# Black SMS vs Ghost

The clearest difference is rating: Ghost at 4.8 against Black SMS's 3.1. Black SMS's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ghost holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 5 respectively.

Black SMS ships an update every 2 weeks, Ghost every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Black SMS | Ghost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-sms-protected-texts/id448049263/reviews) | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-private-messenger/id6748726977/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 51.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 60 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hadar Weitzman Group Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/335541424) | [Kacper Oselka](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813430141) |

## What reviewers say

### Black SMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-sms-protected-texts/id448049263)

Securely protect your private conversations with a fingerprint or passcode. This app encrypts messages, including those within iMessage, ensuring only authorized individuals can access them. It's ideal for safeguarding sensitive work, medical, or personal communications.

**Highlights:** Fingerprint lock for messages, Passcode protection, iMessage integration, Military-grade encryption, Securely encrypt all messages

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Good for privacy
- 💡 Cool concept/idea
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- 🚀 Works well (for some)
- ✨ Unique functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Requires recipient to have app
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- ⏳ Time-consuming process
- 💰 Waste of money (for some)
- 🤔 Confusing interface

**Reported bugs**

- Messages sometimes empty
- App becomes unresponsive
- Recipient needs to open message twice
- Password not working
- Cannot send pics from library

**Requested features**

- Support for sending videos
- Update for newer phones/iOS
- Dark mode
- Option to black out recipient name
- Add texting capabilities within the app


### Ghost

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-private-messenger/id6748726977)

This messaging app prioritizes user privacy with end-to-end encryption and anonymous profiles. It collects minimal metadata, ensuring conversations remain confidential and invisible to third parties.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Anonymous profiles, Minimal metadata collection, No phone number required, Secure file sharing

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Black SMS free?

Black SMS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ghost free?

Ghost is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Black SMS or Ghost?

Ghost is rated higher. Black SMS averages 3.1 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Ghost averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do Black SMS or Ghost have ads?

Neither Black SMS nor Ghost shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Black SMS or Ghost?

Black SMS ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ghost every 4 weeks. Most recently, Black SMS was updated on October 6, 2026 and Ghost on October 3, 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.*