Source-backed analysis14
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
14 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
Zalo Review
Vietnam's dominant messaging and calling app, with a diary feed and OAs
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- macOS
- Web
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Zalo is close to unavoidable for reaching friends, colleagues, government agencies and shops in Vietnam, with about 79 million monthly active users. The trade-offs are low store ratings (2.0/5 on the App Store, 2.3/5 on Google Play), limits and fees that drew user backlash, and a data policy critics call unclear.
Best for: People living and working in Vietnam who need to reach many contacts, class and work groups and official accounts
Skip it if: Anyone who wants end-to-end encryption by default, since the terms do not mention encryption and the current E2EE status could not be confirmed
Pros
- Scale: VNG reported 79.2 million monthly active users in Q3 2025 and about 2.1 billion messages a day
- Available on phones, Zalo PC (Windows, macOS) and the web, with personal messaging, calls and the diary free of charge
- A broad ecosystem: Official Accounts, ZaloPay, Zing MP3 and Zalo Video; more than 17,000 government OAs by end-2024
Cons
- Low ratings: 2.0/5 on the Vietnamese App Store (more than 367,000 ratings) and 2.3/5 on Google Play (about 2.57 million)
- Since 1 Aug 2022 free accounts face caps on friends and stranger messages, and in 2025 Zalo began charging for verification codes
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- A help centre with 10 guide categories, plus a hotline and two support email addresses
Cons
- The data policy drew criticism for a 45-day accept-or-lose-access notice, and the terms do not mention end-to-end encryption
- The support hotline costs 2,000 ₫ per minute, and no live chat with staff was found
Best for
- Businesses and shops that want a customer channel through Official Accounts and notification messages
Skip it if
- People who mostly message contacts abroad, since Zalo's user base is largely in Vietnam
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
What is Zalo?
Zalo is a messaging and calling app from VNG, which its homepage calls "Vietnam's No. 1 communication app". The first public version appeared in late 2012. VNG reported 79.2 million monthly active users in Q3 2025 and about 2.1 billion messages a day; the homepage now quotes a higher 81.3 million, which could not be matched to a financial filing. Beyond chat, Zalo links to Zing MP3, Báo Mới, Zalo Video, the Kiki Auto assistant and business solutions.
How it works and key features
Users register with a phone number and get one-to-one and group chat, voice and video calls, a diary feed and friend lists. There is a phone app, Zalo PC and a web version. Businesses and government bodies use Official Accounts to message followers; Tuoi Tre reports more than 17,000 OAs run by government agencies and public-service providers by end-2024. Wikipedia lists AI features such as speech-to-text and AI avatars, though it is not an official source.
Pricing and limits
Personal messaging and calls are free. From 1 Aug 2022, free accounts are capped at 1,000 friends, 40 appearances in phone-number searches and 40 new stranger conversations per month, per VietTimes. The OA packages the press listed that year were Trial at 10,000 ₫, Advanced at 59,000 ₫ and Premium at 399,000 ₫ per month. In Feb 2025 Tuoi Tre reported that verification codes for sign-up, password recovery or device changes must be paid for via a text message or hotline call. These prices come from press; Zalo's own pages do not publish a consumer price list.
More analysis
Privacy and controversy
The terms updated 28 Aug 2026 name VNG as data controller, list the data collected and users' rights, and say message and call content is neither stored nor used for other purposes. They do not mention encryption. Zalo published an E2EE whitepaper in June 2022, but the help-centre front page does not mention E2EE. On 1 Jan 2026 a VietNamNet commentary criticised the notice requiring consent to broader data policies within 45 days. In 2019 the zalo.vn domain was suspended for 45 days during a regulatory licence review, per Wikipedia.
Who it's for and how it compares
Zalo fits best when most of your contacts are in Vietnam, because the value of a messaging app is who else uses it. Messenger is also widely used locally; Telegram leans toward large groups and channels; Signal puts privacy first; WhatsApp is stronger for international contact. Many people run two apps side by side. Given the low store ratings and the debates over fees and data, review the privacy settings before relying on it long term.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Tài khoản cá nhân (miễn phí)
PersonalFree
Messaging and calls between personal accounts remain free. According to VietTimes (1 Aug 2022), free accounts are capped: up to 1,000 friends, strangers cannot view or comment on the diary, the account appears only 40 times a month in phone-number searches, and you can reply to only 40 new conversations from strangers each month. These are 2022 press figures that Zalo's own pages did not re-confirm.
Zalo Official Account - Nâng cao
Business₫59,000/mo
Per VietTimes in 2022, lifting the limits above meant moving to a business Zalo Official Account (OA) package. The article also lists a Trial package at 10,000 ₫/month (one-time sign-up only).
Zalo Official Account - Premium
Business₫399,000/mo
The top tier of the three OA packages VietTimes listed in 2022. The price may have changed; check with Zalo before buying.
- Free plan limits
- Personal messaging and calls remain free. Tuoi Tre (28 Feb 2025) reported that users must pay to receive verification codes when registering a new account, recovering a password or switching devices: texting a Zalo number costs 1,000–5,000 ₫ per message and calling the hotline 1,000 ₫ per minute.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
None of the official pages read (homepage, help centre, terms) state a refund policy for paid packages; ask support before buying.
