Group SMS vs ShamsiCal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Group SMS
Send the same message to multiple contacts simultaneously without individual copy-pasting. Create groups for efficient communication and save significant time when messaging several people at once.
- Create contact groups
- Send one message to many
- Time-saving utility
- Efficient group communication
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Group SMS makes it easy to send one text message to many people at once. Pick the contacts you want, write your message, and send to the whole group in seconds — no accounts, no sign-ups, nothing to learn. Whether it's holiday greetings, a party invite, a team update, or a quick reminder, Group SMS saves you from typing the same message over and over. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Pick your contacts — choose exactly who gets the message, then send to them all in one tap. • Save groups — create reusable groups like Family, Work, or Friends and reach them instantly. • Ready-made templates — dozens of polished messages for Christmas, New Year, Valentine's Day, Easter, birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and congratulations. • Write your own — type a custom message with a live character and SMS-segment counter. • Save any selection as a group, so it's ready next time. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your messages are sent straight through your iPhone's own Messages app. There are no accounts, no servers, and no tracking. Your contacts and messages never leave your phone. SIMPLE AND FAST A clean, native design that feels right at home on iPhone. Open the app, pick a group, send.
ShamsiCal
Easily view and manage the Persian calendar with accurate date conversions and official holidays. Get instant access to daily and monthly views through home and lock screen widgets. Enjoy a clean, native iOS design with full dark mode support.
- Accurate Persian calendar engine
- Gregorian to Persian date conversion
- Official holiday tracking
- Home Screen widgets
- Lock Screen widgets
- Dark Mode support
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ShamsiCal keeps the Persian calendar within reach, from your Home Screen to your wrist. See today’s Persian date at a glance, browse the full month, and convert between Persian and Gregorian dates. Keep track of occasions and calendar events with widgets that fit naturally into your day. Key Features: - Persian calendar with official holidays and easy month navigation - Calendar events alongside Persian occasions - Built-in Persian and Gregorian date converter - Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, including larger month and agenda layouts - Siri and Shortcuts actions for quick access to calendar features - Keyboard shortcuts on iPad for common actions - Native design with Liquid Glass on supported versions - Dark Mode support On Apple Watch: - Today’s date with a background inspired by the current season - Digital Crown scrolling from today’s details to the full month - Easy navigation between months - Widgets with seasonal backgrounds and complications for quick date checks Your Persian calendar, always within reach.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ShamsiCal at 85% against Group SMS's 40%. ShamsiCal also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 6 months) and device support (5 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Group SMS ships an update every 6 months, ShamsiCal every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Group SMS | ShamsiCal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.4 (176 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 84.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 176 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bahtiyar Polat | Alireza Khoddam |
Customer experience
Group SMS
ShamsiCal
Bugs and requests
Group SMS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
ShamsiCal
Reported bugs
8 issues- Islamic calendar displays dates one day ahead
- Widget doesn't appear on iPhone homescreen for some users
- App doesn't update date on homescreen without opening app
- Widget sizing issues in notification center
- Installation fails on some devices
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- Widget not visible in notification center
- Scrolling/jumping issues on iPhone 6
- Settings cannot be changed on some devices
Requested features
16 requests- Add Iranian holidays and events display
- Add Afghan/Dari language support for month names
- Implement full calendar month view with all days
- Add Apple Watch app and watch face complications
- Allow navigation between months and years
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- Highlight holidays in red color
- Add Persian digital clock widget
- Implement widget color customization
- Add font customization options
- Support for Farsi digital fonts (e.g., B Nazanin)
- Restore English language widget option
- Add live widget that updates without opening app
- Include more widget design variations
- Add feedback/contact section in app
- Fix Islamic calendar date accuracy
- Add Afghan cultural events and occasions
In-app purchases
Group SMS
No in-app purchases
ShamsiCal
No in-app purchases









