Comparison

TextNow vs Text App

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

Head to head
About

TextNow

This app provides free nationwide calling and texting on a 5G network with no monthly bills or contracts. It offers a free local phone number or allows you to keep your own, with flexible data plans and low-cost international calling options.

Highlights
  • Free unlimited talk and text nationwide
  • Get a free local phone number
  • Flexible data plans
  • Low-cost international calling
  • Second phone line functionality
  • Voicemail-to-text transcription
Features
Read full description

Call and text for free with TextNow, the free phone service with over 100 million users. Get nationwide coverage with unlimited talk and text on 5G—starting at $0/month. Your phone service should work on your terms. No phone bill, no fixed contracts, no hidden fees. What makes us different? • No phone bill, no fixed contracts, and no hidden fees • Get a free local phone number or keep your own for a private second line or business use • Flexible data options: choose the plan that fits your life, and change it anytime • Low-cost international calling to 230+ countries FREE TALK & TEXT NATIONWIDE: NO PHONE BILL, NO FIXED CONTRACTS Stay connected with the TextNow free Wi-Fi calling and texting app, or activate TextNow Wireless on your existing phone to freely call and text without connecting to Wi-Fi. Get started instantly—no new device needed. FREE PLAN Unlimited talk and text on a nationwide 5G network — at $0/month, month after month. Not a trial. Not an introductory offer. Just free phone service, done differently. Activate our eSIM on your phone instantly with no commitments and no hidden fees. DATA PLANS: FLEXIBLE & ON YOUR TERMS Only pay for the data you use with no long-term contracts or commitments. We're the only provider with truly flexible data options. • Free Plan: Unlimited talk and text on nationwide 5G. Included monthly for $0. • Plus Plan: Unlimited nationwide talk, text, and data—except media streaming & gaming. No ads. • Unlimited Plan: Unlimited nationwide talk, text, and data. No ads. Change your plan anytime in the app. Cancel anytime. No runaround, no fees. Pay what you want, or not at all. SECOND PHONE NUMBER: FOR PRIVATE CALLING & TEXTING, A SEPARATE BUSINESS LINE, & MORE Use the TextNow app as a free second phone line. Perfect for a 2nd line, business phone, side hustles, or personal use. Free calls and texts without an extra phone bill. INTERNATIONAL CALLING: LOW-COST ACROSS 230+ COUNTRIES Have friends and family overseas? TextNow offers free calls to Mexico and Canada with low-cost international calls to 230+ countries, with rates starting at less than $0.01 per minute. WHY TEXTNOW? • Call and text for free immediately when you download the TextNow app—no bill, no fees • Activate on your existing phone and talk and text on a nationwide 5G network without Wi-Fi • Get a local phone number or keep your existing number. Area codes available across most metro areas in the US • Free voice calls, direct or SMS messages, picture and video messaging to the US or Canada • Flexible data options—only pay when you want it • Use on multiple devices including your computer or tablet and effortlessly access calls and texts whenever you need them • Low-cost international calls across 230+ countries • Voicemail-to-text audio transcription and conference calling HOW IS TEXTNOW FREE? There are no yearly or monthly fees to use TextNow. We partner with brands to pay for your phone service (so you don't have to) through in-app ads. Ads won't interrupt your experience. If you don't want ads, upgrade to the Plus Plan or Unlimited Plan to remove them. MORE FEATURES STANDARD FOR ALL USERS • Passcode for safe and private texting and calling • Caller ID • Customizable free text tones, call tones, ringtones, vibrations, and phone backgrounds • Quick Reply to speedily respond to friends • A home screen widget for instant use • Text from your computer and seamlessly synchronize with your mobile device via textnow.com Download the app and take control of your phone service, starting today. Follow us on social for the latest news and offers: • TikTok — @textnow • Facebook — @textnow • Instagram — @textnow • Twitter/X — @TextNow Privacy policy: https://www.textnow.com/privacy Terms of use: https://www.textnow.com/terms

About

Text App

Protect your personal number by using a private second phone number for calls and texts. Make calls and send messages over Wi-Fi or cellular data without using your cell minutes. Offers international calling and SMS at competitive prices.

