video calls. - Some users report occasional call drops or quality degradation on weaker Wi‑Fi or cellular connections. ### WhatsApp - Some reviewers express concerns about metadata and data sharing with parent company Meta, despite message content being end‑to‑end encrypted. - Enterprise and privacy‑focused reviewers sometimes criticise limited multi‑device independence, as a phone number and device are still central to account setup for most users. - Crowded chats and high message volume can make long‑term conversation management difficult according to user reviews on app‑analysis sites. ## About each company | Founded | 2010 (introduced with iPhone 4). | 2009 | | --- | --- | --- | | Headquarters | Cupertino, California, United States (Apple Inc.). | Menlo Park, California, United States (under Meta Platforms). | | Users | — | Over 2 billion active users worldwide as of 2020; remains one of the most‑used messaging services globally. | | Store rating | Approximately 3.2–3.9 out of 5 depending on country storefront (examples include 3.3/5 with tens of thousands of ratings). | 4.7 (Google Play developer page aggregate rating, hundreds of millions of reviews). | Website: [FaceTime](https://www.apple.com/facetime) [WhatsApp](https://www.whatsapp.com) ## If neither of them fits Both of the services above bill per minute or cannot dial a phone at all. If what you need is to call an ordinary number and pay only for the seconds you talk, that is what we publish — and the same nine fields are in the table above, in the first row, marked as ours. Rates from $0.03 a minute across 41 destinations, billed per second with no connection fee and credit that does not expire. [What Telvio does and does not do](https://telvio.app/why-telvio/) ## Sources and dates Every value on this page is quoted from the provider's own published material, gathered in a structured research pass on 2026-03-18. Where a provider published no answer, the page says so rather than estimating. Nothing here is a review: call quality, reliability and support are not assessed, because they cannot be established from published material. ## Bottom line FaceTime is free, built into Apple devices, and needs the other person to be on Apple hardware. There is no Android app. WhatsApp runs on everything, has over two billion users, and requires a phone number to register. Neither can call a landline or a mobile that has not installed it. That needs a service which dials real telephone numbers. ## Frequently asked questions Can FaceTime call a landline or mobile number? No. FaceTime reaches only other installs of itself, so it cannot call a landline or a mobile belonging to somebody who has not installed it. Can WhatsApp call a landline or mobile number? No. WhatsApp reaches only other installs of itself, so it cannot call a landline or a mobile belonging to somebody who has not installed it. Does FaceTime charge a connection fee? No separate connection fee is published for FaceTime, so the cost of a call is the per-minute rate applied to the billed time. Does WhatsApp charge a connection fee? No separate connection fee is published for WhatsApp, so the cost of a call is the per-minute rate applied to the billed time. Does unused credit expire on FaceTime or WhatsApp? Credit on FaceTime does not expire according to its published terms. Credit on WhatsApp does not expire according to its published terms. Expiry costs most when you top up in large amounts and call infrequently. Which is cheaper for short calls, FaceTime or WhatsApp? Neither publishes per-country rates in a form that allows a like-for-like table, so the comparison rests on billing terms. FaceTime bills app to app only, WhatsApp bills app to app only. On calls of under a minute the billing unit and any per-call fee change the total more than the headline rate does. Do FaceTime and WhatsApp require an account? FaceTime: Account required. WhatsApp: Account required. Every service in this comparison set except one requires you to identify yourself before you can call. Which devices do FaceTime and WhatsApp run on? FaceTime runs on iOS, macOS, iPadOS. WhatsApp runs on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS. These are the platforms each provider publishes. ## Other comparisons - [Signal vs WhatsApp](https://telvio.app/vs/signal-vs-whatsapp/) - [Telegram vs WhatsApp](https://telvio.app/vs/telegram-vs-whatsapp/) - [Viber Out vs WhatsApp](https://telvio.app/vs/viber-vs-whatsapp/) - [Discord vs Zoom Phone](https://telvio.app/vs/discord-vs-zoom-phone/) - [Google Voice vs Skype](https://telvio.app/vs/google-voice-vs-skype/) - [Google Voice vs TextNow](https://telvio.app/vs/google-voice-vs-textnow/) [Back to the full matrix →](https://telvio.app/vs/) --- HTML version: https://telvio.app/vs/facetime-vs-whatsapp/ Structured data for this site: https://telvio.app/api/v1/openapi.json · https://telvio.app/llms.txt Free to quote and reuse with a link back to the source URL above (CC BY 4.0).