December 11, 2013 1 min read

If you are still using text messages, you are officially old school.

In the brave new smartphone-obsessed world that we live in, more and more people are sending messages through web-based applications like WeChat, WhatsApp and Snapchat. These apps allow consumers to send messages from their mobile devices to other mobile devices without paying for wireless service.

Across the world, instant message apps are surging in popularity. In China alone, the number of mobile instant messaging accounts approached 1.5 billion in 2013, according to this infographic from Paris-based Social Media Agency KRDS.

One such instant messaging service, Snapchat, must be pretty confident in the trend. The company's co-founder Evan Spiegel recently caused a bit of a kerfuffle in the startup community when he turned down a $3 billion buyout from Facebook.

Related: This Is the 23-Year-Old Entrepreneur Who Just Turned Down $3 Billion From Facebook

Check out the infographic below for stats on the top instant message apps around the globe, as compiled by European social-media agency KRDS.