Highlights
  • Private second phone number
  • Calls and texts via Wi-Fi/cellular data
  • No cell minutes used
  • International calls and SMS
  • Multiple phone numbers available
Features
Read full description

Bothered by exposing your personal phone number to people you don't trust at work or in social situations? 2nd number helps! This APP is your private second phone number app - make calls & texts via WiFi or cellular data, no cell minutes used, all with the private second number calling + texting app. WHY USE ME FOR CALLS AND TEXTS? - Subscribers receive 100 free text messages or 50 minutes of talk time per month - Get phone numbers to call or text in the United States and Canada - Use better prices to make international calls and send SMS and MMS - More phone numbers to choose from ==== IN APP SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ==== -CallMe Subscription Provides: Yearly price: $49.99 Quarter price: $14.49 Monthly price: $5.99 - Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase -Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. -Subscriptions may be managed by the user by going to Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://phone.zehougroup.xyz/zhphoneprivacy.html Terms of use:: https://phone.zehougroup.xyz/zhphonetermsofuse.html

Screenshots

TextNow4 screens
Text App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Text App at none against TextNow's shown. Text App also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). TextNow's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (927K vs 3.5K). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. TextNow sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Text App sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TextNow holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TextNow has 927K ratings behind it against 3.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of TextNow's written reviews are positive against 30% of Text App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TextNow ships an update every 6 days, Text App every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
TextNow versus Text App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextNowText App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (927K ratings) — better4.6 (3.5K ratings)
Positive reviews38.0% of reviews — better29.6% of reviews
Number of ratings927K — better3.5K
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#9 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size397 MB42 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperTextNow, Inc.Shenzhen Zehou Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

TextNow

All ratings927,268 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews3,449 reviews
Positive38.0%
Neutral6.6%
Negative55.4%

Text App

All ratings3,479 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews71 reviews
Positive29.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative67.6%

User reviews

TextNow

From 927K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Free service
  • 🔒 Ability to keep number
  • 👍 Convenient for secondary number
  • 👍 Works on multiple devices
  • 👍 Easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes
  • 🐛 Unreliable call/text delivery
  • 🐛 Slow and laggy performance
  • 🔍 Lack of customer support
  • 💸 Expensive subscription

Text App

From 3.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Smooth calls and messages
  • 💡 Interesting app
  • 🚀 Good improvement

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Does not connect on time to calls
  • 💰 Not free, have to pay for subscription and points
  • 🐛 Doesn't work, scam
  • 🐛 Unwanted calls
  • 🐛 Doesn't let you text without paying extra

Bugs and requests

TextNow

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Random numbers calling/texting users
  • Disappearing messages and call history
  • Inability to receive verification codes
  • Accounts being locked out for no reason

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to block entire area codes
  • Notification for read messages
  • Improved call quality
  • Better integration with other apps

Text App

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Couldn't get a local phone number
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • Subscription issues, couldn't cancel

Requested features

2 requests
  • More points
  • Read mark for messages

In-app purchases

10 purchases

TextNow

Subscriptions9
  • Lock Your Number for 1 Week$1.997 Days
  • Lock Number 1 Week7 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Premium Subscription$2.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Plus7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Premium Number 1 Year$4.991 Year
  • Lock Your Number for 1 Year$4.991 Year
  • Premium Number 1 Month$4.991 Month
  • Ad Free+$6.997 Days
  • Ad Free+ & 14-day free trial14 Days trial$9.991 Month
One-time1
  • $4.99 in International Calling Credit$4.99
7 purchases

Text App

Subscriptions3
  • monthly3 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • quarter$14.993 Months
  • yearly$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • 100 Points$2.99
  • 500 Points$12.99
  • 1000 Points$15.99
Show 1 more
  • 2000 Points$28.99

Questions

Is TextNow free?
TextNow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Text App free?
Text App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TextNow or Text App?
TextNow is rated higher. TextNow averages 4.8 out of 5 from 927K ratings, while Text App averages 4.6 from 3.5K ratings.
Do TextNow or Text App have ads?
TextNow shows ads; Text App does not.
Which is updated more often, TextNow or Text App?
TextNow ships an update every 6 days, and Text App every 2 months. Most recently, TextNow was updated on November 3, 2026 and Text App on November 3, 2026.

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