Comparison

Pinger vs WhatCall

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

Head to head
About

Pinger

This app provides a free U.S. phone number for unlimited calling and texting to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It offers features like voicemail, group chat, and MMS messaging, functioning as a reliable alternative to a traditional phone line.

Highlights
  • Free U.S. phone number
  • Unlimited calling
  • Free texting (SMS)
  • Voicemail
  • Group chat
  • MMS picture & video messaging
Features
Read full description

Make free calls with a real U.S.phone number on the original free calling and texting app. Pinger comes preloaded with free calling minutes that can be used to call anyone in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. After that, minutes are free to earn or cheap to purchase. SMS messages are also free. On top of free calling and SMS, additional features include voicemail, group chat, MMS picture & video messaging, emoji, ringtones, and more. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING “It’s like having a real phone number from the carrier. Except FREE.” –Nick “I started using this app back in 2007 on my iPod touch 3rd generation... Works every time, voice calls are clear, and no one knows it’s an app and not an actual phone. Highly recommended.” –Scott “I have used this app as my main phone number for years. It is just as reliable as an actual phone number.” –Kay “I’ve tried several, but hands down, Pinger is by far the best. Why? Simple: It works. Period.” –Tuc “I would rate this like 100,000,000 stars but can’t :/ only 5.” –Molly “Great to have a backup number especially when you travel abroad.” –Milo —— © 2020 Pinger, Inc. All rights reserved. The Pinger 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

WhatCall

This app allows you to bypass ringing and connect directly to someone's voicemail. It provides an instant missed call notification, giving you an excuse to have tried calling while avoiding actual conversation. It works globally on most networks, including landlines and mobiles.

Highlights
  • Instant voicemail connection
  • Missed call notification
  • Global network compatibility
  • Automatic dial code detection
  • Bypass ringing
  • Leave messages without conversation
Features
Read full description

Go straight to voicemail. Skip the ringing. Skip the conversation. When you dial with WhatCall, the call goes straight to voicemail instead of ringing the phone. It still comes from your own number, and on supported networks will even show a missed call. Say what you need to say, on your terms. HOW IT WORKS Dial the number in WhatCall as you normally would. WhatCall puts you through to voicemail. Leave your message and you’re done. WHEN TO USE IT • Calling in sick. Let your boss know you won’t be in without a round of questions. • Short on time. Return a call without getting pulled into a half hour chat. • They’re busy. In a meeting, driving, putting the baby down. Leave a message instead of trying to catch them at a bad time. • Too long for a text. Say it in 20 seconds instead of typing a paragraph. WHERE IT WORKS • Mobile and landline numbers with voicemail • Automatic dialling code detection for supported countries • Dial in your usual local format where supported • Some networks also send a missed call text alert WhatCall is free to download. Calls use credits available to buy in the app. The number you call must have voicemail. Behaviour varies by network and settings.

Screenshots

Pinger4 screens
WhatCall4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pinger at 4.7 against WhatCall's 4.2. Pinger also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (71K vs 601). WhatCall's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Pinger sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and WhatCall sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pinger holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pinger has 71K ratings behind it against 601, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Pinger's written reviews are positive against 54% of WhatCall's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pinger ships an update every 8 days, WhatCall every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Pinger versus WhatCall: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPingerWhatCall
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (71K ratings) — better4.2 (601 ratings)
Positive reviews50.2% of reviews54.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings71K — better601
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#184 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size223 MB4 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPinger, Inc.Innovative Developers LTD

Customer experience

Pinger

All ratings70,541 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews333 reviews
Positive50.2%
Neutral7.2%
Negative42.6%

WhatCall

All ratings601 ratings
Positive78.4%
Neutral0.8%
Negative20.8%
Written reviews189 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral2.6%
Negative42.9%

User reviews

Pinger

From 71K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app
  • 👍 Simple and functional
  • 👍 Good app
  • 👍 Works pretty good
  • 👍 Great service, user friendly

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Constantly lock your account due to supposed shady activity
  • 💰 You have to pay $10 a month to receive SMS from apps
  • 🐛 Does not even let you create an account
  • 🔍 Why so many ads since last update??!
  • 🐛 Issues with Pinger

WhatCall

From 601 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works well
  • 👍 Great app
  • 🚀 Convenient
  • 🚀 Indispensable
  • 👍 Accessible to customers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Doesn't work
  • 🐛 Calls go directly to person, not voicemail
  • 🐛 Stuck on 'connecting' screen
  • 🐛 Won't leave voicemail
  • 🐛 Takes credits but doesn't work

Bugs and requests

Pinger

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Constantly lock your account due to supposed shady activity
  • Does not even let you create an account
  • Microphone doesn't work, can't hear me on calls
  • Inconsistent, can't make calls sometimes
  • Not dependable, messages don't go through

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to receive verification codes
  • Option to turn off sounds/notifications
  • Fix for not being able to send more than one picture at a time

WhatCall

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Calls go directly to person, not voicemail
  • Stuck on 'connecting' screen
  • Won't leave voicemail
  • Takes credits but doesn't work
  • Verification issues
Show 2 more
  • Rings the phone instead of going to voicemail
  • Instant call end

Requested features

2 requests
  • Option to display 'unknown' or 'unverified' number
  • Prerecorded voicemail feature

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Pinger

Subscriptions8
  • Remove Ads$2.991 Month
  • Voicemail to Text$2.991 Month
  • Pinger Plus Weekly$4.997 Days
Show 5 more
  • Pinger Plan$4.991 Month
  • Pinger Plus Weekly$6.997 Days
  • Pinger Plus Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pinger Plus Half Yearly$39.996 Months
  • Pinger Plus Yearly$69.991 Year
One-time3
  • 100 minutes$1.99
  • 400 minutes$9.99
  • 1000 minutes$18.99
5 purchases

WhatCall

One-time5
  • 5 credit pack$2.99
  • 12 credit pack$5.99
  • 20 credit pack$7.99
Show 2 more
  • 30 credit pack$9.99
  • 40 credit pack$12.99

Questions

Is Pinger free?
Pinger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is WhatCall free?
WhatCall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pinger or WhatCall?
Pinger is rated higher. Pinger averages 4.7 out of 5 from 71K ratings, while WhatCall averages 4.2 from 601 ratings.
Do Pinger or WhatCall have ads?
Pinger shows ads; WhatCall does not.
Which is updated more often, Pinger or WhatCall?
Pinger ships an update every 8 days, and WhatCall every 3 months. Most recently, Pinger was updated on October 26, 2026 and WhatCall on October 23, 2026.

Other comparisons