# SMS Shield vs WideProtect SMS Blocker

The clearest difference is review sentiment: WideProtect SMS Blocker at 73% against SMS Shield's 17%. WideProtect SMS Blocker also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.2) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS Shield sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and WideProtect SMS Blocker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

WideProtect SMS Blocker holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 138 and 153 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of SMS Shield's written reviews are positive against 73% of WideProtect SMS Blocker's.

SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, WideProtect SMS Blocker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS Shield | WideProtect SMS Blocker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-shield/id1248198400/reviews) | **[4.5 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wideprotect-sms-blocker/id1589132654/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 138 | **153** |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | **73.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taphive GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/466416247) | [Valerii Andrusyk](https://appshunter.io/developer/787326004) |

## 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 like promotions, phishing attempts, and scam texts. It also offers a unique mode for frequent travelers to block carrier messages and allows users to create custom block lists 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 for 100% privacy, Multi-lingual spam detection, Machine learning based identification

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


### WideProtect SMS Blocker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wideprotect-sms-blocker/id1589132654)

Effortlessly block unwanted SMS messages from promotions, scams, and political campaigns. Create custom filters using keywords or phone number patterns, or utilize smart rules to block entire regions. Protect your privacy with offline functionality and easy setup.

**Highlights:** Block SMS by keywords, numbers, short codes, or email, Smart rules for links, emails, and country blocking, Block SMS with images, Pre-configured patterns for multiple countries, Whitelisting for trusted numbers, Offline functionality and privacy-focused, Family sharing options

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full version for 1 year | $13.99 | per year |
| Full family version for 1 year | $34.99 | per year |
| Lifetime license | $34.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime family license | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Effective spam blocking
- 👍 Filters unwanted texts
- 👍 Blocks area codes
- 👍 Blocks political texts
- 👍 Easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't block texts from email addresses
- 🐛 New icon is disliked
- 🐛 Lifetime license confusion/controversy
- 🐛 Does not work for some users
- 🐛 Spam texts still get through

**Reported bugs**

- Texts from email addresses are not blocked
- New icon is considered ugly
- Lifetime license terms are unclear and have led to user dissatisfaction
- App does not work for some users
- Spam texts with specific keywords are not blocked

**Requested features**

- Clarification on lifetime license terms
- Ability to edit or remove phrases
- Improve blocking of texts from email addresses
- Address Apple Watch notification issues
- Improve accuracy in flagging legitimate messages


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS Shield free?

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

### Is WideProtect SMS Blocker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SMS Shield or WideProtect SMS Blocker?

WideProtect SMS Blocker is rated higher. SMS Shield averages 3.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while WideProtect SMS Blocker averages 4.5 from 153 ratings.

### Do SMS Shield or WideProtect SMS Blocker have ads?

Neither SMS Shield nor WideProtect SMS Blocker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMS Shield or WideProtect SMS Blocker?

SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, and WideProtect SMS Blocker every 3 weeks. Most recently, SMS Shield was updated on November 9, 2026 and WideProtect SMS Blocker on November 7, 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.*