Both apps start with the camera and your friends. Snapchat is built for snaps, Stories and lenses. Rawly is a photo game: send a friend a VS, shoot the same RAW NOW, play in a club, and let the others pick the better frame. Every shot is live, with no filters.
Is Rawly a good Snapchat alternative?
Yes, if you share moments with friends and want a game in it: a VS where the others vote, clubs with rounds on a topic, streaks with each friend and end-to-end encrypted chats. Rawly has no lenses and no map of people, and it is much smaller than Snapchat.
What each app is built for, from the camera to the chats.
| Feature | Rawly Our App | Snapchat |
|---|---|---|
| Playing with friends | ✓ A VS by name or as a link, the others vote. Clubs with rounds on a topic | Snaps, chats and group chats |
| Streaks | ✓ A streak with each friend you message, and a daily streak for playing | Snapstreaks with each friend |
| Disappearing messages | ✓ The reader can switch on Burn: gone 10 seconds after reading | Chats delete after viewing by default |
| Camera | ✓ Live only: no gallery uploads, no filters. The other camera takes a second frame right after the shot | Camera first, with lenses and filters. Memories and the camera roll can be shared |
| Lenses and AR | None, by design | A core feature |
| Who decides what rises | ✓ The community votes. No algorithm | Spotlight and Discover are ranked by Snapchat's systems |
| Location | ✓ Never shows where people are | Snap Map can show your location to friends you choose |
| Age | 18 and over | 13 and over |
| Company and ads | ✓ Rawly OÜ, Estonia (EU). No ads | Snap Inc., United States. Funded mainly by ads |
Snapchat made the camera a way to talk to friends. Rawly makes it a game you play with them.
Send a VS to friends by name, or as a link to anyone. The first to shoot plays, and everyone else picks the better shot. Then share the result, or ask for a rematch. More on the photo game with friends.
Start a club with friends. Each round has a topic: everyone shoots, then those who shot vote. Only members see inside. More on photo clubs.
Snapchat's lenses and its map of friends have no equivalent in Rawly. Rawly has no filters and never shows where people are, on purpose.
Snapchat made streaks famous. Rawly keeps a streak with each friend you message, and a daily streak for every day you shoot RAW NOW or the object of the day.
Direct messages and group chats are end-to-end encrypted, and a notification never shows what a message says. Club threads are stored encrypted on our servers. The app blocks screenshots, and every photo is shot live.
How the encryption worksTrademark notice: Snapchat, Snap Map, Spotlight and Lenses are trademarks of Snap Inc. This page is an independent comparison published by Rawly OÜ for information only. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Snap Inc. Descriptions of Snapchat are based on publicly available information as of November 2026 and may change.