# Phoner vs Number Shield

The clearest difference is price: Phoner at Free against Number Shield's $2.99. Phoner also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (35K vs 1.9K). Number Shield's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12). On rating, review sentiment, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Phoner is free to download; Number Shield costs $2.99 up front. Phoner sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Number Shield asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Phoner against 4.5 for Number Shield. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phoner has 35K ratings behind it against 1.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 50% and 50% positive.

Phoner ships an update every 2 weeks, Number Shield every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phoner | Number Shield |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (35K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoner-second-phone-number/id1050267310/reviews) | [4.5 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-shield/id1319082167/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **35K** | 1.9K |
| Positive reviews | 49.8% of reviews | **50.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #131 | **#77** |
| Size | 197 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phoner Holdings LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895136973) | [Kinnaman Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/679806187) |

## What reviewers say

### Phoner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoner-second-phone-number/id1050267310)

**Currently charting:** #131 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

This app provides a secondary phone number for texting and calling, allowing users to protect their privacy. It offers features like call recording, anonymous caller lookup, and international calling. Users can get multiple numbers for various needs, from personal use to business.

**Highlights:** Second phone number for texting and calling, Protect privacy by hiding real number, International calling and texting, Call recording, Anonymous caller ID lookup, Temporary disposable phone numbers

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Plus Weekly Trial | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Second Phone Number Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Alternate Number Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Plus Monthly Trial | $14.99 | per month |
| Pick your phone number | $14.99 | per month |
| Second Number Trial Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Second Line Trial Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Extra Monthly Trial | $19.99 | per month |
| Starter Credit Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bronze Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Silver Pack | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Reliable service
- 🔒 Protects privacy
- 💡 Useful features like call recording

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive credits/subscription
- 🐛 Technical issues (numbers not working, messages not delivered)
- 🔍 Lack of transparency in pricing and features
- ❌ Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Numbers not working as expected
- App crashing or becoming unresponsive
- Inconsistent credit deduction for messages

**Requested features**

- Option to earn free credits
- Ability to deactivate numbers within the app
- Clearer explanation of how the service works


### Number Shield

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-shield/id1319082167)

**Currently charting:** #77 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Block unwanted calls and texts from scammers who use fake phone numbers. Easily block entire groups of similar numbers using wildcards. Your contacts are always safe, and blocked calls go to voicemail.

**Highlights:** Block similar numbers with wildcards, Block international numbers, Contacts automatically allowed, Block from missed calls screen, Send blocked calls to voicemail, Send blocked texts to Junk filter

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Blocks calls effectively
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Protects from spam calls
- 💡 Allows blocking entire area codes
- ⭐ Works as expected

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Limited number of numbers that can be blocked
- 🤔 Doesn't always block all spam calls
- 🤷‍♀️ Doesn't block text messages
- ⚠️ Lacks customer support

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when adding new numbers
- Blocked numbers still receive calls
- Database errors cause app to malfunction
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add ability to block text messages
- Increase number of numbers that can be blocked
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
- Add option to block entire country codes
- Provide better customer support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phoner free?

Phoner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Number Shield free?

Number Shield costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Phoner or Number Shield?

Phoner and Number Shield are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 35K and 1.9K ratings respectively.

### Do Phoner or Number Shield have ads?

Neither Phoner nor Number Shield shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Phoner or Number Shield?

Phoner ships an update every 2 weeks, and Number Shield every 2 months. Most recently, Phoner was updated on September 27, 2026 and Number Shield on September 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Phoner or Number Shield?

Phoner currently peaks at #131 in the App Store charts, and Number Shield at #77. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*