How Go-Jek compares to other ‘super apps’ like WeChat

Photo credit: Go-Jek

Asia’s increasingly crowded tech space has resulted in super apps–applications that consolidate versatile, multi-functional features such as chat, social media, mobile payments, games, and much more.

Some of the most notable examples include WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and Line. One rising star in the super app space is Indonesia’s transportation service Go-Jek.

Why Go-Jek succeeds in Indonesia

Go-Jek was originally a service that aimed to provide inexpensive motorcycle rides to users. Over time, the company has evolved, becoming able to transport people and goods and even provide services. Indonesians are mobile-first. The vast majority of the country’s internet traffic originates from mobile devices, and Go-Jek is thriving within this framework.

What makes it different from other super apps?

Go-Jek’s path to become a super app is markedly different than that of its peers. The three key distinguishing factors are its transportation-based roots, its non-emphasis on social media, and its lack of a powerful parent company.

For one, Go-Jek’s path to success hinged on a successful transportation service. The company filled a unique need for a country dependent on ojeks, something that would be much more difficult in non-urban American and Chinese environments.

It also doesn’t emphasize social media services. WeChat, Messenger, and Line all focused on establishing such capabilities, capitalizing on a distinct need for a well-supported and widely-accepted social media platform in their respective countries. With this path, Go-Jek has arguably created a larger base of customers, including the 35-to-64 age segment who own smartphones but do not necessarily use social media.

Lastly, the company doesn’t have a parent company with multiple investments in other sectors. This results in a dramatic difference in global reach and expansion possibilities.

In China, WeChat backer Tencent is a prolific investor in Chinese-related internet services, allowing them to reach both domestic and overseas Chinese users. Meanwhile, Line has a wide user base outside of its native Japan.

On the other hand, Go-Jek’s current user base is exclusively Indonesian. This means they may lack international experience and capabilities that some of its peers have.

Similarities with its peers

In spite of these differences, Go-Jek does share a variety of similarities with its peers: the initial stages of super app growth, the expansion of the super app into various markets, and the acquisition of seemingly “unrelated” companies.

The first similarity is Go-Jek’s success in a singular industry. While the industries differ between super apps, each of them focused on a single product and built it into lateral and vertical ecosystems. By pursuing this strategy, WeChat, Messenger, Line, and Go-Jek have been able to grow exponentially.

The similarities extend to the super apps’ expansions into vertical and horizontal markets. WeChat decided to expand into social media through “Moments,” mobile payment through WePay, and search engines. Similarly, Messenger introduced “Stories,” mobile payment services, games, etc. Line’s expansion is similar with Line Taxi, mobile internet games, and even an original animated series.

Similarly, Go-Jek has expanded into digital wallets and food delivery, marking over 15 million weekly active users.

Go-Jek’s backers and future challenges