# Pinger vs Ghost

The clearest difference is monetization model: Pinger at free with in-app purchases against Ghost's subscription. Pinger also leads on ratings volume (71K vs 7.7K) and chart position (#177 vs unranked). Ghost's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (60% vs 50%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pinger sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Ghost sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 4.6 for Ghost. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pinger has 71K ratings behind it against 7.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Pinger's written reviews are positive against 60% of Ghost's.

Pinger ships an update every 8 days, Ghost every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pinger | Ghost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (71K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinger-call-plus-texting-app/id444741112/reviews)** | [4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-second-phone-number/id6466671844/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **71K** | 7.7K |
| Positive reviews | 50.2% of reviews | **60.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#177** | — |
| Size | 223 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Pinger, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/299102705) | [Openlife AI Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896485364) |

## What reviewers say

### Pinger

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

**Currently charting:** #177 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


### Ghost

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-second-phone-number/id6466671844)

Get a private, local phone number to stop spam and protect your identity. Receive texts, make unlimited calls, and use a temporary number for online sign-ups and transactions without revealing your real number.

**Highlights:** Temporary phone number, Unlimited calls, SMS verification codes, Local area codes, VPN protection, Spam shielding, No contracts or SIMs

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

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Spam Call Blocker | $4.99 | per 2 months |
| Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| VPN Protection | $9.99 | per 2 months |
| Premium | $14.99 | per 2 months |
| Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Pro | $17.99 | per year |
| Multi Plan Plus - 10 Numbers | $19.99 | per 2 months |
| Multi-Plan - 10 Numbers | $19.99 | per 2 months |
| Pro | $24.99 | per month |
| Pro | $29.99 | per month |
| Premium | $29.99 | per 2 months |
| Pro | $39.99 | per month |
| Pro | $49.99 | per 2 months |
| Pro | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Cuts spam calls
- 🔒 Keeps personal number private
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
- 👍 Transparent about costs
- 👍 Separate work and personal calls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Verification issues
- 🐛 Unable to send/receive messages
- 🐛 Unavailable area codes
- 🐛 Billing and subscription problems
- 🐛 Unreliable performance

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to delete conversations
- Inconsistent number availability
- Verification texts not received
- Calls not connecting properly

**Requested features**

- Allow multiple numbers and number switching
- Improve 2FA and verification process
- Add more customization and settings options
- Enhance call and messaging capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pinger free?

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

### Is Ghost free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pinger or Ghost?

Pinger is rated higher. Pinger averages 4.7 out of 5 from 71K ratings, while Ghost averages 4.6 from 7.7K ratings.

### Do Pinger or Ghost have ads?

Pinger shows ads; Ghost does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pinger or Ghost?

Pinger ships an update every 8 days, and Ghost every 9 days. Most recently, Pinger was updated on October 29, 2026 and Ghost on October 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*