Comparison

Essential vs MobileSoftphone

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

Head to head
About

Essential

Features
Read full description

The Essential App allows you to use your company’s Magnet Voice PBX system from any iPhone or iPad to Make and Receive Calls, chat with colleagues individually or in groups and access your Magnet Voicemail box. •Professional, modern and intuitive app design. •Making use of Apple’s Callkit Technology makes for familiar call handling, integration with iPhone contacts / recents lists and easy use of Bluetooth headsets and carkits. •Making use of Apple’s Push technology ensures you are contactable whilst preserving battery life. •Single number for both fixed and mobile devices. •Incoming calls to your fixed desk phone are automatically routed to your iPhone/iPad. •Incoming calls to the App show the number of the caller, not the PBX. •All outgoing calls from your App show the company number, not your mobile number. •Make calls from your iPhone/iPad contact list or from the company central address book in the PBX. In either case you present the CLI number of the company PBX. •Busy on mobile device status is indicated to other users. •Call history - missed calls, received calls, dialled calls. •Listen to and manage your business voicemails. •Chat with colleagues either individually or in groups. •Presence … You can change your own DND Message and you can also see the status and availability of your Colleagues •The PBX may be programmed to send all your app calls over IP or to the GSM network when you are off site and over Wifi on your LAN. •The Essential App uses Voice over IP (VoIP) technology over both Wifi and 4G networks. Call quality is dependent on the quality of your 4G network or available WiFi network.

About

MobileSoftphone

This application functions as a SIP-based softphone, acting as a PBX extension for supported Panasonic systems. It enables basic voice and video call capabilities directly from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • SIP-based softphone
  • PBX extension functionality
  • Voice call support
  • Video call support
  • Compatible with specific Panasonic PBX models
Features
Read full description

Panasonic MobileSoftphone is a Panasonic PBX dedicated SIP based softphone application that can work as a PBX extension supporting basic voice and video call functions. Supported Panasonic PBX: KX-NSX1000/2000 (Version 3.0 or later) KX-NS300/500/700/1000 (Version 5.0 or later) KX-HTS32/824 (Version 1.9 or later) NOTES: - Panasonic MobileSoftphone is a client application and is not a VoIP service. - You must use this application with Panasonic PBX listed above. - Some mobile network operators may prohibit or restrict the VoIP over their data network or impose additional fees and/or charges when using VoIP over their network. Please ask your mobile network operator before using this application. - Phone book data and Setting data of previous version(V1/V2) is not transferred to new version (V3) automatically. Accordingly please implement the following measures. 1. Re-register the data of Mobile Softphone settings by manual. 2. Regarding phonebook data of the Mobile Softphone: V1 User: Please register those data again by manual. V2 User: Please transfer those data by using export / import function. - Please uninstall old version application (Mobile Softphone V1/V2). Because if you use old version (Mobile Softphone V1/V2) and new version (MobileSoftphone V3) at the same time, the behavior may be unstable. IMPORTANT NOTICE : The Panasonic KX-UCMA Mobile softphone provides call handling designed to redirect emergency calls to the Native Cellular Phone Dialer. This functionality is dependent upon the operating system of the mobile phone which is outside of Panasonic’s control. Panasonic recommends using your Native Cellular Phone dialer for any and all emergency Calls. This functionality has certain PBX Requirements that must be met. Please contact your PBX Installer to ensure compliance.

Screenshots

Essential4 screens
MobileSoftphone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: MobileSoftphone at 12.1 against Essential's 15.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Essential ships an update every 4 months, MobileSoftphone every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Essential versus MobileSoftphone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEssentialMobileSoftphone
PriceFreeFree
Rating—2.6 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—31.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—11 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.012.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMDS GatewaysPanasonic Connect Co., Ltd.

In-app purchases

None

Essential

No in-app purchases

None

MobileSoftphone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Essential free?
Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MobileSoftphone free?
MobileSoftphone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Essential or MobileSoftphone have ads?
Neither Essential nor MobileSoftphone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Essential or MobileSoftphone?
Essential ships an update every 4 months, and MobileSoftphone every 2 months. Most recently, Essential was updated on October 14, 2026 and MobileSoftphone on October 20, 2026.

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