Comparison

SMS Shield vs Block Spam Texts | Dont Text

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Automatic spam filtering
  • Frequent traveler mode
  • Custom block list
  • Offline filtering
  • Multi-lingual spam detection
Features
Read full description

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

About

Block Spam Texts | Dont Text

This app automatically filters unwanted spam text messages by sending them to a dedicated junk folder. It offers customizable filtering options, including blocking by email addresses, keywords, and phone number area codes, ensuring you only see important messages.

Highlights
  • Automatic spam text filtering
  • Junk folder for spam messages
  • Block texts from email addresses
  • Customizable keyword filtering
  • Block by phone number area code
  • Privacy-focused message handling
Features
Read full description

Block. Spam. Texts. Dont Text creates a junk folder in your messages app and sends spam texts to the junk folder for you. With Dont Text installed and enabled on your device, you never get notifications from annoying spam texts and spam is automatically sent to your junk folder. Dont Text makes it easy for you to block spam texts on your device by getting started it in minutes. Block Spam Texts from Email Addresses Start blocking all spam text messages that come from email addresses. Turn on the toggle to Filter Email Senders in the app and Dont Text will block all incoming spam texts from email addresses. Customize Filtering Dont Text allows you to customize how you block spam texts. Inside the app, you can create keywords to filter text messages from unknown senders. Create a blocking keyword to filter any text containing that keyword and send the text to junk. Use allow keywords to prevent important texts from accidentally ending up in junk and make sure you never miss an important text. Block Texts By Phone Number Area Code Block unwanted texts by filtering by area code. Add an area code to the app and all texts from that area code will be sent to your junk folder. Privacy Dont Text does not save your contacts or texts. Dont Text only checks text messages from unknown senders to filter spam. Dont Text cannot access text messages between you and your contacts, or any texts that you send. Dont Text can only check incoming messages from a number not saved in your contacts and this information is never stored. When a text is filtered, Apple restricts the information Dont Text uses to block spam and your phone number or personal information is never shared with us.

Screenshots

SMS Shield4 screens
Block Spam Texts | Dont Text4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Block Spam Texts | Dont Text at 4.2 against SMS Shield's 3.2. Block Spam Texts | Dont Text also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (43% vs 17%). SMS Shield's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. SMS Shield sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Block Spam Texts | Dont Text sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Block Spam Texts | Dont Text holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Block Spam Texts | Dont Text has 1.1K ratings behind it against 138, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of SMS Shield's written reviews are positive against 43% of Block Spam Texts | Dont Text's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, Block Spam Texts | Dont Text every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SMS Shield versus Block Spam Texts | Dont Text: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMS ShieldBlock Spam Texts | Dont Text
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (138 ratings)4.2 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews42.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1381.1K — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTaphive GmbHTyler Kennedy

Customer experience

SMS Shield

All ratings138 ratings
Positive49.3%
Neutral8.0%
Negative42.8%
Written reviews84 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral3.6%
Negative79.8%

Block Spam Texts | Dont Text

All ratings1,070 ratings
Positive76.8%
Neutral8.0%
Negative15.1%
Written reviews143 reviews
Positive42.7%
Neutral5.6%
Negative51.7%

User reviews

SMS Shield

From 138 App Store ratings

What 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

Block Spam Texts | Dont Text

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Effective at blocking spam
  • 👍 Easy to set up and use
  • 💰 Free version available
  • 🙌 Helpful customer support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Filters not always effective
  • ❌ Paid version doesn't work as expected
  • 🤔 Blocks legitimate messages
  • ⚠️ Inconsistent performance over time

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 more
  • 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 more
  • One-time purchase option

Block Spam Texts | Dont Text

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Restore function not working
  • Incompatible with certain devices/OS versions
  • Subscription issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Group text blocking
  • Ability to filter by sender
  • Customizable filtering options
  • Integration with other messaging apps

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SMS Shield

Subscriptions3
  • Classic7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Silver7 Days trial$3.996 Months
  • Gold7 Days trial$8.491 Year
1 purchases

Block Spam Texts | Dont Text

Subscriptions1
  • Worry Free Filtering$6.991 Year

Questions

Is SMS Shield free?
SMS Shield is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Block Spam Texts | Dont Text free?
Block Spam Texts | Dont Text is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SMS Shield or Block Spam Texts | Dont Text?
Block Spam Texts | Dont Text is rated higher. SMS Shield averages 3.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Block Spam Texts | Dont Text averages 4.2 from 1.1K ratings.
Do SMS Shield or Block Spam Texts | Dont Text have ads?
Neither SMS Shield nor Block Spam Texts | Dont Text shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SMS Shield or Block Spam Texts | Dont Text?
SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, and Block Spam Texts | Dont Text every 2 months. Most recently, SMS Shield was updated on October 29, 2026 and Block Spam Texts | Dont Text on October 29, 2026.

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