# eMates vs Faxo

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Faxo at 50% against eMates's 4%. Faxo also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.0) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). eMates's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Faxo sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. eMates asks for nothing beyond the download.

Faxo holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Faxo has 216 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 4% of eMates's written reviews are positive against 50% of Faxo's.

eMates ships an update fortnightly, Faxo every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eMates | Faxo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emates/id1573352170/reviews) | **[4.6 (216 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faxo-everything-app/id6745846129/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **216** |
| Positive reviews | 4.5% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 44 MB | 202 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Unilink Technology Services](https://appshunter.io/developer/1253866276) | [Faxo, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1694417206) |

## What reviewers say

### eMates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emates/id1573352170)

Facilitates easy and frequent communication between prisoners and their loved ones. Aims to reduce self-harm by fostering connections and aids in prisoner rehabilitation for release.

**Highlights:** Easy prisoner communication, Secure messaging, Reduced self-harm, Release preparation assistance, Frequent and varied communication

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Essential service for communication
- 👍 Better than nothing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Messages not sending or receiving
- 🐛 Login issues and account problems
- 🐛 Payment issues and money lost
- 🐛 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Messages fail to send or are lost
- Messages fail to receive
- Login screen freezes or doesn't respond
- Cannot log in even with correct credentials

**Requested features**

- Improve app stability and reliability
- Fix message sending and receiving issues
- Resolve login and account access problems
- Address payment and credit issues
- Enhance customer support responsiveness


### Faxo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/faxo-everything-app/id6745846129)

This app combines social media, messaging, live streaming, professional networking, and a marketplace into a single platform. It offers familiar interfaces for posts, videos, and chat, allowing users to connect, share, and manage various aspects of their digital lives in one place.

**Highlights:** All-in-one social networking, Video sharing and live streaming, Integrated chat and group messaging, Professional profiles and job listings, Local marketplace for buying and selling, Event creation and management, Casual games and recipe collections

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Social Network | $3.99 | per month |
| Basic Business Network | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Social Network | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium Business Network | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium+ Social Network | $12.99 | per month |
| Premium+ Business Network | $14.99 | per month |
| Super Thanks | $4.99 | one-time |
| Super Thanks | $49.99 | one-time |
| Super Thanks | $199.00 | one-time |
| Super Thanks | $499.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eMates free?

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

### Is Faxo free?

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

### Which has better reviews, eMates or Faxo?

Faxo is rated higher. eMates averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Faxo averages 4.6 from 216 ratings.

### Do eMates or Faxo have ads?

Neither eMates nor Faxo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eMates or Faxo?

eMates ships an update fortnightly, and Faxo every 2 days. Most recently, eMates was updated on October 15, 2026 and Faxo on October 16, 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.*