WeChat VS Weixin

In this article, we will explain the differences between WeChat and Weixin and discuss how they matter for marketing in China.

Content:

• Weixin as the key Chinese app

• What are the differences between the Weixin app and the WeChat app?

• WeChat users vs Weixin users

• Official accounts

• Mini apps and games

• WeChat Pay options

• Video channels and live-streaming

• Conclusion

Weixin as the key Chinese app

Today, WeChat is the most famous Chinese social network in the world, representing a comprehensive ecosystem of diverse services with a user base of 1.3 billion users who use WeChat for various purposes on both IOS and Android devices.

For Chinese users, it is not only the most popular Chinese messaging app: in addition to exchanging text messages and contact details, each WeChat account allows file sharing, web browsing, group chats, networking, online payment, video calls, real-time location sharing, searching for people nearby and adding them as friends via QR code, and many other functions.

WeChat Pay options

Working with WeChat also suggests an important practical purpose for businesses, as they can register official WeChat accounts and promote their brands.

For example, subscription accounts allow businesses to share brand-related content with their audience, while service accounts allow businesses to create online stores within WeChat and integrate with WeChat Pay for payment options. You can also create a special chat to communicate with your audience and share a link to your other platforms. In addition, WeChat provides advertising opportunities that can be leveraged through WeChat Ads or Tencent Ads.

The main page of WeChat Ads account

As Business Insider noted, in 2017, the application's capabilities even attracted the attention of Western tech giants such as Facebook, which are interested in adapting new monetization options. The latest tech news on the Chinese market continues to include items related to WeChat app innovations.

However, foreign users and businesses often overlook the fact that the familiar WeChat they know is actually an adapted version of Weixin, which, unlike WeChat, offers broader functionalities that are not fully available to overseas users.

What are the differences between the Weixin app and the WeChat app?

The available functions of the app may vary

Undoubtedly, the difference lies not only in the area of interface in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese or English and other languages depending on the region. Since 2021, the WeChat and Weixin apps have operated separately, each with its own set of rules and regulatory environments that vary by region. In particular, it is related to the increasing control motives of the Chinese government. For example, we can recall the events of 2022 (more in the Wall Street Journal article).

Despite the formal differences in regulation and data processing between the two versions, users of WeChat and Weixin can freely communicate with each other.

However, there are several differences related to the audience's ability to use the apps' services. These include differences in the use of WeChat payment, access to video channels, and other differences discussed below.

WeChat users vs Weixin users

First of all, unlike Weixin, WeChat is an application targeted at international users. Therefore, the main difference is that Weixin's audience is those who register on the application using a Chinese mobile phone number (+86).

For this reason, WeChat’s audience can be considered as those who register with mobile phones from other countries. Accordingly, if you change your number to a Chinese one, you will be classified as a Weixin user.

Official accounts

One of the main differences is that Weixin users are limited to searching for or subscribing to WeChat official accounts. However, WeChat’s audience can search for and subscribe to Weixin official accounts.

Therefore, if you want to promote yourself in mainland China, it is necessary to reposition your official account on the Weixin platform.

Mini apps and games

When it comes to working with mini programs, Weixin users have full access to them. However, WeChat’s audience cannot use applications that involve facial recognition.

In addition, if you try to search for a WeChat mini program, you may face the problem that it may not be available in certain regions, while the corresponding applications are available in Weixin.

As for games, which are an important revenue component of Tencent's ecosystem, it should be noted that Weixin games are available to all users, while the selection of games for WeChat users may vary depending on the region.

In addition, certain game-related features, such as Parental Control, are only available to Weixin’s audience. Parental Control is a popular feature that limits the amount of time Chinese children spend playing games.

WeChat Pay options

A key feature of Weixin is its integration with the Tenpay payment system, which allows users to make purchases online or offline via the QR code option at street vendors or supermarkets, pay for various services, and transfer money directly from within the app. This integration enables convenient and secure transactions within the Weixin ecosystem.

In regions outside of China, WeChat users experience limited access to the wallet feature both during and after authentication. The wallet functionality is generally limited when used outside of China, with the exception of South Africa.

This disparity is due to the division of WeChat and Weixin into separate "China Wallet" and "Foreign Wallet" regions, each of which operates with separate currencies and payment systems.

Foreign users face restrictions in transferring funds from their foreign bank accounts to WeChat wallets or withdrawing money from them. In contrast, Weixin’s audience enjoy a wider range of options within their wallet functionality.

Acquiring a Weixin account is advantageous for foreigners living in China or doing business with people in mainland China.

Video channels and live-streaming

Weixin channels are becoming increasingly popular among users interested in gaming, beauty, and daily life content. Although there is room for improvement in terms of user engagement, Weixin offers valuable marketing opportunities, although its commercial value is not yet on par with other competitors such as Douyin.

Weixin channels and live streaming were launched only two years ago, but they quickly transformed into commercial platforms for sharing videos in 2022. These video accounts have undergone significant development and now offer features such as sharing short videos, conducting online live streams, gifting options for livestreamers, and integrated shopping experiences.

However, WeChat users are still limited to the role of passive video viewers and are unable to create their own WeChat channels. For some users, the task of finding WeChat channels on the interface is challenging.

In contrast, Weixin users enjoy the privilege of both watching videos and creating WeChat channels. They can also access WeChat Livestream to view content and start their own livestream channels. Unfortunately, regular WeChat users cannot participate in watching or discovering livestream content.

Therefore, the discovery function in WeChat offers a limited range of services and lacks features such as livestream or video channels within personal accounts. Even if you click on video or livestream links shared by your friends, the discovery page will not display relevant video or livestream options.

Conclusion

All in all, although many functions of WeChat and Weixin are similar, there are some differences that affect the user's opportunities and marketing options for business. If you need to clarify how to promote on Weixin/WeChat, please contact us and we will be glad to help you!