Comparison

Number Shield vs WideProtect SMS Blocker

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

Head to head
About

Number Shield

Block unwanted calls and texts from scammers who use fake phone numbers. Easily block entire groups of similar numbers using wildcards. Your contacts are always safe, and blocked calls go to voicemail.

Highlights
  • Block similar numbers with wildcards
  • Block international numbers
  • Contacts automatically allowed
  • Block from missed calls screen
  • Send blocked calls to voicemail
  • Send blocked texts to Junk filter
Read full description

Block annoying scammers who hide behind fake phone numbers. Do you get unwanted calls or text messages from phone numbers similar to your own? With Number Shield, block an entire group of numbers at once. Just enter a wildcard for each digit you want to block. For example, if your number is 714-555-1234, scammers might use a number like 714-555-6789. Block all similar numbers by entering 714-555-####. Wildcards and numbers can be combined in any order you choose. Block international numbers, too! To make sure you don't miss calls from your family and friends, phone numbers in your contacts are always allowed. Block numbers directly from your phone's missed calls screen. Just follow these steps: 1. Tap the “ i ” button next to the missed call. 2. Tap “Share Contact”. 3. Tap “Block Similar Numbers”. (If you don't see this action, tap “Edit Actions...“ to enable it.) 4. Now you'll see the Number Shield number entry screen. Tap “Done” to block calls from similar numbers. Please note: • Each number pattern can contain up to 7 wildcards, and up to 50,000,000 phone numbers can be blocked. • Blocked calls are sent directly to voice mail. • Blocked text messages are sent to the “Junk” filter in the Messages app. • iMessage messages are not blocked. • When “Do Not Disturb” is enabled on your phone, calls that should be blocked may appear in your phone's list of missed calls. More information about caller ID spoofing in the United States is available from the FCC: https://www.fcc.gov/spoofing

About

WideProtect SMS Blocker

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
Read full description

Tired of spam SMS from promotions, scams, or political campaigns? Take control and block unwanted messages effortlessly. Create your own filters using stop-words or phone number patterns, or set smart rules to block entire regions and countries. Get the power of ML filtering and community reported data. Start for FREE - 3 days to try ALL features. Upgrade to the full version and choose between a one-time purchase or a subscription plan that fits your needs. KEY FEATURES • Powerful Filters – Block SMS by keywords, phone number prefixes, short codes, or even email senders. • Smart Rules – Automatically block messages containing links or emails, or allow only your home country. • Advanced techniques - Blocks SMS messages with images in the text. • Pre-configured Patterns – Ready-to-use filters for the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Chile and India. • Whitelisting – Keep important messages safe by exempting trusted numbers. • Privacy First – Works fully offline with no registration or data collection. • Accessibility Ready – Supports VoiceOver, Dark Mode, and Dynamic Type fonts. • Family Sharing – Protect your whole family at a discounted price. • Easy to Use – Quick setup with a video guide in the help section. • iCloud Backup – Save and restore your custom settings anytime. IMPORTANT NOTICES • Don't forget to give permissions to filter SMS and MMS to WideProtect SMS Blocker extension through 'iPhone Settings -> Apps -> Messages -> Unknown & Spam'.. • WideProtect functionality is available via auto-renewable subscriptions OR one-time payment. Payment will be charged to 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, account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal, subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. FEEDBACK & SUPPORT Please write us email (dodatoklab@gmail.com) in case of any troubles or questions. LINKS Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://sites.google.com/view/vandrusik/wideprotect/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Number Shield4 screens
WideProtect SMS Blocker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: WideProtect SMS Blocker at Free against Number Shield's $2.99. WideProtect SMS Blocker also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Number Shield's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 150). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

WideProtect SMS Blocker is free to download; Number Shield costs $2.99 up front. WideProtect SMS Blocker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per year. Number Shield asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Number Shield against 4.5 for WideProtect SMS Blocker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Number Shield has 1.9K ratings behind it against 150, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Number Shield's written reviews are positive against 73% of WideProtect SMS Blocker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Number Shield ships an update every 2 months, WideProtect SMS Blocker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Number Shield versus WideProtect SMS Blocker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNumber ShieldWideProtect SMS Blocker
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (1.9K ratings) — better4.5 (150 ratings)
Positive reviews50.1% of reviews73.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.9K — better150
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKinnaman Software LLCValerii Andrusyk

Customer experience

Number Shield

All ratings1,855 ratings
Positive86.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews345 reviews
Positive50.1%
Neutral7.0%
Negative42.9%

WideProtect SMS Blocker

All ratings150 ratings
Positive85.3%
Neutral4.7%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative25.0%

User reviews

Number Shield

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Blocks calls effectively
  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🔒 Protects from spam calls
  • 💡 Allows blocking entire area codes
  • ⭐ Works as expected

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes or freezes
  • 🔍 Limited number of numbers that can be blocked
  • 🤔 Doesn't always block all spam calls
  • 🤷‍♀️ Doesn't block text messages
  • ⚠️ Lacks customer support

WideProtect SMS Blocker

From 150 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Bugs and requests

Number Shield

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes when adding new numbers
  • Blocked numbers still receive calls
  • Database errors cause app to malfunction
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to block text messages
  • Increase number of numbers that can be blocked
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes
  • Add option to block entire country codes
  • Provide better customer support

WideProtect SMS Blocker

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • 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
Show 5 more
  • Notifications are still received on Apple Watch
  • Cannot edit or remove blocked phrases
  • App incorrectly flags legitimate messages (e.g., USAA)
  • Cannot enter '+' symbol when blocking numbers
  • App is considered useless by some users

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

None

Number Shield

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

WideProtect SMS Blocker

Subscriptions2
  • Full version for 1 year$13.991 Year
  • Full family version for 1 year$34.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime license$34.99
  • Lifetime family license$69.99

Questions

Is Number Shield free?
Number Shield costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is WideProtect SMS Blocker free?
WideProtect SMS Blocker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Number Shield or WideProtect SMS Blocker?
Number Shield is rated higher. Number Shield averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while WideProtect SMS Blocker averages 4.5 from 150 ratings.
Do Number Shield or WideProtect SMS Blocker have ads?
Neither Number Shield nor WideProtect SMS Blocker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Number Shield or WideProtect SMS Blocker?
Number Shield ships an update every 2 months, and WideProtect SMS Blocker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Number Shield was updated on October 26, 2026 and WideProtect SMS Blocker on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons