WhatsApp CEO: We Have Bigger User Base Than Twitter

Cross-platform messaging app - WhatsApp, was first launched in 2009 and soon enough it became one of the most used independent smartphone apps in the world. Now WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum says that the platform has more users then twitter. However, he does not comment on the exact numbers.

Twitter this year reported that it has more then 200 million active users. The micro-bloging claims to processes eight billion inbound messages and 12 billion outbound messages a day, while WhatsApp is said to process 20 billion messages per day.

WhatsApp was initially released as a free app, but now is gradually phasing into a subscription app, charging 99 cents per year. The app has stayed clear of advertisements."We do have a manifesto opposing advertising," Koum said in an interview with allthingsd

"We're proud of that. Who likes advertising? We're so bombarded with ads so much in our daily lives and we felt that smartphones aren't the place for that. Our phones are so intimately connected to us, to our lives. Putting advertising on a device like that is a bad idea. You don't want to be interrupted by ads when you're chatting with your loved ones." He added

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There have been signs of Facebook and Twitter, losing attention of the younger users, while apps like WhatsApp are gaining popularity. Moreover, people are increasingly turning to smartphone culture, leaving behind PCs and this is where, WhatsApp is benefiting.

"We're looking forward to a world with billions of phones and once that happens it's going to be extremely easy to monetize. But a lot more people need to join the smartphone revolution and a lot more people need to buy more goods on their phones."said Koum

As for the speculations regarding Facebook and Google trying to acquire WhatsApp, the company has officially denied, of that ever happening.

There were also rumors that the the company is looking to diversify the platform by including games in it. However, Koum has denied the notion.