Comparison

textPlus vs SMS client

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

Head to head
About

textPlus

Get a free US phone number for unlimited texting and calling over WiFi or data. Save money on mobile plans by using this app to connect with friends and family globally. Offers inexpensive outbound calls and can turn tablets into phones.

Highlights
  • Free US phone number
  • Unlimited free texting (SMS, MMS, group chat)
  • Free inbound calls
  • Inexpensive outbound calls
  • Works over WiFi
  • Turn tablets into phones
Features
Read full description

Bringing you free texting, free picture messaging, a free US phone number, free inbound phone calls, and cheap outbound phone calls for nearly a decade! Works over WiFi or data to keep you connected with family and friends around the globe. text+ gives you: - A free US Phone number so friends can call & text you (you pick the area code) - Free texting (SMS, MMS + group chat) to any US or Canadian mobile number - Free inbound phone calls - Toll-free calling from anywhere in the world with no restrictions! - Inexpensive outbound phone calls - Works great over WiFi so you don’t even need a 3G/4G connection. - No contracts, no “surprise” costs. - Turn your iPod touch and iPad into a phone! Why keep paying for expensive mobile phone plans when you can switch to text+ and save $$$! IN APP SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS - If you choose to subscribe to a plan, you will be charged a price according to the plan selected in your country. The price will be shown in the app before you complete the payment. - Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of your current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, at the purchase price listed above - You may manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your iTunes Account Settings and then “Manage Subscriptions” * IMPORTANT: - We do not support 911 in the US - In order to place most outbound phone calls you will need to purchase credits within the App - If push notifications are not enabled, you may not receive messages and calls Terms of Use: https://textplus.com/textplus-terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy: https://textplus.com/textplus-privacy-policy/ Subscription Products: • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication

About

SMS client

Compose and send SMS messages from your Mac using your iPhone. This app connects to a companion Mac application, allowing you to manage contacts, send to individuals or groups, and utilize message templates. Confirmation on your iPhone is required for security.

Highlights
  • Send SMS from Mac
  • Utilize iPhone for sending
  • Access Apple Contacts
  • Send to individuals or groups
  • Import groups from CSV
  • Create message templates
  • View sending history
Read full description

Type SMS messages on your Mac computer and send them via your iPhone. This iPhone client application requires Mac version of SMS sender, which can be downloaded from the App Store. Your iPhone and the Mac computer must be on the same network. Other features of SMS client and SMS sender: - auto connecting to iPhone SMS client - reading recipients directly from Apple Contacts - sending messages to an individual recipient or to a group - import a group from a csv file - creating message templates - history of sending - recent recipients list Sending the SMS message must be confirmed on the iPhone due to security reasons - this confirmation is a feature of the Apple developing environment, in which the "SMS client" application is written. It is not possible to send a message without such a confirmation. !!! Important connection information !!! Both your Mac and your iPhone must be on the same Wi-Fi network. SMS sender and SMS client use a standard Apple Bonjour service for discovering devices on the network, applications use an arbitrary port number between 49152 and 65535 (as any other third-party application). If SMS sender is not able to find your iPhone on the network, it seems that ports 49152-65535 are blocked in your computer or in the router. Then, restart the router, the computer and relaunch the application on your iPhone.

Screenshots

textPlus4 screens
SMS client2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: textPlus at 4.6 against SMS client's 2.0. textPlus also leads on ratings volume (272K vs 2) and review sentiment (41% vs 17%). SMS client's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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. textPlus sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SMS client asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

textPlus holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: textPlus has 272K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of textPlus's written reviews are positive against 17% of SMS client's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

textPlus ships an update monthly, SMS client every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
textPlus versus SMS client: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertextPlusSMS client
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (272K ratings) — better2.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews40.8% of reviews — better16.8% of reviews
Number of ratings272K — better2
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#90 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size201 MB1 MB
Age rating17+4+
DevelopertextPlus, Inc.MacMedia

Customer experience

textPlus

All ratings271,825 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral4.2%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews1,538 reviews
Positive40.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative52.9%

SMS client

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews184 reviews
Positive16.8%
Neutral6.0%
Negative77.2%

User reviews

textPlus

From 272K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Game-changing app
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Fast and reliable texting and calling
  • 💡 Useful additional features
  • 👍 Great customer support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable notifications
  • 🔋 Frequent ads interrupting usage
  • 🐛 Inconsistent call and messaging functionality
  • 🔒 Security and privacy concerns
  • 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs

SMS client

From 2 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⌨️ Easier typing on Mac keyboard
  • ⏱️ Saves time for long messages
  • ✅ Works as advertised (for some)
  • 💡 Good idea for an app

Room to improve

  • ⚠️ Must press send on iPhone
  • 🔌 Connection drops frequently
  • ⏳ Cumbersome setup and reconnection
  • 📱 No incoming message display on Mac
  • 💸 Waste of money/time

Bugs and requests

textPlus

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to get new phone numbers
  • Randomly logging users out of accounts
  • Delayed or undelivered messages
  • Calls not connecting properly
  • Incompatibility with certain devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Upgrade options for better features
  • Improved notification system
  • Reduce intrusive ads
  • Expand international support
  • Add more customization options

SMS client

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Send button not clickable
  • Recipients overlayed on message
  • Connection failed
  • App crashes frequently
  • Doesn't connect to iPhone
Show 2 more
  • Disconnects when phone goes to sleep
  • Disconnects when app is in background

Requested features

10 requests
  • Enable automatic sending from Mac
  • Allow iPhone app to run in background
  • Display incoming messages on Mac
  • Improve connection stability
  • Simplify setup process
Show 5 more
  • Enable USB connection option
  • Allow sending without unlocking iPhone
  • Improve computer UI
  • Allow sending messages without touching the phone
  • Import message folders

In-app purchases

12 purchases

textPlus

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Bundle Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Keep Phone Number$9.991 Year
  • Premium Number Bundle Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time9
  • Premium Number - 1 Year$0.99
  • 40 Minutes$0.99
  • $0.99 in Calling Credits$0.99
Show 6 more
  • 99¢ in textPlus Credit2 variants$0.99
  • 100 Credits$0.99
  • 100 Minutes$1.99
  • $1.99 in Calling Credits$1.99
  • $5.49 in Calling Credits$4.99
  • $4.99 in textPlus Credit$4.99
None

SMS client

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is textPlus free?
textPlus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SMS client free?
SMS client is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, textPlus or SMS client?
textPlus is rated higher. textPlus averages 4.6 out of 5 from 272K ratings, while SMS client averages 2.0 from 2 ratings.
Do textPlus or SMS client have ads?
textPlus shows ads; SMS client does not.
Which is updated more often, textPlus or SMS client?
textPlus ships an update monthly, and SMS client every 5 months. Most recently, textPlus was updated on October 14, 2026 and SMS client on October 8, 2026.

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