# Google Voice vs Padster

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Google Voice at none against Padster's 2. Google Voice also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and chart position (#33 vs unranked). Padster's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Padster sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Google Voice asks for nothing beyond the download.

Google Voice ships an update weekly, Padster every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Google Voice | Padster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (62K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-voice/id318698524/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **62K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 14.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#33** | — |
| Size | 233 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [Splat Apps Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689296162) |

## What reviewers say

### Google Voice

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-voice/id318698524)

**Currently charting:** #33 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app provides a dedicated phone number for calls, texts, and voicemail, syncing across devices for seamless use anywhere. It offers advanced spam filtering, call forwarding, and searchable message history. Voicemails are transcribed for easy reading and can be sent to your email.

**Highlights:** Dedicated phone number, Call, text, and voicemail, Cross-device syncing, Spam filtering and blocking, Call forwarding settings, Voicemail transcription, Searchable call/text history

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent service for 20+ years
- 📞 Free calls and texts with WiFi
- 🔒 Ability to block/filter numbers
- 🔍 Helpful for business/privacy needs
- 🌐 Works well internationally

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🌍 Not available in some countries
- 🔍 Contacts management issues
- 🐛 Unstable connection, call drops
- ⏱️ Slow app performance and lag
- 🔇 Poor call quality at times

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Inconsistent behavior when answering calls
- Voicemail transcription issues
- Syncing problems between app and web version

**Requested features**

- Separate ringtone/notification for Google Voice calls
- In-app contact management
- Improved call reliability and quality
- Expanded international availability


### Padster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/padster-notes-and-passwords/id6563149462)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Padster PRO | $5.99 | per month |
| Padster PRO | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Google Voice free?

Google Voice is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Padster free?

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

### Do Google Voice or Padster have ads?

Neither Google Voice nor Padster shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Google Voice or Padster?

Google Voice ships an update weekly, and Padster every 7 months. Most recently, Google Voice was updated on October 23, 2026 and Padster on October 9, 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.*