# WeChat 14 Hacker News commenters recommended WeChat and 20 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months. **Verdict:** Widely used messaging and payments app that people say replaces cards and handles daily tasks well, with quick human support. Critics say it is closed and raises privacy and censorship concerns. ## Why people recommend it - Replaces cards and handles payments (2 comments): "The absence of plastic cards is absolutely not a problem, just look at WeChat, Alipay, etc." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46962108)) "With wechat in china, pix in south america and wero in europe" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48926043)) - Quick human customer support (3 comments): "I got escalated to talking a real person and sorted everything out in a few days." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49552361)) "got to talk to a human being and sort it out within a few business days" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47597199)) "it took less than a day to talk to a person to get it sorted" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45802320)) - Most-used messenger in many countries (2 comments): "In most countries, the most used messenger app is Whatsapp or Wechat or LINE or KakaoTalk" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47003853)) "WeChat instead of WhatsApp" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46659829)) - Miniapps useful for tourists (2 comments): "miniapp platforms like WeChat and LINE in countries with way lower purchasing parity" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45923311)) "it's actually great for tourists" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47085939)) ## What people warn about - Privacy risks and government access (4 comments): "the Chinese government can conveniently read your WeChat messages" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47035074)) "for those who care more about privacy, it's quite problematic." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47622059)) "for those who care more about privacy, it's quite problematic" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47596355)) - Closed ecosystem, apps don't interoperate (3 comments): "Shit storage efficiency, stagnated UX experience, very closed ecosystem and external link blocking" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50052938)) "now we need to have 5, 6, 7 different closed systems that can't speak with each other" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48597347)) "They are fully bound to the two providers (Alipay and WeChat)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48210427)) - Censors messages and blocks links (3 comments): "Shit storage efficiency, stagnated UX experience, very closed ecosystem and external link blocking" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50052938)) "your message can't be sent because it'll be deemed to be trying to cause social unrest" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46780340)) "On WeChat and Douyin (chinese tiktok), good luck mentioning things like" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46780721)) - Clunky, stagnant user experience (2 comments): "Shit storage efficiency, stagnated UX experience, very closed ecosystem and external link blocking" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50052938)) "even though their UX is also pretty clunky, it's still somehow efficient" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45914841)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Discord](https://hackerapproved.com/p/discord.md): 400 recommend - [Telegram](https://hackerapproved.com/p/telegram.md): 229 recommend - [Telegram Desktop](https://hackerapproved.com/p/telegram-desktop.md): 13 recommend - [WhatsApp for Windows](https://hackerapproved.com/p/whatsapp-for-windows.md): 10 recommend - [LINE messaging app](https://hackerapproved.com/p/line.md): 8 recommend ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.wechat.com/en) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "WeChat", https://hackerapproved.com/p/wechat/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).