# Pay Tel vs Cowabunga Hub

The clearest difference is rating: Cowabunga Hub at 3.6 against Pay Tel's 1.7. Cowabunga Hub also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Pay Tel's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (140 vs 8). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cowabunga Hub holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pay Tel has 140 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pay Tel ships an update every 2 months, Cowabunga Hub fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pay Tel | Cowabunga Hub |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.7 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pay-tel/id1593243820/reviews) | **[3.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cowabunga-hub/id1607839921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **140** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 6.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | **#192** | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pay Tel Communications](https://appshunter.io/developer/1593243822) | [Cowabunga, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607839923) |

## What reviewers say

### Pay Tel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pay-tel/id1593243820)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Stay connected with loved ones. Receive instant alerts for messages and notifications. Easily view your balance and add funds, or send photos to inmates in eligible correctional facilities.

**Highlights:** Instant message alerts, Unread message count, Current balance visibility, Add funds link, Send photos to inmates

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Enables communication with incarcerated loved ones
- 📹 Video calling functionality available
- 💬 Messaging feature when working properly
- ✅ App works smoothly after recent updates (per some users)
- 🎯 Easy to add funds/make payments

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- ❌ Messages fail to send or display
- 🔌 Constant login errors and authentication failures
- ⏱️ Extremely slow loading times
- 🔄 App randomly logs users out mid-session

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or during use
- Login authentication errors persist across sessions
- Messages fail to send despite payment being deducted
- Messages don't appear in inbox despite being sent
- App logs out randomly while actively in use

**Requested features**

- Improved app stability and performance optimization
- Better customer service responsiveness (live chat, phone support)
- Reduced pricing for calls and messages
- Same-day video visit scheduling
- Better message persistence (don't delete on app exit)


### Cowabunga Hub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cowabunga-hub/id1607839921)

Stay updated with the latest news and engage with others in a fun and interactive environment. This platform offers chat, blogs, and valuable resources for members.

**Highlights:** Latest news updates, Interactive chat, Member resources, Blogs and stories, Community engagement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pay Tel free?

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

### Is Cowabunga Hub free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pay Tel or Cowabunga Hub?

Cowabunga Hub is rated higher. Pay Tel averages 1.7 out of 5 from 140 ratings, while Cowabunga Hub averages 3.6 from 8 ratings.

### Do Pay Tel or Cowabunga Hub have ads?

Cowabunga Hub shows ads; Pay Tel does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pay Tel or Cowabunga Hub?

Pay Tel ships an update every 2 months, and Cowabunga Hub fortnightly. Most recently, Pay Tel was updated on October 17, 2026 and Cowabunga Hub on October 13, 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.*