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Social Media · head to head

Facebook vs Pinterest

Facebook logo

Facebook

Social Media

Meta's social network app, free to use and monetised entirely through targeted advertising

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pinterest logo

Pinterest

Social Media

Visual discovery and bookmarking platform monetised through advertising and shopping links, run as an independent public company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Facebook there is no paid ad-free tier for personal accounts, so using it at all means being profiled for advertising targeting, including in markets where Meta has introduced a paid subscription for reduced ads on Instagram and Facebook in the EU, not globally.; Pinterest engagement skews heavily toward planning and browsing rather than real-time interaction, so it is a poor fit for time-sensitive announcements or breaking content.
  • They diverge on capability: Facebook covers News Feed, Pinterest covers Boards.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Facebook and Pinterest actually diverge.

Attributes where Facebook and Pinterest differ
AttributeFacebookPinterest
Pricing modelFree, funded entirely by targeted advertisingFree for users, advertising revenue from businesses

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (iOS, Android, Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Social Media).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Facebook

  • News Feed
  • Marketplace
  • Groups
  • Events
  • Reels and Watch
  • Ad preference controls

Only in Pinterest

  • Boards
  • Visual search
  • Shopping pins
  • Idea pins
  • Promoted pins
  • Pinterest Trends

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Facebook

  • Staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feednot Pinterest
  • Buying and selling locally through Marketplacenot Pinterest
  • Joining Groups organised around a specific interest, neighbourhood or eventnot Pinterest
  • Following Pages for local businesses, public figures or organisationsnot Pinterest

Pinterest

  • Planning a home renovation, wedding or event by collecting ideas in one placenot Facebook
  • A retailer running shoppable pin campaigns to drive purchase-intent traffic rather than pure brand awarenessnot Facebook
  • A content creator or blogger driving referral traffic to a website through pinned contentnot Facebook
  • A brand researching seasonal trends through Pinterest Trends data before a product launchnot Facebook

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Facebook

  • There is no paid ad-free tier for personal accounts, so using it at all means being profiled for advertising targeting, including in markets where Meta has introduced a paid subscription for reduced ads on Instagram and Facebook in the EU, not globally.
  • The default feed is algorithmically ranked for engagement rather than shown chronologically, which shapes what content a user sees in ways that are not fully transparent.
  • Cross-app and off-platform tracking through Meta's advertising tools means behaviour on other websites and apps can inform the ads and targeting shown inside Facebook.
  • Group and Marketplace content moderation is inconsistent at Facebook's scale, and scams on Marketplace and misinformation in Groups are recurring, documented problems.
  • Younger user growth has shifted to other platforms in many markets, so Facebook's core demographic skews older than some competing social apps, which matters if the goal is reaching a younger audience.

Pinterest

  • Engagement skews heavily toward planning and browsing rather than real-time interaction, so it is a poor fit for time-sensitive announcements or breaking content.
  • Organic reach for businesses without a paid budget has declined as the feed increasingly favours advertising and algorithmic recommendation over follower-based distribution.
  • The user base skews demographically narrow, concentrated among women and higher-income users in several markets, which limits its usefulness for brands needing broad reach.
  • Ad pricing is auction based with no published flat rate, so campaign cost is unpredictable and can rise sharply during high-demand seasonal periods.
  • Content moderation and misinformation controls have lagged some competitors, and health and wellness misinformation pinned to boards has been a recurring problem the company has had to address after the fact.

Pricing, plan by plan

Facebook

Free
  • FreeFree
    • No subscription tier for personal accounts
    • Ad supported

Pinterest

Free
  • PinterestFree
    • Free account, unlimited pinning and boards for users
    • Businesses pay for promoted pins and shopping ads through Pinterest Ads Manager, priced by auction, no flat published rate

Which should you pick?

Choose Facebook if

  • You need news feed.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want marketplace.
Facebook review

Choose Pinterest if

  • You need boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want visual search.
Pinterest review

Questions people ask

Is Facebook or Pinterest better?
Neither clearly leads. Facebook starts at Free and Pinterest at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Facebook or Pinterest?
Facebook starts at Free and Pinterest at Free.
Does Facebook or Pinterest run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Facebook for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Facebook best used for?
Facebook is most often used for staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feed, buying and selling locally through marketplace, joining groups organised around a specific interest, neighbourhood or event, following pages for local businesses, public figures or organisations. Of those, staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feed and buying and selling locally through marketplace are not what Pinterest is typically brought in for.
What can Facebook do that Pinterest cannot?
Facebook covers News Feed, Marketplace, Groups, Events. Pinterest covers Boards, Visual search, Shopping pins, Idea pins.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Facebook: Does Facebook have a paid ad-free version?

In the EU, Meta has offered a paid subscription for reduced ads on Facebook and Instagram; outside the EU there is generally no ad-free personal tier.

Pinterest: Is Pinterest free?

Yes for users. Pinterest makes money from advertisers and shopping commerce tools, not from user subscriptions.

Facebook: How does Facebook make money if it is free?

Entirely through advertising, targeted using data about in-app behaviour and, via Meta's broader advertising tools, activity on other websites and apps.

Pinterest: Does Pinterest take a cut of sales through shopping pins?

Pinterest itself does not typically take a transaction cut; it charges advertisers for promoted placement, and the retailer handles the actual sale and payment.

Facebook: Is the feed shown in chronological order?

Not by default; it is algorithmically ranked, though a chronological "Most Recent" feed option exists and can be selected manually.

Pinterest: Has Pinterest changed ownership recently?

No. Unlike several platforms in this category, Pinterest remains an independently listed public company with no recent acquisition or rebrand.

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