# SMS Shield vs Simply Filter SMS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simply Filter SMS at 81% against SMS Shield's 18%. Simply Filter SMS also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.2) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). SMS Shield's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). 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 Simply Filter SMS sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simply Filter SMS holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 138 and 69 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of SMS Shield's written reviews are positive against 81% of Simply Filter SMS's.

SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, Simply Filter SMS every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS Shield | Simply Filter SMS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-shield/id1248198400/reviews) | **[4.4 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-filter-sms/id1603222959/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 69 |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | **80.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 15 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taphive GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/466416247) | [Adi Ben-Dahan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603222961) |

## 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


### Simply Filter SMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-filter-sms/id1603222959)

This app automatically filters unwanted text messages on your iPhone or iPad. It uses AI and customizable rules to sort messages from unknown senders into categories like Junk, Promotions, or Transactions, all processed on your device for privacy.

**Highlights:** AI-powered spam filtering, Customizable keyword rules, Automatic message categorization, On-device processing for privacy, Support for 10 languages, Trusted country filtering

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS Shield free?

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

### Is Simply Filter SMS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SMS Shield or Simply Filter SMS?

Simply Filter SMS is rated higher. SMS Shield averages 3.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Simply Filter SMS averages 4.4 from 69 ratings.

### Do SMS Shield or Simply Filter SMS have ads?

Neither SMS Shield nor Simply Filter SMS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMS Shield or Simply Filter SMS?

SMS Shield ships an update fortnightly, and Simply Filter SMS every 9 days. Most recently, SMS Shield was updated on October 22, 2026 and Simply Filter SMS on October 25, 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.*