Rakuten Viber Messenger is a secure messaging and calling app for global users, featuring international calling and community channels on iOS and Android.
Product velocity
Maintenance
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#70
▼3Communication · free
Sentiment
4.2
17.6M reviews
Nemesis
WhatsApp Messenger
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users rely on the app to bridge international communication gaps via low-cost landline calling and secure, encrypted messaging, displacing traditional carrier-based international plans.
For Global users requiring secure messaging and low-cost international calling solutions for personal or professional groups.
What does it look like?
Key features
International calling service to landlines and mobile numbers via purchased credit or subscription plans
Default security protocol for all 1-on-1 and group chats, preventing third-party access to message content
Integrated AI tools for answering queries, generating art, and accessing third-party services like travel booking
How much does it cost?
Freemium model monetizes via international calling utility and ad-supported messaging environment.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentopaqueperformanceShow more...
The app currently operates at a maintenance cadence, averaging approximately 0.12 releases per week based on 4 distinct versions identified in the recent window. Development activity has been limited to minor stability and performance improvements, with no significant feature additions or live events noted in the release history. The publisher utilizes opaque, generic release notes across all recent updates, providing no insight into specific technical changes or feature flags. With the latest release occurring 84 days ago, the development cycle remains slow and focused exclusively on maintenance.
Who built it?
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads excited. Users appreciate clear and reliable voice and video call quality keeps families connected across international borders and user-friendly interface design makes the communication experience accessible for non-technical users, but report account activation failures occur when the system rejects valid verification codes during device setup.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Clear and reliable voice and video call quality keeps families connected across international borders
- User-friendly interface design makes the communication experience accessible for non-technical users
- Localized server infrastructure in specific regions significantly improves call latency and connection stability
- Account activation failures occur when the system rejects valid verification codes during device setup
60 of 100 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Excited overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 2 user requests, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Rakuten Viber Messenger
How's the Communication market?
Rakuten Viber Messenger holds a #18 Grossing position in the US Communication category. The disparity between its Free chart reach and Grossing rank signals monetization friction relative to its discovery advantage.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By WhatsApp Inc.
The dominant global standard for messaging, serving as the primary benchmark for feature parity and user expectations.
- Unrivaled global network effect making it the default communication tool for cross-border interaction
- High-frequency release cycle ensuring superior technical stability and rapid feature deployment
- Deep integration with Meta’s business suite for seamless customer-to-business communication
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Rakuten Viber Messenger
Where is it heading?
The communication app market is consolidating around high-reliability, ad-free experiences. Viber's maintenance-only cadence and persistent technical regressions leave it exposed to rivals that prioritize technical stability and user-centric monetization.
- Critical account activation bugs in the latest release prevent new user onboarding, directly suppressing growth in key international markets.
- Intrusive advertising during active calls erodes the core communication value proposition, risking migration to simpler, ad-free alternatives.
The SWOT
- End-to-end encryption establishes category authority in privacy-focused communication
- Viber Out provides a direct-to-landline international calling utility that rivals lack
- AI bot integrations offer a B2B partnership unlock for service-based monetization
Next best moves
Rebuild account activation flow because activation failures are the top-reported login blocker → reduce new-user churn
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The reliance on ad-supported messaging during active calls…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Seamless multi-device cloud architecture (available in Telegram but absent here) +1
Since the last report: Development velocity has collapsed into a maintenance-only cycle, with the time since the last update increasing from one day to 84 days. This stagnation coincides with the emergence of persistent synchronization bugs that now accompany the existing account activation and ad-placement issues.
Bottom line
Prioritizing backend stability for account activation would address the primary churn driver for new users, allowing the team to focus on scaling the B2B AI bot revenue stream. Failing to stabilize the core login flow will continue to erode the user base despite the strength of the Viber Out utility.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Rakuten Viber Messenger free to use?
How does Viber compare to WhatsApp?
Does Viber have intrusive ads?
What are the best alternatives to Viber for secure messaging?
Sources
- [1] Play Store listing, source
Report last updated