Comparison

Text Free vs Stepping Forward LA

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

Head to head
About

Text Free

This app provides a free, secondary phone number for unlimited calling and texting over WiFi. It allows users to send various media types, customize tones and wallpapers, and offers an optional upgrade for ad-free usage and enhanced features like verification code access.

Highlights
  • Free local phone number
  • Unlimited calling and texting
  • Send photos, videos, and GIFs
  • Custom ring and text tones
  • Group texting
  • Auto-Reply functionality
  • Ad-free upgrade option
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

Stepping Forward LA

This app empowers young adults transitioning out of foster care to achieve successful adulthood. It provides resources and support to help them reach their full potential.

Highlights
  • Empower foster youth
  • Support successful transition
  • Reach full potential
  • Resources for adulthood
Features
Read full description

Stepping Forward LA's mission is to empower young adults aging out of foster care to transition successfully to adulthood and reach their fullest potential.

Screenshots

Text Free4 screens
Stepping Forward LA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Stepping Forward LA at 100% against Text Free's 28%. Stepping Forward LA also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Text Free's advantage is ratings volume (613K vs 47) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Stepping Forward LA asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stepping Forward LA holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text Free has 613K ratings behind it against 47, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of Text Free's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stepping Forward LA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Text Free ships an update every 10 days, Stepping Forward LA every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Text Free versus Stepping Forward LA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterText FreeStepping Forward LA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (613K ratings)4.9 (47 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings613K — better47
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
Best chart rank#13 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size231 MB103 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperPinger, Inc.SFLA Test

Customer experience

Text Free

All ratings612,838 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.3%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews1,348 reviews
Positive28.2%
Neutral7.9%
Negative63.9%

Stepping Forward LA

All ratings47 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Stepping Forward LA

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Text Free

Subscriptions7
  • Remove Ads$2.991 Month
  • Voicemail to Text$2.991 Month
  • Text Free Plan Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
Show 4 more
  • Text Free Plus Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Text Free Plus$9.991 Month
  • Text Free Plan$9.991 Month
  • Text Free Plus Yearly$69.991 Year
One-time3
  • 100 minutes$1.99
  • 400 minutes$9.99
  • 1000 minutes$18.99
None

Stepping Forward LA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Text Free free?
Text Free is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stepping Forward LA free?
Stepping Forward LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Text Free or Stepping Forward LA?
Stepping Forward LA is rated higher. Text Free averages 4.7 out of 5 from 613K ratings, while Stepping Forward LA averages 4.9 from 47 ratings.
Do Text Free or Stepping Forward LA have ads?
Text Free shows ads; Stepping Forward LA does not.
Which is updated more often, Text Free or Stepping Forward LA?
Text Free ships an update every 10 days, and Stepping Forward LA every 3 weeks. Most recently, Text Free was updated on November 6, 2026 and Stepping Forward LA on November 4, 2026.

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