Pinger vs magicApp Calling & Messaging
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Free U.S. phone number
- Unlimited calling
- Free texting (SMS)
- Voicemail
- Group chat
- MMS picture & video messaging
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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.
magicApp Calling & Messaging
Get a second phone number for personal or business use without needing a new SIM card. Enjoy unlimited calling and texting to the U.S. and Canada, even while traveling abroad over Wi-Fi. Manage calls with features like caller ID, voicemail, and call blocking.
- Second phone number
- Unlimited U.S. & Canada calling
- Unlimited U.S. & Canada texting
- Wi-Fi calling for travel
- Caller ID, voicemail, call blocking
- Choose U.S. area code
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magicApp is the most affordable & simple way to get a second phone number on your mobile phone. You can use your magicApp second line for your personal or business needs and enjoy unlimited calling and texting to the U.S. and Canada. magicApp makes it possible to have different phone numbers without having to switch out your SIM and at an affordable monthly. You can easily AND quickly switch from your magicApp phone number to your actual phone number. MAGICAPP FEATURES * Choose a U.S. phone number from any available area code * Unlimited calling to the U.S and Canada* * Send or receive unlimited text messages to U.S. and Canadian numbers** * Traveling? Make calls over Wi-Fi so you never have to worry about roaming charges when abroad! * Unlimited calling to other magicJack customer worldwide * Caller ID, voicemail, call blocking, block anonymous callers and call forwarding * Caller ID pulled from your mobile phone contact list, so you always know who is calling * Cheaper than the rest of the apps out there AND AD FREE! EXISITNG MAGICJACK DEVICE CUSTOMER? magicJack customers can enjoy texting to any U.S. or Canadian number** using magicApp - your friends & family don't have to download the app to text! Calls to your magicJack number rings on your smartphone at the same time so you never miss a call. Download now and login to magicApp with your existing magicJack email and password to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi. NEW: Now available to magicJack device customers with Canadian numbers, you can add the option to text with your Canadian phone number for a small annual fee through the app store. TURN YOUR IPAD INTO A PHONE Connect your tablet to the internet, download magicApp and start making calls from your iPad. Use magicApp on devices running iOS14 or higher. Find out more on www.magicJack.com *Texting to international numbers is not available and texts to some US mobile numbers may not be delivered. Unlimited calling to numbers within the United States and Canada, and unlimited texting and other services provided by magicJack®, are based on normal, non-excessive use. A combination of factors is used to determine excessive use, including but not limited to the relative use when compared to the average magicJack® user, the number of unique numbers called, calls forwarded, minutes used, texts sent/received and other factors. Unlimited calling does not include calls to Alaska or the Yukon and Northwest Territories of Canada or calls to non-8YY calling card, platform, conference, or chat lines, for which additional fees will apply. Subject to our Subscriber Agreement located here: http://www.magicjack.com/action/saps/. **Canadian magicJack numbers require a separate subscription for texting.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: magicApp Calling & Messaging at none against Pinger's shown. Pinger's advantage is chart position (#163 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Pinger sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and magicApp Calling & Messaging sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. 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 Pinger against 4.7 for magicApp Calling & Messaging. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 71K and 26K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Pinger's written reviews are positive against 49% of magicApp Calling & Messaging's.
Pinger ships an update every 8 days, magicApp Calling & Messaging fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Pinger | magicApp Calling & Messaging |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (71K ratings) — better | 4.7 (26K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.2% of reviews — better | 49.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 71K — better | 26K |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #163 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 223 MB | 67 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pinger, Inc. | MAGICJACK VOIP SERVICES LLC |
Customer experience
Pinger
magicApp Calling & Messaging
User reviews
Pinger
From 71K App Store ratingsWhat 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
magicApp Calling & Messaging
From 26K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💯 Excellent call quality
- 💰 Affordable pricing
- 🌍 Works internationally
- 🔍 Useful for maintaining a US number
- 🤖 Reliable service for over 15 years
Room to improve
- 🤖 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 🤖 Unreliable connectivity issues
- 🤖 Poor customer support
- 🤖 Deactivation of accounts without notice
- 🤖 Inability to transfer or port out numbers
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
magicApp Calling & Messaging
Reported bugs
5 issues- App freezes phone when answering calls
- Missed calls not showing up in the app
- Text messages getting deleted or out of order
- Inability to log in or access account
- Subscription issues and billing problems
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for MMS and texts from short codes
- Implement two-factor authentication for security
- Allow users to sign in on multiple devices
- Provide more ringtone options
- Improve integration with native iOS features
In-app purchases
Pinger
- Remove Ads$2.991 Month
- Voicemail to Text$2.991 Month
- Pinger Plus Weekly$4.997 Days
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- 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
- 100 minutes$1.99
- 400 minutes$9.99
- 1000 minutes$18.99
magicApp Calling & Messaging
- Incoming-only calls + texting$3.491 Month
- Outgoing-only calls + texting$3.491 Month
- Incoming and Outgoing calls$3.991 Month
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- magicJack Premium$4.991 Month
- magicJack Canadian$5.991 Month
- $4.99 magicJack International minutes credit$4.99
- SMS for Canadian Numbers$4.99
- Texting and SMS upgrade$9.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- $9.99 magicJack International minutes credit$9.99
- $20.00 magicJack International minutes credit$19.99
- $19.99 magicJack International minutes credit$19.99
- $40.00 magicJack International minutes credit$39.99
Questions
Is Pinger free?
Is magicApp Calling & Messaging free?
Which has better reviews, Pinger or magicApp Calling & Messaging?
Do Pinger or magicApp Calling & Messaging have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pinger or magicApp Calling & Messaging?
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