# Text Free vs Stepping Forward LA

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Text Free | Stepping Forward LA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (613K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-free-second-phone-number/id399355755/reviews) | **[4.9 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepping-forward-la/id6738879519/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **613K** | 47 |
| Positive reviews | 28.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 231 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Pinger, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/299102705) | [SFLA Test](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775425112) |

## What reviewers say

### Text Free

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-free-second-phone-number/id399355755)

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #19 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

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:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | per month |
| Voicemail to Text | $2.99 | per month |
| Text Free Plan Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Text Free Plus Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Text Free Plus | $9.99 | per month |
| Text Free Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Text Free Plus Yearly | $69.99 | per year |
| 100 minutes | $1.99 | one-time |
| 400 minutes | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1000 minutes | $18.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Outgoing texts not working
- Number changing/expiring unexpectedly
- Inability to disable notifications
- Verification codes not working

**Requested features**

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


### Stepping Forward LA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepping-forward-la/id6738879519)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*