Comparison

Public Mobile vs The Forge

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head

Public Mobile

Do it all in the app

Free

🔧 Utilities

★ 4.6261 ratingsView app →

About

Public Mobile

Manage your prepaid mobile subscription entirely through an app. Choose affordable plans with no contracts or hidden fees, and handle everything from plan selection to support within the application.

Highlights

5G mobile subscription
Affordable prepaid plans
No contracts or hidden fees
Manage everything in the app
eSIM or pSIM options
In-app activation

Features

Read full description

Subscription, meet phone. Public Mobile is Canada’s first 5G mobile subscription provider. We offer affordable, reliable prepaid phone plans with no contracts, no hidden fees, no overage charges and no trips to a store. Everything happens in the app: pick your features, get support, and make changes. You know what you need, so we built it to run on your terms. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Download the Public Mobile app. 2. Choose the subscription plan that fits best for you. 3. Choose from an eSIM or pSIM. 4. Activate in the app. That’s it, you’re connected. Download the Public Mobile app now, or learn more at PublicMobile.ca.

About

The Forge

Read full description

The Forge Alliance is a peer-led initiative addressing the skilled trades’ mental health crisis. By training tradespeople with lived experience as peer supporters, we foster trust, reduce stigma, and connect workers to recovery resources. Our approach is simple: Tradespeople supporting tradespeople.

Screenshots

Public Mobile4 screens

The Forge3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: The Forge at 3 against Public Mobile's 1. The Forge also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Public Mobile ships an update every 3 weeks, The Forge every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level

Public Mobile versus The Forge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	Public Mobile	The Forge
Price	Free	Free
Rating	4.6 (261 ratings) — better	—
Positive reviews	44.7% of reviews	—
Number of ratings	261 — better	—
Update frequency	Every 3 weeks — better	Every 5 weeks
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	No	No
Monetization	Free	—
Devices	iPhone	iPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS	16.1	12.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size	74 MB	9 MB
Age rating	4+	17+
Developer	TELUS Communications Inc.	First Response Mental Health

Bugs and requests

Public Mobile

Reported bugs

5 issues

Activation issues
Logging in problems
App crashes and freezes
Unreliable service
Billing and payment issues

Requested features

3 requests

Wifi calling
Support for iPad/tablets
Improve customer service access

The Forge

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Public Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

The Forge

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Public Mobile free?

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

Is The Forge free?

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

Do Public Mobile or The Forge have ads?

Neither Public Mobile nor The Forge shows ads.

Which is updated more often, Public Mobile or The Forge?

Public Mobile ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Forge every 5 weeks. Most recently, Public Mobile was updated on November 12, 2026 and The Forge on November 8, 2026.