# SMS Instant vs Forager

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Forager at none against SMS Instant's 2. SMS Instant's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS Instant sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Forager asks for nothing beyond the download.

SMS Instant ships an update every 5 months, Forager every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS Instant | Forager |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-instant/id1504179579/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **62** | — |
| Positive reviews | 11.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 68 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hayato Shimizu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1207195348) | [Travis Pirozzini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1671960092) |

## What reviewers say

### SMS Instant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-instant/id1504179579)

Receive SMS messages anonymously with temporary phone numbers. Protect your private number by using disposable digits for service registrations and urgent SMS needs. Get a new number each time you open the app.

**Highlights:** Disposable phone numbers, Receive registration messages, Anonymous SMS reception, No registration required, Secure private number protection, New number on each launch

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly plan) | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium (Buying out) | $19.99 | one-time |


### Forager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forager/id6453358754)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS Instant free?

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

### Is Forager free?

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

### Do SMS Instant or Forager have ads?

Both SMS Instant and Forager show ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMS Instant or Forager?

SMS Instant ships an update every 5 months, and Forager every 6 months. Most recently, SMS Instant was updated on October 20, 2026 and Forager 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.*