# Area Code Directory vs Plates

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Plates at none against Area Code Directory's 1. Plates also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Area Code Directory sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Plates asks for nothing beyond the download.

Area Code Directory ships an update every 8 months, Plates every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Area Code Directory | Plates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/area-code-directory/id357420195/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **24** | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Portable Databases](https://appshunter.io/developer/333398128) | [Frank Schmitt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1648252547) |

## What reviewers say

### Area Code Directory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/area-code-directory/id357420195)

Quickly find area codes using various search methods including code, city, or state. This reference app covers codes from the United States, Canada, Caribbean, and special toll-free numbers.

**Highlights:** Search by area code, Search by city, Search by state, Includes US codes, Includes Canada codes, Includes Caribbean codes, Includes Toll-Free codes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient
- ✅ Does what it says
- 🌟 Useful for identifying unknown callers
- 💰 Free to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🪲 Outdated information
- 🪲 Missing area codes and cities
- 🪲 Incomplete listings
- 📉 Not kept up to date
- 👎 Limited functionality without updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after update
- App crashes on launch
- Spelled town name incorrectly

**Requested features**

- Include new area codes
- Add more cities and towns
- Include time zones
- Update the database regularly
- Improve the logo for iPod Touch


### Plates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plates-license-plate-finder/id6443668396)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Area Code Directory free?

Area Code Directory is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Plates free?

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

### Do Area Code Directory or Plates have ads?

Neither Area Code Directory nor Plates shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Area Code Directory or Plates?

Area Code Directory ships an update every 8 months, and Plates every 2 months. Most recently, Area Code Directory was updated on October 16, 2026 and Plates on October 20, 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.*