# Gmail vs Contacts Sync

Gmail and Contacts Sync both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Contacts Sync's written reviews are positive against 29% of Gmail's. Contacts Sync also leads on ads (none vs shown). Gmail's advantage is ratings volume (2.4M vs 15K) and chart position (#4 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gmail sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Contacts Sync sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Gmail against 4.6 for Contacts Sync. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gmail has 2.4M ratings behind it against 15K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of Gmail's written reviews are positive against 78% of Contacts Sync's.

Gmail ships an update weekly, Contacts Sync every 5 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gmail | Contacts Sync |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.4M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gmail-email-by-google/id422689480/reviews)** | [4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contacts-sync-google-and-more/id454390333/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.4M** | 15K |
| Positive reviews | 29.3% of reviews | **78.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 719 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [Playa Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/449814913) |

## What reviewers say

### Gmail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gmail-email-by-google/id422689480)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Grossing · Productivity, #5 Top Free · Productivity, #17 Top Grossing, #19 Top Free (US App Store)

This application provides a secure and efficient email experience with advanced features like spam blocking, smart replies, and multi-account support. It integrates with other Google services for enhanced productivity and collaboration.

**Highlights:** Robust security & spam blocking, Real-time notifications, Multiple account support, Smart Reply & Compose, Undo send, Google Chat & Meet integration, Threaded conversations

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 GB | $1.99 | per month |
| 100 GB | $1.99 | per month |
| 200 GB | $2.99 | per month |
| 200 GB | $2.99 | per month |
| 2 TB | $9.99 | per month |
| Google AI Plus (2 TB) | $9.99 | per month |
| 100 GB | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient email management
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 😊 Positive user experience overall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💡 Lacking advanced features
- 🔒 Security concerns
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working properly
- Emails disappearing from inbox
- Inability to remove accounts
- Conversation view issues

**Requested features**

- Swipe to delete/snooze emails
- Ability to mark all emails as read
- Customizable notification settings
- Improved file attachment functionality


### Contacts Sync

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contacts-sync-google-and-more/id454390333)

Effortlessly synchronize your contacts across Google, Outlook, and iPhone. This reliable app ensures your contact information is up-to-date everywhere with 2-way syncing and support for all contact fields and photos.

**Highlights:** 2-way contact synchronization, Sync Google, Outlook, and iPhone accounts, Syncs all contact fields and photos, Automatic background syncing, Group and custom label synchronization, Duplicate contact elimination

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (1 Week) | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium (1 Month) | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium (1 Year) | $9.99 | per year |
| Automatic Contact Syncing | Free | one-time |
| Make Contribution | $4.99 | one-time |
| Make Larger Contribution | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium (Lifetime Access) | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient
- 💡 Useful for syncing contacts across devices
- 🔒 Reliable and secure
- 🙌 Great customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional sync issues
- 💰 Paid subscription required for more than 40 contacts
- 🔄 Confusion around syncing and merging contacts
- 🤔 Inconsistent contact formatting after sync

**Reported bugs**

- Deleted contacts reappearing after sync
- Sync corrupting or deleting existing contact data

**Requested features**

- Ability to merge duplicate contacts
- Sync support for Outlook contacts
- Automatic sync between multiple Google accounts
- Undo/rollback option for sync operations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gmail free?

Gmail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Contacts Sync free?

Contacts Sync is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Gmail or Contacts Sync?

Gmail is rated higher. Gmail averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4M ratings, while Contacts Sync averages 4.6 from 15K ratings.

### Do Gmail or Contacts Sync have ads?

Gmail shows ads; Contacts Sync does not.

### Which is updated more often, Gmail or Contacts Sync?

Gmail ships an update weekly, and Contacts Sync every 5 days. Most recently, Gmail was updated on September 24, 2026 and Contacts Sync on September 24, 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.*