# Initial Services vs SMS activate | Virtual SIM

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Initial Services at none against SMS activate | Virtual SIM's 4. Initial Services also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS activate | Virtual SIM sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Initial Services asks for nothing beyond the download.

Initial Services ships an update every 9 days, SMS activate | Virtual SIM every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Initial Services | SMS activate | Virtual SIM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.1 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-activate-virtual-sim/id6661027967/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **19** |
| Positive reviews | — | 25.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DREAMSTATE INTERACTIVE CC](https://appshunter.io/developer/694071975) | [Aleksandr Nesterov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1404263700) |

## What reviewers say

### Initial Services

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/initial-services/id1560358697)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Initial Services free?

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

### Is SMS activate | Virtual SIM free?

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

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

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

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

Initial Services ships an update every 9 days, and SMS activate | Virtual SIM every 3 weeks. Most recently, Initial Services was updated on September 25, 2026 and SMS activate | Virtual SIM on October 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*