# SMS Shield vs Bouncer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bouncer at 67% against SMS Shield's 17%. Bouncer also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). SMS Shield's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

SMS Shield is free to download; Bouncer costs $9.99 up front. SMS Shield sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Bouncer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bouncer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 138 and 514 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of SMS Shield's written reviews are positive against 67% of Bouncer's.

SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, Bouncer every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS Shield | Bouncer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [3.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-shield/id1248198400/reviews) | **[4.5 (514 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bouncer-spam-text-blocker/id1457476313/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 138 | **514** |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | **67.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#61** |
| Size | 15 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taphive GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/466416247) | [Daniel Bernal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1762054635) |

## What reviewers say

### SMS Shield

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-shield/id1248198400)

This app uses machine learning to automatically filter unwanted SMS messages, including promotions, phishing attempts, and scam texts. It offers features like a frequent traveler mode to block international carrier messages and a custom block list for specific numbers or keywords. All filtering is done offline, ensuring 100% privacy.

**Highlights:** Automatic spam filtering, Frequent traveler mode, Custom block list, Offline filtering, Multi-lingual spam detection

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Classic | $0.99 | per month |
| Silver | $3.99 | per 6 months |
| Gold | $8.49 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works well for some users
- 👍 Filters spam effectively for some
- 👍 Good for blocking specific keywords for some
- 👍 Worth the price for some users
- 👍 Privacy-focused (messages stay on device)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work for many users
- 🐛 Fails to filter obvious scams
- 🐛 Still receives spam texts
- 🐛 Sends legitimate texts to junk
- 🐛 Requires manual spam addition

**Reported bugs**

- Filters out legitimate texts
- Doesn't block known spam
- Requires manual input for blocking
- No response from support
- Doesn't block SMS from email

**Requested features**

- More blocking of SMS scams
- Option to mark SMS as spam or not spam
- Ability to whitelist keywords
- Better machine learning/training
- Improved support responsiveness


### Bouncer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bouncer-spam-text-blocker/id1457476313)

**Currently charting:** #61 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

This app acts as a powerful spam blocker and text filter, allowing users to regain control over unwanted SMS messages. It effectively blocks scam texts, political messages, phishing attempts, and junk SMS, keeping your inbox clean and private.

**Highlights:** Advanced text message filtering, Complete privacy protection, Smart message blocking with custom filters, Automatic notification control, Seamless integration with Messages app, Advanced filtering rules (PCRE), 100% transparent and open source

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works as advertised
- 🚀 Effective at filtering spam
- 🔒 Privacy-focused, open-source
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and stability issues
- 🤯 Deleted user's filter lists
- 🤔 Inconsistent performance
- 📱 Doesn't work across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Welcome screen buttons not working
- Filters not working as expected
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Automatic deletion of junk messages
- Ability to block entire area codes
- Integration with Apple Watch
- Customizable filter categories
- Regex support for advanced filtering


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS Shield free?

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

### Is Bouncer free?

Bouncer costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SMS Shield or Bouncer?

Bouncer is rated higher. SMS Shield averages 3.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Bouncer averages 4.5 from 514 ratings.

### Do SMS Shield or Bouncer have ads?

Neither SMS Shield nor Bouncer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMS Shield or Bouncer?

SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, and Bouncer every 5 months. Most recently, SMS Shield was updated on November 2, 2026 and Bouncer on November 2, 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.*