Comparison

Pinger vs Hushed

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

Hushed

Obtain a secondary phone number for private calls and texts. Ideal for online dating, selling items, travel, and more, it offers numbers from various area codes without needing a new SIM card. Enjoy features like voicemail and internet calling with flexible plans.

Highlights
  • Second phone number
  • Private texting and calling
  • Internet calling (VoIP)
  • Voicemail included
  • 300+ area codes
  • No SIM card needed
  • Cancel anytime
Features
Read full description

CALL AND TEXT ON A SECOND PHONE NUMBER WITH A 3-DAY TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION Hushed gives you a second phone number you can use for online dating, travel, shopping, moving, selling items, and more. Choose from phone numbers in 300+ area codes and start calling and texting immediately on your very own Hushed number. More than 25 million people have downloaded Hushed, making more than 450 million phone calls and sending more than 1 billion texts. Why everyone loves Hushed: INTERNET CALLING: Make phone calls over the internet (data or Wi-Fi) from anywhere in the world. TEXT MESSAGES: Send and receive text messages, including photos and videos. SECOND PHONE NUMBER: Get as many phone numbers as you want. Hushed makes it easy to manage different contacts and situations. 300+ AREA CODES: Pick a phone number with a United States area code, Canada area code, or United Kingdom area code — even if you’re travelling halfway across the world. VOICEMAIL INCLUDED: Every Hushed number includes features like voicemail, call forwarding, call routing, and auto-reply texts. VoIP TECHNOLOGY: Since Hushed calls and texts run over the internet using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), you can communicate worldwide without traditional long-distance charges. NO SIM CARD NEEDED: Your Hushed numbers are stored in the app, so there’s no need to swap SIM cards. NO CONTRACTS: Hushed keeps things flexible, and you can cancel anytime. FLEXIBLE USE: Use your second phone number for short-term or long-term needs. Keep it as long as you’d like. Popular reasons for getting a second phone number: ONLINE DATING: Use a second phone number when connecting with new people. SELLING ITEMS ONLINE: Add a second phone number to online listings and remove it later if you no longer need it. MOVING: Get a second phone number in your new area code before you relocate. Perfect for setting up utilities and services. TRAVEL: Add a second phone number in the area code you’ll be visiting to help manage calling costs. FAMILY & FRIENDS: Choose a second phone number with a local area code for easier communication. SHOPPING: Provide your Hushed number when signing up for store programs or offers. ACCOUNT VERIFICATION: Some services allow Hushed numbers to receive verification codes by text or call, depending on their policies. FORMS & SIGN-UPS: Use a second phone number when registering for websites, forms, or subscriptions. Ready for a second phone number? FLEXIBLE PLANS: Choose from 1- and 3-line subscriptions with U.S., Canada, or U.K. numbers. Enjoy unlimited calls and texts, with savings available on annual plans. CONVENIENT BILLING: Subscriptions renew automatically unless deactivated at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing cycle. Manage or cancel your subscription in your device settings under Settings / Subscriptions. KEEP IN MIND: Hushed is not suitable for 911 or emergency services. Please use your primary phone number for emergency calls. Download Hushed and get your own second phone number today. Need help? Our team is available 24/7 via live chat (hushed.com) or email (support@hushed.com).

Screenshots

Pinger4 screens
Hushed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Hushed at none against Pinger's shown. Pinger's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 42%) and ratings volume (70K vs 23K). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Pinger sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Hushed sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Pinger against 4.6 for Hushed. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70K and 23K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Pinger's written reviews are positive against 42% of Hushed's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pinger ships an update weekly, Hushed fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Pinger versus Hushed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPingerHushed
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (70K ratings) — better4.6 (23K ratings)
Positive reviews50.5% of reviews — better41.9% of reviews
Number of ratings70K — better23K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#162#59 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size219 MB167 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPinger, Inc.AffinityClick Inc.

Customer experience

Pinger

All ratings70,108 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews321 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral7.5%
Negative42.1%

Hushed

All ratings22,595 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral2.4%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews1,361 reviews
Positive41.9%
Neutral5.1%
Negative53.0%

User reviews

Pinger

From 70K 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

Hushed

From 23K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works as advertised
  • 👍 Convenient way to have a second number
  • 💡 Useful for privacy and separating personal/business
  • 🔒 Good privacy policy
  • 👍 Great customer service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Accounts getting deactivated or blocked for unclear reasons
  • 🐛 Issues with receiving/sending texts and calls
  • 🐛 Unreliable service, frequent outages
  • 💰 Overcharging, lack of transparency in pricing
  • 🕰 Difficult to cancel subscription

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

Hushed

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues, unable to access account
  • Inconsistent call and text delivery
  • Compatibility problems with certain devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Group messaging capabilities
  • Ability to view message read receipts
  • Integration with more apps and services

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
10 purchases

Hushed

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited Monthly Number$4.991 Month
  • 1 Line Subscription (Monthly)3 Days trial$6.991 Month
One-time8
  • Hushed 3 Day TrialFree
  • Hushed Payment$1.99
  • Hushed Payment$2.99
Show 5 more
  • Hushed Payment$3.99
  • Hushed Payment$4.99
  • Hushed Payment$5.99
  • Pre-Paid calling credit$9.99
  • Hushed Payment$9.99

Questions

Is Pinger free?
Pinger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hushed free?
Hushed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pinger or Hushed?
Pinger is rated higher. Pinger averages 4.7 out of 5 from 70K ratings, while Hushed averages 4.6 from 23K ratings.
Do Pinger or Hushed have ads?
Pinger shows ads; Hushed does not.
Which is updated more often, Pinger or Hushed?
Pinger ships an update weekly, and Hushed fortnightly. Most recently, Pinger was updated on September 24, 2026 and Hushed on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Pinger or Hushed?
Pinger currently peaks at #162 in the App Store charts, and Hushed at #59. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons