SMS Shield vs Textkiller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SMS Shield
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.
- Automatic spam filtering
- Frequent traveler mode
- Custom block list
- Offline filtering
- Multi-lingual spam detection
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SMS Shield is a Machine Learning-based SMS spam filter for iPhone. We trained it on what spam SMS looks like by showing it tens of thousands of spam SMSs beforehand. SMS Shield then learns and, to a high degree of confidence, can identify spam even it haven't seen it before. Besides spam blocking, SMS Shield includes innovative features like Frequent Traveler Mode. Features: + Automatic Spam Filtering SMS Shield will automatically block SMS spam like promotions, ads, phishing and scam attempts at stealing your sensitive information (e.g. SMSs claiming to be from your bank). + Frequent Traveler Mode Enable this innovative feature during your business travels to block the often-annoying SMSs sent by mobile operators when visiting other countries (e.g. "Welcome to country X..."). + Custom Block List With custom block list, you can block SMSes from specific phone numbers or that include specific keywords. Remember that annoying Ex who keeps SMSing you years later? Blocked! + 100% privacy guarenteed SMS Shield is an offline SMS filter. Meaning it does the filtering offline, on your device. All your texts are 100% private. + Multi-lingual spam detection SMS Shield detects spam (and is localized) in English, Portuguese (Brazil), Italian, Swedish, and Arabic. If you would like us to add a specific language email us with spam texts you receive (as many as possible). ------------------------------ Available Subscriptions: GOLD: 1 year spam filtering subscription SILVER: ½ year spam filtering subscription CLASSIC: 1 month spam filtering subscription Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. To manage subscriptions or turn off auto-renewal go to your iTunes account settings after the purchase. Any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://www.taphive.com/smsshield/privacypolicy.html Terms: https://www.taphive.com/smsshield/tou.html
Textkiller
This app automatically blocks unwanted spam text messages, protecting you from scams and telemarketing. It offers customizable filtering options, a constantly updated global block list, and a privacy-first approach to keep your inbox clean and your personal information secure.
- Automatic spam text elimination
- Global block list updated constantly
- Predictive SMS blocking algorithm
- Customizable blocking (keywords, email, number ranges)
- Block and Allow lists
- Report spam to train algorithm
- Privacy-first algorithm
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Eliminate 99% of spam text messages with Textkiller, and live spam-text free®! Textkiller is the new spam text blocking app that's creating a world without spam texts. With Textkiller, you're instantly protected from more than 100,000,000 known phone scams, and counting! Textkiller's intuitive and easy-to-use features ensure you get all the texts you want, and none that you don't. Textkiller's innovative text blocking technology has already been featured by The New York Times, NBC, Wired, Engadget, Vice, and many other publications. Here are some of Textkiller's highly-reviewed features: Eliminate 99% of spam texts automatically With Textkiller, you're instantly protected from more than 100,000,000 known phone scams - and our global block list is updated every minute. Textkiller's predictive SMS blocking algorithm is also able to determine if an incoming text is spam in less than 0.01 second, keeping you safe from emerging spam texts too! Control who can text you Get good texts only. Textkiller's Block and Allow lists ensure the text messages you want are never blocked, removing all distractions from unwanted and dangerous spam text messages. Customize your text blocking Only Textkiller gives you fully customizable text blocking to ensure you block spam texts on your terms. Other apps only let you block individual phone numbers or text messages, but with Textkiller's keyword-based filtering, email address blocking, and phone number range blocking options, you can fully control how we block your spam texts. Train Textkiller To Get Smarter Report spam texts to Textkiller to help our algorithm get more precise at blocking your spam texts, and ensuring you always get the texts you want. Reporting spam texts also helps to protect other Textkiller users from receiving the same scam! Turn on the Extreme Blocking function, and Textkiller will filter all messages coming from senders outside of your contact list. Keep your money safe from losses to fraud Textkiller prevented 800 USD per year in losses to text scams, according to data reported by the Federal Trade Commission. Privacy-first text blocking Textkiller's patented text blocking algorithm immediately removes any identifying information before making a decision on blocking a text. Your privacy, and personal text messages are always safe with us. Relax and live life spam-text-free® In our busy lives, spam texts are an unnecessary and annoying distraction. Textkiller cleans up your iMessage inbox from annoying spam or telemarketing texts so you can have a bit of peace back in your day. That's what it means to live life spam-text-free. Here's what your spam-text-free life looks like: - No distractions: You can trust when a text notification goes off, it's a message that's meant for you. - Total control: Has your number fallen into the hands of annoying telemarketers or marketing lists? With Textkiller, you decide who can or can't text you - without having to deal with the hassle of trying to unsubscribe. - Zen: While Textkiller can't eliminate all of your daily distractions, we do our best to give you one slice of distraction-free paradise by ridding your phone of annoying spam. Built by people who hate robocalls, spam texts, and respect your privacy, Textkiller will help you take control of who can and can’t text you. We're empowering everyone with a smartphone to create a spam-text-free world. But, we can't do it without you. Try Textkiller free today! Textkiller is free to download. A subscription is required to use the product. Once your trial ends, your subscription will automatically renew. You can cancel at any time. Live life spam-text-free®! Terms of Service: https://www.teltech.co/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.teltech.co/privacy.html California Privacy Notice: https://teltech.co/privacy.html#section-8 *** According to the FTC.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Textkiller at 4.3 against SMS Shield's 3.2. Textkiller also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (13K vs 137). SMS Shield's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. SMS Shield sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Textkiller sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Textkiller holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Textkiller has 13K ratings behind it against 137, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of SMS Shield's written reviews are positive against 37% of Textkiller's.
SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, Textkiller every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SMS Shield | Textkiller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (137 ratings) | 4.3 (13K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | 36.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 137 | 13K — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 108 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Taphive GmbH | Mosaic S.r.l. |
Customer experience
SMS Shield
Textkiller
User reviews
SMS Shield
From 137 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 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)
Room to improve
- 🐛 Doesn't work for many users
- 🐛 Fails to filter obvious scams
- 🐛 Still receives spam texts
- 🐛 Sends legitimate texts to junk
- 🐛 Requires manual spam addition
Textkiller
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Stops spam texts
- 👍 Filters messages effectively
- 💡 Keyword blocking
- 🚀 Works well when functioning
- 👍 Useful for reducing spam
Room to improve
- 🐛 App not working after updates
- 🐛 Issues with premium features
- 🔍 Concerns about privacy and data access
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 💰 Expensive subscription
Bugs and requests
SMS Shield
Reported bugs
14 issues- Filters out legitimate texts
- Doesn't block known spam
- Requires manual input for blocking
- No response from support
- Doesn't block SMS from email
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Machine learning is ineffective
- App still filtering after cancellation
- App doesn't work after iOS update
- Keywords not being blocked
- False positives (blocking important messages)
- Cannot cancel subscription in-app
- App asks for sensitive permissions
- Free trial doesn't work as advertised
- Fails to modify records when classifying SMS
Requested features
6 requests- 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
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- One-time purchase option
Textkiller
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes during setup
- Keyword blocking not working as expected
- Junk messages still getting through
- Issues contacting support
Requested features
4 requests- Sync blocked list across devices
- Automatically delete junk messages
- Better integration with Apple Watch
- More transparency on how filtering works
In-app purchases
SMS Shield
- Classic7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Silver7 Days trial$3.996 Months
- Gold7 Days trial$8.491 Year
Textkiller
- Textkiller Pro$4.997 Days
- TextKiller Pro with Free Trial7 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Monthly Premium Protection7 Days trial$5.991 Month
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Monthly Premium Protection$5.991 Month
- Monthly Premium Protection7 Days trial4 variants$7.991 Month
- Yearly Premium Protection1 Year trial$29.991 Year
- Yearly Premium Protection7 Days trial2 variants$69.991 Year
- Textkiller Pro$69.991 Year
- Textkiller Pro with Free Trial7 Days trial$69.991 Year
- Yearly Premium Protection7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- Annual Premium Protection7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- Yearly Premium Protection7 Days trial$89.991 Year
Questions
Is SMS Shield free?
Is Textkiller free?
Which has better reviews, SMS Shield or Textkiller?
Do SMS Shield or Textkiller have ads?
Which is updated more often, SMS Shield or Textkiller?
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