is sending iMessage to iMessage free ? country to country ?

iMessage is indeed free, regardless of where the sender/recipient are located. If a data connection is available, either via WiFi or Cellular Data, the message will be sent as an iMessage and not incur text message charges.

Interesting and a bit confusing, to me. This is what Apple says about it.

Use Messages with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

If Wi-Fi is unavailable, iMessages will be sent over cellular data. Carrier cellular data fees might apply.

iMessage is only free over WiFi. You would be sending SMS messages if not using WiFi and that would incur data charges and roaming or international rates could apply. You would have to contact your carrier.

I have AT&T and they charge both the sender and receiver 25 cents for international texts. I suggest that you download whatsapp, it's a free App and you can send messages, both texts and voice, as well as photos and videos...all at no charge unless you are not on WiFi and exceed your monthly data quota .

iMessage uses a data connection. Whether cellular data or wifi.

If it has none, it will attempt to default to SMS which would incur charges based on the text message allotment of your plan.

Otherwise it will use the internet connection that's available and should not incur any additional charges beyond the internet connection.

i.e normally, and over wifi they should be free.

Understood. As with other service that uses Cellular Data, such as surfing, email, video streaming, etc iMessage would use the available data, however there are no additional fees other than the normal cellular plan.

It will use cellular data when not on wifi, but there no extra fees than what you already pay for the data plan unless you are sending green SMS messages which would then incur charges based on the text message allotment of your plan and not the data connection.

As long as you are sending blue messages over wifi it is free, and always has been.

Sending blue messages over the cellular connection will use the data plan or your allotted gigabytes of internet access.

Green messages will use the text message system, and use your text message allotment like messaging to non Apple devices.

iMessage is an entirely free messaging service. However, how you connect to send or receive may incur charges from whomever is providing the internet data connection. If you use a wifi service or a cellular data service that charges for data use, then you will pay for whatever amount of data you use while iMessaging.

If you use internet services that have no fees (free wifi hotspots) then iMessaging is entirely free, anywhere in the world where you would be using such a free internet data connection.

iMessage = free internet messaging service. Internet data connection => may, or may not be free, depending on the connection at the time you use iMessage.

You would have to contact the carrier.

As is so often the case with many of the Apple kb articles, I find them to be as clear as mud. 😁 Thanks for the clarification.

@stedman - thanks to you as well. 🙂