# Pinger vs WhatCall

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pinger | WhatCall |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (71K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinger-call-plus-texting-app/id444741112/reviews)** | [4.2 (601 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whatcall/id1260967308/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **71K** | 601 |
| Positive reviews | 50.2% of reviews | **54.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#185** | — |
| Size | 223 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pinger, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/299102705) | [Innovative Developers LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/947764447) |

## What reviewers say

### Pinger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinger-call-plus-texting-app/id444741112)

**Currently charting:** #185 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

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:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | per month |
| Voicemail to Text | $2.99 | per month |
| Pinger Plus Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pinger Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Pinger Plus Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Pinger Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pinger Plus Half Yearly | $39.99 | per 6 months |
| Pinger 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**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whatcall/id1260967308)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 credit pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 12 credit pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| 20 credit pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| 30 credit pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 40 credit pack | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Calls go directly to person, not voicemail
- Stuck on 'connecting' screen
- Won't leave voicemail
- Takes credits but doesn't work
- Verification issues

**Requested features**

- Option to display 'unknown' or 'unverified' number
- Prerecorded voicemail feature


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*