Privacy
Zalo's terms (updated 28 Aug 2026, effective 5 Sep 2026) name VNG as the personal-data controller. Collected data includes phone number, name, age, gender, email, avatar, device details, IP address, contacts (with permission), GPS location and payment information (with consent). VNG says it does not use message or call content beyond providing the service and does not store it. Data is shared only with consent, as required by law, or with the affiliate Zalo Platforms for Zalo ID integration; personalised ads require consent. Users can view, correct, delete and request a copy of their data. The service is offered from age 14. The terms do not mention encryption, only 'strong' technical measures in general. Zalo has published an E2EE whitepaper (June 2022) and Vietnamese press describes enabling end-to-end encryption for one-to-one chats, but the help-centre front page does not mention E2EE, so its current status could not be confirmed. A VietNamNet commentary dated 1 Jan 2026 reported that in the last days of 2025 users were told to accept broader data collection and sharing within 45 days or lose access; its author, from Hoa Binh University, criticised bundling advertising, data sharing and AI training into a single consent.
Zalo alternatives
7.4/10Free messaging and calling with default end-to-end encryption, used worldwide
7.3/10Telegram
Cross-platform cloud messaging with 200,000-member groups, channels and bots
Frequently asked questions
Is Zalo free?
Messaging and calls between personal accounts remain free. Free accounts have caps such as 1,000 friends (per 2022 press), and paid Official Account packages target business use.
Does Zalo use end-to-end encryption?
Zalo published an E2EE whitepaper in June 2022 and press guides describe turning it on for one-to-one chats. The latest terms do not mention encryption and the current status was not confirmed, so check inside the app.
Which platforms does Zalo support?
iOS, Android, Zalo PC (Windows, macOS) and a web version at zalo.me/zalo-chat.
How do I contact Zalo support?
Through the help centre at help.zalo.me, [email protected], [email protected] or the hotline 1900 633 155 (2,000 ₫/minute; 9:00–21:00 Monday to Friday, 9:00–18:00 at weekends and on holidays).
Review evidence & sources14
Scores
- Ease of use
- 6.5
- Features
- 7.8
- Value for money
- 6.5
- Performance
- 6.5
- Support
- 6.0
- Privacy & security
- 4.8
Why this score
Phone, PC and web versions and an easy-to-browse help centre, but 2.0/5 on the Vietnamese App Store and 2.3/5 on Google Play signal low satisfaction; the sources reviewed do not pin down the causes.
Why this score
Messaging, calls, groups, diary, Official Accounts, ZaloPay, music, short video and some AI features (per Wikipedia: speech-to-text and AI avatars from 2023). Marked down because the end-to-end encryption status could not be confirmed.
Why this score
Free for personal use, but the 2022 limits and the 2025 verification-code fee drew press criticism. OA packages at 59,000–399,000 ₫/month are 2022 figures.
Why this score
No independent speed or reliability data. The app updates often (version 26.11.01 on 29 Oct 2026) but release notes only mention bug fixes and performance.
Why this score
A help centre, [email protected] and [email protected], the hotline 1900 633 155 (2,000 ₫/minute; 9:00–21:00 Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00 weekends and holidays) and a vulnerability disclosure programme. No live chat with staff or refund policy was found.
Why this score
The terms name the responsible entity, data-subject rights and a minimum age of 14. Marked down because encryption is not mentioned, E2EE could not be confirmed, many data types are collected and the 45-day consent notice drew criticism.
What users say
- App Store (Vietnam)2.0/5 · 367,847
- App Store (United States)2.1/5 · 8,570
- Google Play (United States)2.3/5 · 2,569,902
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial homepage (zalo.me)Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial terms of use and personal data noticeNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial help centreNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial security and vulnerability disclosure pageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial E2EE whitepaper (PDF, June 2022)Nov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (Vietnam)Nov 10, 2026
- storeiTunes Lookup API (rating, version, release date)Nov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (United States)Nov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listing (United States)Nov 10, 2026
- pressVietTimes (2022-08-01): restricted features and OA packagesNov 10, 2026
- pressTuoi Tre News (2025-02-28): verification-code feeNov 10, 2026
- pressTuoi Tre News (2025-12-29): Zalo and VNG's businessNov 10, 2026
- pressVietNamNet (2026-01-01): 45-day data consent noticeNov 10, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: ZaloNov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- VNG Corporation
- Headquarters
- Vietnam
- Launched
- 2012
- Category
- Social
Capabilities
- AI features
- Integrations
- Mobile app
Platforms
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- macOS
- Web
Interface languages
- Vietnamese
- English
Integrations
- ZaloPay
- Zalo Official Account (OA)
- Zalo Notification Service (ZNS)
- Zing MP3
Support
- Phone
- Help center
Change history
- Update.Zalo's terms of use are updated, effective 5 Sep 2026.
- Update.VietNamNet publishes a commentary on the late-2025 notice asking users to accept an expanded data policy within 45 days.
- Company.Tuoi Tre reports VNG set up Zalo Platforms (Feb 2025) for business services on Zalo, with charter capital raised to VND 50 billion on 26 Dec 2025; Zalo had 79.2 million monthly active users in Q3 2025.
Full change history (8)
- Price.Tuoi Tre reports Zalo now charges for verification codes needed to register, recover a password or switch devices.
- Limits.Zalo starts limiting free accounts (1,000 friends, 40 search appearances and 40 new stranger conversations per month) and sells OA packages from 10,000 ₫/month.
- Feature.Zalo publishes a 21-page end-to-end encryption (E2EE) whitepaper; Wikipedia says experimental Signal-protocol E2EE arrived from May 2022.
- Company.The zalo.vn domain is suspended for 45 days while authorities review its social network licence.
- Launch.Zalo appears on the App Store; Wikipedia records the official public release in December 2012.
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