Facebook has recently purchased Whatsapp for $19 billion. Many people use Whatsapp because it allows you to send messages to friends using data. Using data to send messages rather than SMS can mean that you pay a fraction of a cent per message rather than 9 cents (or more). In the long-term this can save you a lot of money.
I used to use Whatsapp along with other messaging apps, namely Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Viber, and Hangouts. After using Whatsapp for a while, I noticed in the settings that although the app was free for the first year, after you have used it for a year or so you are supposed to pay around $1 per year after that. This annoyed me greatly, so I uninstalled the program. All my other messaging apps pretty much do the same thing but are completely free. Viber, in particular, seems like a clone of Whatapps. It uses your phone's contacts to find other people who use Viber, and you can message them, have group chats, and even engage in VOIP conversations (something you cannot do in Whatsapp). Viber has more functionality than Whatsapp but it is free.
Whenever someone pays more for something, they usually give senseless rationalisations. One of my friends said, "Whatsapp is better integrated with your phone." He didn't specify. I hate it when people just say crap to justify paying more for something.
It's true that many people use Whatsapp, but I find that there are so many alternatives that there is no point paying $1 per year. Chances are, if someone doesn't have Whatsapp, they will definitely have Facebook Messenger, and off all the messengers around I think Facebook Messenger is the best. It is the fastest and it looks good as well. I also love Chat Heads, which allows me to chat with friends while watching YouTube or browsing the internet.
Many people say, "It's only a dollar a year! You can afford that." That may be the case. I don't mind spending money. I'll happily purchase a $4 coffee but that is because there is no other alternative. That is the going rate for espresso coffee in my city. But messaging apps are different. Whatsapp is the only app I know that charges money while all other apps are free. Even if I pay little, why pay when you shouldn't?
Then there are those who say that even though Whatsapp say they charge $1 per year, in reality they don't. Supposedly if you wait until the due date for payment, Whatsapp will just keep letting you use the program for free because they don't want you to stop using it. I have problems with this. Firstly, if they are lying about charging you, who is to say they won't lie later? Secondly, it is clear that Whatsapp's is employing a bait and switch technique here, luring people in by exploiting their ignorance and assumption that the app is free and then trying to charge them later when they cannot switch because so many of their friends use Whatsapp.
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