Comparison

Group SMS Lite vs Group SMS

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

Head to head
About

Group SMS Lite

Easily send SMS messages or emails to multiple contacts simultaneously. Manage contact groups directly within the app or sync with your device's contacts. Offers email attachments and tutorial videos for guidance.

Highlights
  • Send group SMS messages
  • Send group emails
  • Manage contact groups
  • Forward email attachments
  • In-app tutorial videos
  • Lite version group limit
Features
Read full description

With Group SMS Lite you can send an SMS text message to a group of contacts. You can also send email to groups. Group SMS Lite will send the SMS using the built-in Messages app and the mobile operator of your iPhone. The costs of the SMSs will be charged by your mobile operator under the terms of your current text messaging plan. If a group contains 12 contacts, you will be charged 12 SMS. Of course, if you have an unlimited text plan with your mobile operator, you will not be charged. Group SMS Lite will show you the groups that are defined in the Contacts app of your iPhone or iPad. You can also create groups, but since this is the Lite version, you cannot add more than 5 contacts to a group. Group Email is always without cost. You can also forward email attachments to groups. Supported formats: PDF, RTF, Word and Excel. You can upgrade to the full version of Group SMS via In-App Purchase. Group SMS Lite is localized in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch. Tutorial videos are available in the app (tap More, then tap Help) and on the web site (see link below). ALERT You cannot create groups larger than five contacts in Group SMS Lite. You will need the full version Group SMS to create larger groups. However, you can always create large groups on the desktop. SUPPORT Please refrain from sending bug reports and feature requests as customer reviews in the App Store. Instead email them to our support address : support@grouptext.info. You will always get a personal reply!

About

Group SMS

Easily send personalized SMS messages to multiple contacts at once. Create custom lists, use templates with variables, and schedule messages for future delivery. Syncs across devices via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Personalized group SMS
  • Custom contact lists
  • Message templates with variables
  • Scheduled SMS sending
  • Send history log
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

Group SMS — One message, all your contacts. The fastest way to send personalized SMS messages to groups, distribution lists and contacts — right from your iPhone, through the Messages app you already use. --- GROUPS & LISTS --- Import your iPhone contacts into groups or build custom distribution lists from scratch. Add contacts manually or import thousands in seconds from a CSV file exported by Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. Your address book stays untouched. In a group, the app spots contacts that share the same number so you can leave out the duplicates with one tap (Pro). --- SCAN CONTACTS FROM A PHOTO (PRO) --- Take a photo of a sign-up sheet or a printed list, or pick a screenshot: Group SMS reads names and phone numbers right on your iPhone. Check the list, fix any misread number with a tap and import only the contacts you select. --- MINI-CRM: LIST FIELDS (PRO) --- Every extra column in your CSV — amount, due date, plan, membership number — becomes a field of the list. Write a message to the list, tap the fields to insert them, and each customer receives their own values. A real preview shows exactly what every person will get, and the app warns you about contacts with missing values. Next month, re-import the updated file into the same list: contacts are updated, not duplicated. Select only who still has an amount due and send your reminder. --- TEMPLATES --- Save your most-used messages as templates and send them in one tap. With Pro, use {name}, {surname} and {phone} placeholders, with a default value when a detail is missing. Pro also includes a library of 15 ready-made messages for appointments, gyms and clubs, shops, notices and events. --- PERSONALIZED SENDING --- When a message contains variables, Group SMS opens one message per contact, already filled in with their details. You confirm each one with a tap; turn on auto-open and the next message opens by itself. Nobody sees the other recipients. --- ONE BY ONE OR IN BLOCKS --- One by one, the default: each recipient gets their own message, nobody sees the others and no group chat is created. You confirm every message with a tap. In blocks: up to 40 recipients per message, so fewer taps. If recipients use iMessage or RCS, iPhone turns it into a group conversation where everyone sees the others' numbers and replies: the app reminds you before every send in blocks. --- EXCLUDED NUMBERS (PRO) --- Add people who asked not to be contacted — manually, from your contacts or from a list. They are left out of every send automatically, even if your subscription ends. --- SCHEDULED SMS --- Plan one-off or recurring messages — daily, weekly or monthly. The app reminds you at exactly the right time and opens the message ready to send. --- SEND HISTORY --- Every send is logged automatically: see who received the message, and resend to the rest with one tap. --- ICLOUD SYNC --- Your groups, lists, templates and history sync across all your Apple devices via iCloud. --- PRO --- Upgrade to Group SMS Pro to send to every contact of your groups and lists (the free plan sends to the first 25), remove the “Sent with Group SMS” signature and unlock contact scanning, the template library, duplicate exclusion, list fields, excluded numbers, scheduled reminders, personalized templates, send history and iCloud sync. Group SMS never sends messages on its own: every SMS is sent by the iPhone Messages app after your confirmation. Group SMS is free to download. Group SMS Pro is optional: price and duration are shown in the app before you confirm any purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Group SMS Lite4 screens
Group SMS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Group SMS at 3.5 against Group SMS Lite's 1.0. Group SMS also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). Group SMS Lite's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, 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. Group SMS Lite sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Group SMS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Group SMS holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 25% and 25% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Group SMS Lite ships an update every 6 weeks, Group SMS fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Group SMS Lite versus Group SMS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGroup SMS LiteGroup SMS
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)3.5 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS10.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlco BlomCarlo Di Giuseppe

Customer experience

Group SMS Lite

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral1.9%
Negative73.1%

Group SMS

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative62.5%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Group SMS Lite

One-time5
  • Group SMS$4.99
  • 50 SMS Bundle$14.99
  • 100 SMS Bundle$24.99
Show 2 more
  • 500 SMS Bundle$125.99
  • 1000 SMS Bundle$239.99
3 purchases

Group SMS

Subscriptions2
  • Group SMS Pro – Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Group SMS Pro – Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Group SMS Pro – Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Group SMS Lite free?
Group SMS Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Group SMS free?
Group SMS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Group SMS Lite or Group SMS?
Group SMS is rated higher. Group SMS Lite averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Group SMS averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.
Do Group SMS Lite or Group SMS have ads?
Neither Group SMS Lite nor Group SMS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Group SMS Lite or Group SMS?
Group SMS Lite ships an update every 6 weeks, and Group SMS fortnightly. Most recently, Group SMS Lite was updated on November 1, 2026 and Group SMS on November 1, 2026.

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