Comparison

Text Free 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

Text Free

Get a free, personalized local phone number for unlimited calling and texting. Share photos, videos, GIFs, and more. Customize tones and wallpapers for a unique experience. Upgrade for ad-free use and verification codes.

Highlights
  • Free local phone number
  • Unlimited calling and texting
  • Send photos, videos, and GIFs
  • Group messaging
  • Custom ring and text tones
  • Auto-Reply feature
  • Available on multiple devices
Features
Read full description

TextFree is the first—and still the best—free phone number app. Join the hundreds of millions of people who use TextFree for free, unlimited calling and texting. TextFree is easy to use and boasts a list of features you won’t get from other apps. Choose a local phone number with unlimited calling and texting. Send photos, videos, GIFs, audio messages, emojis, and PDFs. Custom ring and text tones make it easy to identify when your TextFree number is ringing, and custom wallpapers let you personalize your experience. Need more features? Upgrade to TextFree Plus to remove ads and get unlimited access to verification codes for online accounts. You’ll also lock in your number so it won’t change or expire while you’re subscribed—unless you choose to change it yourself. TEXTFREE FEATURES - Select a free phone number with an area code of your choice - Choose from a bank of custom number combinations - Unlimited calls & texts let you communicate for free over WiFi - Share photos, videos, and GIF messages - Send and receive audio messages, emojis, and PDFs - Use group texting to stay in touch with friends and family - Automatically respond to calls and texts with Auto-Reply - Assign custom ring and text tones to your TextFree number - Personalize your experience with custom wallpapers - No phone? No problem—get TextFree on your iPod, iPad, or computer. - Access 24/7 Customer Support TEXTFREE PLUS FEATURES - All standard TextFree features, plus… - Unlock verification shortcodes to validate online accounts and apps - Enjoy an ad-free experience - Reserve your phone number to prevent it from expiring - Change your phone number as often as needed - Silence spam & send it to voicemail FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Is TextFree really free? Yes—your number, texting, and calling are all free. TextFree is ad-supported, which is how we're able to offer it at no cost, but if you'd rather go ad-free (and get more features), TextFree Plus has you covered. Does TextFree give you a real phone number? A TextFree number is a dialable U.S. or Canadian phone number with its own area code. It runs over Wi-Fi or data rather than a traditional carrier plan, but works just like one for texting and calling. Does TextFree work without a phone plan? Yes. TextFree runs on Wi-Fi or mobile data—no carrier required. As long as you have an internet connection, you're good to go. Is TextFree private and secure? TextFree doesn't sell or share your information with third parties or use your messages to train AI models. Our servers are encrypted to keep your data secure. For full details, see our privacy policy. Who is TextFree for? TextFree is for anyone who needs a phone number without the cost or commitment of a carrier plan—plus anyone who wants a second number for side hustles, online marketplaces, or anywhere they'd rather not share their real digits. Do I need to provide a government-issued ID to create a TextFree account? No. You do not need to submit a government-issued ID to sign up for TextFree. To create an account, you'll need to verify your email address or sign in using a supported Google or Apple account. Download TextFree today and try it! LEGAL © 2026 Pinger, Inc. All rights reserved. The TextFree name, associated trademarks, and logos are trademarks of Pinger, Inc. or related entities. Terms of Service: https://www.pinger.com/privacy-policy/terms-and-conditions/ Privacy Policy: https://www.pinger.com/privacy-policy/ Subscriptions are automatically billed monthly or annually to your iTunes Account and auto-renew unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payments are charged to your iTunes account upon confirmation of purchase. You can turn off auto-renew or manage subscriptions in your iTunes & App Store account settings. Cancellations take effect at the end of the active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period (where available) is forfeited when purchasing a subscription.

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

Text Free4 screens
Text App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Text App at none against Text Free's shown. Text App also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Text Free's advantage is ratings volume (612K vs 3.5K) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Text Free sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Text Free against 4.6 for Text App. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text Free has 612K ratings behind it against 3.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 28% of Text Free's written reviews are positive against 30% of Text App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Text Free ships an update every 10 days, Text App every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Text Free versus Text App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterText FreeText App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (612K ratings) — better4.6 (3.5K ratings)
Positive reviews28.2% of reviews29.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings612K — better3.5K
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#13 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size223 MB42 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperPinger, Inc.Shenzhen Zehou Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Text Free

All ratings609,865 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.3%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews1,348 reviews
Positive28.2%
Neutral7.9%
Negative63.9%

Text App

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

User reviews

Text Free

From 612K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works great
  • 👍 Convenient to use
  • 💡 Helpful for international calls/texts
  • 👍 Reliable service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy, freezes, and crashes
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 💸 Paid subscription required for full functionality
  • 📢 Excessive, intrusive ads
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with number sharing

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

Text Free

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Outgoing texts not working
  • Number changing/expiring unexpectedly
  • Inability to disable notifications
  • Verification codes not working

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Group messaging capability
  • Improved call quality and reliability
  • Better account management and number retention

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

11 purchases

Text Free

Subscriptions8
  • Remove Ads$2.991 Month
  • Voicemail to Text$2.991 Month
  • Text Free Plan Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
Show 5 more
  • Text Free Plus Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Text Free Plus$9.991 Month
  • Text Free Plan$9.991 Month
  • Text Free Plus Half Yearly$39.996 Months
  • Text Free Plus Yearly$69.991 Year
One-time3
  • 100 minutes$1.99
  • 400 minutes$9.99
  • 1000 minutes$18.99
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 Text Free free?
Text Free 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, Text Free or Text App?
Text Free is rated higher. Text Free averages 4.7 out of 5 from 612K ratings, while Text App averages 4.6 from 3.5K ratings.
Do Text Free or Text App have ads?
Text Free shows ads; Text App does not.
Which is updated more often, Text Free or Text App?
Text Free ships an update every 10 days, and Text App every 2 months. Most recently, Text Free was updated on November 1, 2026 and Text App on October 30, 2026.

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