# SMS Filter vs BlackList Messages

The clearest difference is rating: SMS Filter at 3.7 against BlackList Messages's 3.0. SMS Filter also leads on ads (none vs shown). BlackList Messages's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (40% vs 27%). On price, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS Filter sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per year. BlackList Messages asks for nothing beyond the download.

SMS Filter holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 27% of SMS Filter's written reviews are positive against 40% of BlackList Messages's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SMS Filter ships an update every 8 months, BlackList Messages every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS Filter | BlackList Messages |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-filter/id1271159042/reviews)** | [3.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blacklist-messages/id1463968393/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 58 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Iurii Mozharovskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/411678880) | [Emanuele Floris](https://appshunter.io/developer/597490842) |

## What reviewers say

### SMS Filter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-filter/id1271159042)

Take control of your incoming text messages by filtering out spam, junk, and unwanted SMS/MMS. Create custom rules based on keywords, patterns, or regular expressions to blacklist or whitelist messages. An optional yearly subscription offers advanced spam protection with a spammers database and statistical analysis.

**Highlights:** Customizable filtering rules, Filter by text patterns, keywords, regexp, Blacklist/Whitelist messages, Test rules on sample messages, Spam Protection subscription, Spammer database, Statistical spam analysis

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spam Protection | $2.99 | per year |


### BlackList Messages

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blacklist-messages/id1463968393)

Block unwanted SMS messages by customizing your blacklist with various criteria. Create a whitelist to exempt specific contacts from being blocked. Never worry about SMS spam again with this productivity tool.

**Highlights:** Block unwanted SMS messages, Customize blacklist criteria, Create a whitelist for exceptions, Prevent SMS spam, Supports iPhone and iPod

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS Filter free?

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

### Is BlackList Messages free?

BlackList Messages is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SMS Filter or BlackList Messages?

SMS Filter is rated higher. SMS Filter averages 3.7 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while BlackList Messages averages 3.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do SMS Filter or BlackList Messages have ads?

BlackList Messages shows ads; SMS Filter does not.

### Which is updated more often, SMS Filter or BlackList Messages?

SMS Filter ships an update every 8 months, and BlackList Messages every 4 months. Most recently, SMS Filter was updated on October 23, 2026 and BlackList Messages on October 21, 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.*