Comparison

Z5 Mobile vs Tive

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

Head to head
About

Z5 Mobile

This app provides a video relay service for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to make and receive videophone calls. It offers features like text chat, contact sharing, call blocking, and video mail.

Highlights
  • Video Relay Service (VRS)
  • Text chat functionality
  • Share contact numbers with interpreters
  • Block unwanted callers
  • Video Mail greeting management
  • Number Lookup with Google Maps
Read full description

Z5 Mobile – The best video call experience, wherever life takes you. With Z5 Mobile, the industry’s premier VRS (Video Relay Service) app, deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals can make and receive videophone calls anywhere using Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection. And now we’ve completely redesigned this app to bring you the top features and experience in the industry. Recent updates now include text chat, the ability to share a follow-up number with an interpreter straight from your contact list, and even the power to block unwanted callers. Our users love our intuitive user interface with a choice of two themes and the sort your contact list by first or last name. You’ll also enjoy the ability to quickly review, record or delete your Video Mail greeting from your phone. Even when you're not using the app, you can now receive full-screen notifications at the moment a call is incoming. Z5 Mobile still has all the great features users have come to expect including Number Lookup, powered by Google Maps, to help you find phone numbers and conduct map searches without having to leave the app. No matter where you go, there’s no better way to keep in touch! Download/upgrade Z5 Mobile today and tell us what you think.

About

Tive

This platform offers a vibrant community space for the d/Deaf, Hard of Hearing (HOH), and CODA community. It provides curated content, social networking features, direct messaging, and on-demand ASL interpreter services for seamless communication and connection.

Highlights
  • Curated community content (TiveHub)
  • Social networking and sharing (TiveMix)
  • Direct text and video chat (TiveChat)
  • On-demand ASL interpreter services (TiveConnect)
  • HIPAA compliant interpreter access
Features
Read full description

We're Deaf. We built the app we wanted to use. Your phone calls, your conversations, and your community, in one place. CONNECT — your calls Call anyone through VRS, with a certified ASL interpreter on screen. This is your phone service, not a favor. There's no charge to you — VRS is paid for through the federal TRS fund. No explaining yourself first. No hoping the person on the other end knows how relay works. You dial, and you have the conversation. Your call history follows your account, not one device. Tap any call to call back. Need an interpreter in the room instead? VRI puts one on screen in seconds — for an appointment, a meeting, or anywhere the conversation has to happen in person. CONTACTS — bring your people with you Import straight from your phone, or a CSV on the web. Favorite the people you call most. Duplicates merge on their own. Your contacts and your call history are tied to your account, not to one device, so they are there wherever you sign in. CHAT — message your people Text or video message anyone on Tive. Signing to a signer needs nobody in between. MIX — your feed The part of Tive that isn't a phone call. Post what's on your mind, follow who you want, and see what everyone's up to. HUB — Deaf news News, events, and resources, pulled from the sources the community already reads. WHO CAN USE VRS VRS is for people who use sign language to make phone calls. Registration takes a few minutes and we walk you through it. Mix, Chat, and Hub are open to everyone. Questions: support@tivetechnology.com

Screenshots

Z5 Mobile4 screens
Tive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Tive at 4.6 against Z5 Mobile's 3.7. Tive also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 36%) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tive holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 127 and 214 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Z5 Mobile's written reviews are positive against 65% of Tive's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Z5 Mobile ships an update every 2 months, Tive every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Z5 Mobile versus Tive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZ5 MobileTive
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (127 ratings)4.6 (214 ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.5% of reviews65.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings127214 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB175 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperCSDVRS, LLCTive

Customer experience

Z5 Mobile

All ratings127 ratings
Positive61.4%
Neutral8.7%
Negative29.9%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive35.5%
Neutral11.8%
Negative52.6%

Tive

All ratings214 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral1.9%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive65.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Z5 Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Tive

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Z5 Mobile free?
Z5 Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tive free?
Tive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Z5 Mobile or Tive?
Tive is rated higher. Z5 Mobile averages 3.7 out of 5 from 127 ratings, while Tive averages 4.6 from 214 ratings.
Do Z5 Mobile or Tive have ads?
Neither Z5 Mobile nor Tive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Z5 Mobile or Tive?
Z5 Mobile ships an update every 2 months, and Tive every 8 days. Most recently, Z5 Mobile was updated on September 21, 2026 and Tive on September 23, 2026.

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