# Spam Shield vs Birthday Countdown Widget

The clearest difference is update cadence: Spam Shield at every 2 months against Birthday Countdown Widget's every 9 months. Spam Shield also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spam Shield sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Birthday Countdown Widget sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Spam Shield ships an update every 2 months, Birthday Countdown Widget every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spam Shield | Birthday Countdown Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (113 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spam-shield-scam-call-blocker/id1602120589/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **113** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maxim Novikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1602120591) | [Coen Jia Zeng](https://appshunter.io/developer/1790484408) |

## What reviewers say

### Spam Shield

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spam-shield-scam-call-blocker/id1602120589)

Block unwanted robocalls and spammers with an extensive global database and AI-powered identification. This app helps you avoid annoying calls while ensuring you don't miss important ones, all while protecting your privacy by not accessing your contacts.

**Highlights:** Automatic spam and scam call blocking, Reverse phone number lookup, AI-assisted identification of new spam numbers, Recognition of important incoming calls, Real-time global database updates, Privacy-focused, no contact list access

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Block Spam, Scam & Robocalls | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Reveal True Caller ID | $6.49 | per month |
| Block Unknown Caller ID | $35.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Effective at blocking spam calls
- 👍 Simple to set up and use
- 👍 Identifies unknown numbers
- 👍 AI feature is helpful
- 👍 Doesn't drain battery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Subscription is expensive
- 😞 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 😞 Not 100% effective against all spam
- 😞 Some users report it doesn't work at all
- 😞 Privacy concerns mentioned

**Reported bugs**

- App does not work for some users
- Spam Shield not working
- Subscription notifications are persistent
- App doesn't block all spam calls

**Requested features**

- One-time purchase option instead of subscription
- In-app pause button
- More accurate number identification
- Ability to flood spammers with calls


### Birthday Countdown Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birthday-countdown-widget/id6742066494)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spam Shield free?

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

### Is Birthday Countdown Widget free?

Birthday Countdown Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Spam Shield or Birthday Countdown Widget have ads?

Neither Spam Shield nor Birthday Countdown Widget shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spam Shield or Birthday Countdown Widget?

Spam Shield ships an update every 2 months, and Birthday Countdown Widget every 9 months. Most recently, Spam Shield was updated on October 21, 2026 and Birthday Countdown Widget on October 10, 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.*