Comparison

TextsFromSanta vs Santa's Magic Detector

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

TextsFromSanta

Experience the magic of Christmas with interactive messages from Santa and his helpers. Children can text Santa, and receive daily updates, pictures, and games from him throughout December. This app brings festive anticipation to the holiday season.

Highlights
  • Text Santa Claus
  • Daily messages from Santa
  • Pictures and games from Santa
  • Updates from Mrs. Claus and elves
  • Festive holiday anticipation
Features
Read full description

Santa's got a brand new smart phone, and wants to text you this Christmas season! Christmas may be just one day a year, but Santa and his team work hard all month to prepare for the big day! Learn what Santa, Mrs. Claus, his elves and reindeer are up to while getting ready. Your child can text with the real, live Santa and the best part? Santa texts first! Every single day in December, Santa sends your child messages, pictures, and games straight from the North Pole and kids can text him back all on their own. Bring new magic and anticipation to the holiday season this year with Texts From Santa!

About

Santa's Magic Detector

Use your phone's camera to detect Santa's magic. Two modes allow for general magic detection or focused searches on specific items Santa has interacted with, providing an exciting experience for all ages.

Highlights
  • Camera-based magic detection
  • Normal mode for general detection
  • Enhanced mode for specific item detection
  • Visual and audio feedback
  • Interactive Santa experience
Features
Read full description

With Santa’s Magic Detector, your phone’s camera can find Santa’s magic!!! When Santa visits, he leaves a little bit of his magic behind. With Santa’s Magic Detector you can search for Santa’s magic using your phone’s camera. When Santa’s magic is detected, you’ll hear jingle bells and see a Santa face! Two modes can be used. In normal mode, Santa’s Magic Detector finds even the smallest traces of magic every time it scans, perfect for younger users who just want to know Santa visited. In enhanced mode Santa’s Magic Detector will search for more concentrated magic and will only detect magic on special items that Santa has interacted with, such as gift tags and stationery from Santa’s workshop, or cookie plates or mugs left out for Santa. You can find a variety of items we’ve found that capture and hold Santa’s magic in concentrated amounts on our website at www.santasmagicthings.com. We find this mode more exciting for older searchers who want to know exactly what Santa has left from his workshop or touched on his visit (and who sometimes grow skeptical when magic is found every time). Younger users also love this mode to provide evidence that Santa has interacted with a specific item. It is always exciting when Santa’s magic is found!!!

Screenshots

TextsFromSanta4 screens
Santa's Magic Detector4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Santa's Magic Detector at 100% against TextsFromSanta's 30%. Santa's Magic Detector also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). TextsFromSanta's advantage is ratings volume (34 vs 5). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TextsFromSanta sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Santa's Magic Detector asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Santa's Magic Detector holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TextsFromSanta has 34 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of TextsFromSanta's written reviews are positive against 100% of Santa's Magic Detector's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TextsFromSanta ships an update every 121 months, Santa's Magic Detector weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
TextsFromSanta versus Santa's Magic Detector: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextsFromSantaSanta's Magic Detector
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (34 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews30.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 121 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB76 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIncubatePROSantaMagicThings

Customer experience

TextsFromSanta

All ratings34 ratings
Positive52.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative44.1%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative70.0%

Santa's Magic Detector

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

TextsFromSanta

One-time2
  • Unlock TextsFromSanta$0.99
  • TextsFromSanta for the 2016 Christmas Season$9.99
None

Santa's Magic Detector

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TextsFromSanta free?
TextsFromSanta is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Santa's Magic Detector free?
Santa's Magic Detector is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TextsFromSanta or Santa's Magic Detector?
Santa's Magic Detector is rated higher. TextsFromSanta averages 3.1 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Santa's Magic Detector averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do TextsFromSanta or Santa's Magic Detector have ads?
Neither TextsFromSanta nor Santa's Magic Detector shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TextsFromSanta or Santa's Magic Detector?
TextsFromSanta ships an update every 121 months, and Santa's Magic Detector weekly. Most recently, TextsFromSanta was updated on October 29, 2026 and Santa's Magic Detector on October 30, 2026.

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