Snapchat vs Whatsapp

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What is the difference between Snapchat and WhatsApp?
There was a time when having an Internet account for personal and business dealings was regarded as being sufficiently tech-savvy but not anymore. While the turn of the century witnessed the gradual proliferation of Internet, the first decade of the new millennium saw its application in the field of communication in terms of improved speed and a much wider scope. Amongst several innovations, two that have been truly successful in grabbing people’s attention are WhatsApp and Snapchat and while both serve the same purpose of facilitating long-distance interaction, pitching one against the other seems to be a favourite pastime.

WhatsApp was launched in 2009 as an instant messaging app and served as a platform not just for exchanging messages but also audio, video and images. Because it was designed to be in sync with the phonebook of the user and was offered free of charge for the first one year, people all over the world caught on to it almost immediately and it became extremely popular. Such was its rage that it caught the attention of social media giant Facebook and was acquired by the same in 2014 for a whopping $19 billion.

Snapchat was launched in 2011 and was distinct from other apps in the sense that anything conveyed on it, whether message, video or an image, could be viewed only for 10 seconds after which it would disappear. The user is provided with the option of taking a snapshot within those 10 seconds as a method of saving and is provided with a replay once during the next 24 hours. Unlike WhatsApp, this service has not been acquired by a bigger entity so far and continues to operate independently within its domain.

Although the two services are totally different from each other, comparison between them arises owing to their nature of facilitating two-way communication that is not just limited to text but is inclusive of video, audio and static images too. Following are some of the basic parameters that bring out the difference between the two –

Price – While WhatApp is free for the first one year, charges are levied from the second year onward and amount to $ 0.99 for every year of usage thereafter. Snapchat can be used free of charge for as long as the user wishes and enjoys compatibility with a variety of devices.

Cloud memory – Anything that is sent using Snapchat is stored in cloud memory and hence can be retrieved in case the device is lost, destroyed or crashes. This implies that even if the message or the image self-destructs after some time, it is stored somewhere in the cloud. Since WhatsApp does not provide this option, storage is well within the hands of the user.

Global reach – WhatsApp is an application that transcends geographical boundaries, meaning you can share views, video, song or picture with anyone around the world within a matter of seconds. While it is a boon for social networking, its true advantage lies in establishing coordination amongst employees when it comes to arranging a meeting.

Login – Logging into Snapchat requires a user id and password and is not linked to your phone number. WhatsApp on the other hand is linked to your phone number and hence need not be accessed every time for being used.

Size and versatility – As an application, WhatsApp is more than double the size of Snapchat and hence consumption of space is higher with WhatsApp than with Snapchat. However, both applications are tablet-friendly and hence user experience on tabs is great in case of both.

In case of WhatsApp, a parallel has been drawn with a Chinese service named WeChat which is the most preferred and popular mode of communication there. Analysts predict that WhatsApp also has the potential to grow into a seminal force within a few years’ time. Meanwhile anyone who wishes to share daring images can rely on Snapchat owing to non-permanence of data.

Snapchat versus Whatsapp, what is your choice and why? Let us know below.