# SMS Virtual vs SMS activate | Virtual SIM

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SMS Virtual at 89% against SMS activate | Virtual SIM's 26%. SMS Virtual also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (29K vs 19). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS Virtual sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and SMS activate | Virtual SIM sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SMS Virtual holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SMS Virtual has 29K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of SMS Virtual's written reviews are positive against 26% of SMS activate | Virtual SIM's.

SMS Virtual ships an update monthly, SMS activate | Virtual SIM every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS Virtual | SMS activate | Virtual SIM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-virtual-receive-sms/id1558276033/reviews)** | [3.1 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-activate-virtual-sim/id6661027967/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **29K** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | **89.3% of reviews** | 25.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 46 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tecrow LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823713456) | [Aleksandr Nesterov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1404263700) |

## What reviewers say

### SMS Virtual

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-virtual-receive-sms/id1558276033)

Get disposable virtual phone numbers to receive SMS messages online. Ideal for account verification and protecting your privacy without needing a physical SIM card. Enjoy transparent pricing and a simple process for temporary number use.

**Highlights:** Disposable virtual numbers, Receive SMS online, Account verification, Privacy protection, Transparent pricing, Temporary number use

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 Activations Week | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Activation | $0.29 | one-time |
| 5 Activations | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 Activations | $1.99 | one-time |
| 15 activations | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Reliable and consistent
- 💰 Very affordable
- 🚀 Fast SMS delivery
- 🔒 Maintains privacy
- 🔥 Excellent customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Time limits on phone numbers
- 🔢 Limited number of SMS per number
- 🚫 Some numbers not compatible with certain services
- 📵 Occasional issues with number availability

**Reported bugs**

- Numbers sometimes already registered
- Activation credits not always received

**Requested features**

- Expand number selection for more services
- Increase number of SMS per number
- Extend time limits on phone numbers


### SMS activate | Virtual SIM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-activate-virtual-sim/id6661027967)

This app provides virtual phone numbers for receiving SMS messages, enhancing online privacy and security. It simplifies account creation on various services by offering disposable second numbers for quick and easy verification without exposing your real phone number.

**Highlights:** Disposable virtual numbers, Receive SMS online, Account verification, Privacy protection, Transparent pricing, Instant number assignment

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tokens | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tokens | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tokens | $22.99 | one-time |
| Tokens | $33.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS Virtual free?

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

### Is SMS activate | Virtual SIM free?

SMS activate | Virtual SIM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SMS Virtual or SMS activate | Virtual SIM?

SMS Virtual is rated higher. SMS Virtual averages 4.6 out of 5 from 29K ratings, while SMS activate | Virtual SIM averages 3.1 from 19 ratings.

### Do SMS Virtual or SMS activate | Virtual SIM have ads?

Neither SMS Virtual nor SMS activate | Virtual SIM shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMS Virtual or SMS activate | Virtual SIM?

SMS Virtual ships an update monthly, and SMS activate | Virtual SIM every 3 weeks. Most recently, SMS Virtual was updated on September 24, 2026 and SMS activate | Virtual SIM on September 22, 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.*