# eMates vs Filmatch

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: eMates at none against Filmatch's 1. eMates also leads on ads (none vs shown). Filmatch's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Filmatch sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. eMates asks for nothing beyond the download.

eMates ships an update fortnightly, Filmatch weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eMates | Filmatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emates/id1573352170/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 4.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 44 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Unilink Technology Services](https://appshunter.io/developer/1253866276) | [Kaiyn Sheppard](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772195630) |

## 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


### Filmatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filmatch/id6772195628)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eMates free?

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

### Is Filmatch free?

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

### Do eMates or Filmatch have ads?

Filmatch shows ads; eMates does not.

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

eMates ships an update fortnightly, and Filmatch weekly. Most recently, eMates was updated on October 15, 2026 and Filmatch on September 29, 2026.

---

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