In what has turned out to be the greatest messaging platform on the planet, WhatsApp has become the global messaging phenomenon. The company announced today that it has reached a significant milestone: 400 million active users each month, with 100 million of them joining in the last four months alone.
“We’ve arrived at this point without spending a dollar on targeted ads or big marketing campaigns,” co-founder Jan Koum crowed in a blog post. “We’re here because of all the people who share their WhatsApp stories with co-workers, friends, and loved ones.”
Unlike here in Africa where people use the App for free especially on Android WhatsApp, which makes money by charging users one dollar per year in exchange for unlimited texts, has become a the most used global alternative to the expensive, text-message plans sold by carriers. We currently have alternatives for SMS like the SMSFree App on the Google Play Store here in Uganda, but I guess it has its own battles to win with the local population. Despite the massive competition from lots of similar apps, including Snapchat, Viber, Kik, LINE, MessageMe, Tellit, iMessage, and Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp is still rapidly growing.
