# SMS Filter vs Secure DNS & Firewall

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Secure DNS & Firewall at 70% against SMS Filter's 27%. Secure DNS & Firewall also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 8 months) and rating (4.0 vs 3.7). SMS Filter's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS Filter sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per year and Secure DNS & Firewall sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Secure DNS & Firewall holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of SMS Filter's written reviews are positive against 70% of Secure DNS & Firewall's.

SMS Filter ships an update every 8 months, Secure DNS & Firewall every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS Filter | Secure DNS & Firewall |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-filter/id1271159042/reviews) | **[4.0 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-dns-and-firewall/id1553642022/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **22** |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | **70.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 58 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Iurii Mozharovskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/411678880) | [Flinteger LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1553642024) |

## 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 |


### Secure DNS & Firewall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-dns-and-firewall/id1553642022)

Encrypts DNS queries for enhanced privacy and security. It blocks ads, trackers, and malicious sites with customizable rules, offering a safer browsing experience. View your DNS query history for insights and control.

**Highlights:** Encrypted DNS over HTTPS (DoH), Customizable domain block list, Predefined blocked categories, App and service blocking, DNS query history, Ad and tracker blocking

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DNSS Monthly Subscription | $1.49 | per month |
| DNSS Yearly Subscription | $12.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS Filter free?

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

### Is Secure DNS & Firewall free?

Secure DNS & Firewall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SMS Filter or Secure DNS & Firewall?

Secure DNS & Firewall is rated higher. SMS Filter averages 3.7 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Secure DNS & Firewall averages 4.0 from 22 ratings.

### Do SMS Filter or Secure DNS & Firewall have ads?

Neither SMS Filter nor Secure DNS & Firewall shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMS Filter or Secure DNS & Firewall?

SMS Filter ships an update every 8 months, and Secure DNS & Firewall every 6 weeks. Most recently, SMS Filter was updated on September 18, 2026 and Secure DNS & Firewall on September 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.*