# Away Messages vs Fext

The clearest difference is price: Fext at Free against Away Messages's $0.99. Fext also leads on rating (4.0 vs 1.5) and review sentiment (24% vs 13%). Away Messages's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Fext is free to download; Away Messages costs $0.99 up front. Fext sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Away Messages asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fext holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 121 and 550 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Away Messages's written reviews are positive against 24% of Fext's.

Away Messages ships an update weekly, Fext every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Away Messages | Fext |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [1.5 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/away-messages/id1161989522/reviews) | **[4.0 (550 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fext-group-text-messaging/id1518706313/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 121 | **550** |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews | **24.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 8 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Wildermuth](https://appshunter.io/developer/481933080) | [Pericarp Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518706312) |

## What reviewers say

### Away Messages

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/away-messages/id1161989522)

Easily generate professional-looking away messages for various situations like vacations or being out of office. While it doesn't send messages automatically due to iOS limitations, it streamlines the creation process, saving you valuable time.

**Highlights:** Create professional away messages, Set message end dates, Preset and custom message reasons, Select alternative contacts, Save previous settings, Manage custom messages

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Saves time for common messages
- 👍 Easy to use for some users
- 👍 Good for sales professionals
- 👍 Useful for out-of-office replies

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Does not auto-reply
- 👎 Misleading advertisement
- 👎 App not found/no icon
- 👎 Manual sending required
- 👎 Waste of money/time

**Reported bugs**

- App does not show up on phone
- App does not send messages automatically
- Cannot find the app after purchase
- App stalls on a message and doesn't re-open
- App only auto-populates message into text field, not automatic reply

**Requested features**

- Implement true automatic replies
- Allow developers to access text message functionality for auto-sending
- Add a dark mode option
- Provide advanced analytics dashboard


### Fext

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fext-group-text-messaging/id1518706313)

Send a single message to multiple recipients, with each person receiving it as a private, one-on-one SMS. This app offers a simple, fast, and organized way to conduct group texting without the clutter of traditional group chats. It's designed for personal outreach and clear communication.

**Highlights:** Private one-on-one SMS delivery, No noisy group threads, Create flexible groups, Reuse message templates, Attach photos, video, or audio

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fext Plus | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Fext Plus | $3.99 | per month |
| Fext Gold | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Fext Plus | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Unlimited | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Personal Phone Number | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Fext Platinum | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Personal Phone Number | $19.99 | per month |
| Unlimited | $29.99 | per month |
| Personal Phone Number | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Promotion | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited | $69.99 | per year |
| 100 SMS Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| 250 SMS Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2000 SMS Credits | $119.99 | one-time |
| 25000 SMS Credits | $999.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐️ Great messaging app
- 🚀 Amazing text app
- 🔒 Privacy settings provide peace of mind
- 📢 Frequent updates add new features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Not user friendly at all
- 🤔 Can't use own phone number
- 💰 Expensive and obtrusive
- 🤖 Everything locked behind paywall
- 🤨 Misleading and only cares about money

**Reported bugs**

- Verification process fails
- Can't log in or sign up
- Scheduled texts not sent
- Glitches and crashes

**Requested features**

- Allow scheduling texts from own number
- Integrate with iPhone Messages app
- Add auto-search function for Pro numbers
- Provide better customer support and communication


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Away Messages free?

Away Messages costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Fext free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Away Messages or Fext?

Fext is rated higher. Away Messages averages 1.5 out of 5 from 121 ratings, while Fext averages 4.0 from 550 ratings.

### Do Away Messages or Fext have ads?

Neither Away Messages nor Fext shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Away Messages or Fext?

Away Messages ships an update weekly, and Fext every 5 days. Most recently, Away Messages was updated on October 24, 2026 and Fext on October 29, 2026.

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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.*