# Truecaller vs Number Shield

The clearest difference is price: Truecaller at Free against Number Shield's $2.99. Truecaller also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (253K vs 1.9K). Number Shield's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, chart position, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Truecaller is free to download; Number Shield costs $2.99 up front. Truecaller sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Number Shield asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Truecaller against 4.5 for Number Shield. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Truecaller has 253K ratings behind it against 1.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of Truecaller's written reviews are positive against 50% of Number Shield's.

Truecaller ships an update weekly, Number Shield every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Truecaller | Number Shield |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (253K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/truecaller-premium-caller-id/id448142450/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-shield/id1319082167/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **253K** | 1.9K |
| Positive reviews | 22.3% of reviews | **50.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#42** | #54 |
| Size | 205 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [True Software Scandinavia AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/336142200) | [Kinnaman Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/679806187) |

## What reviewers say

### Truecaller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/truecaller-premium-caller-id/id448142450)

**Currently charting:** #42 Top Free · Utilities, #61 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

Identify and block unwanted calls, search unknown numbers, and protect your family. Stay connected globally with seamless mobile data for travel. Trusted by millions for smart spam detection and communication safety.

**Highlights:** Identify and block spam calls, Search unknown phone numbers, Family Protection for loved ones, Global mobile data with eSIM, Smart spam detection, Unlimited number lookups (Premium)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Renewable Ad Free Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Truecaller Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Truecaller Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Renewable Assistant Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Renewable Connect Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Truecaller Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Truecaller AI Renewable Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Truecaller AI Renewable Month | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Connect | $74.99 | per year |
| Truecaller Premium Yearly | $74.99 | per year |
| Truecaller Premium Yearly | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Blocks spam calls
- 💡 Useful caller ID feature
- 👍 Helps identify scammers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription
- 🔋 Increased spam calls after installation

**Reported bugs**

- Failure to update spam database regularly
- Inability to block private/unknown numbers
- Compatibility issues on newer iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Automatic spam call blocking
- Better integration with phone's native features
- More transparent privacy practices


### Number Shield

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-shield/id1319082167)

**Currently charting:** #54 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Block unwanted calls and texts from scammers who use fake phone numbers. Easily block entire groups of similar numbers using wildcards. Your contacts are always safe, and blocked calls go to voicemail.

**Highlights:** Block similar numbers with wildcards, Block international numbers, Contacts automatically allowed, Block from missed calls screen, Send blocked calls to voicemail, Send blocked texts to Junk filter

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Blocks calls effectively
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Protects from spam calls
- 💡 Allows blocking entire area codes
- ⭐ Works as expected

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Limited number of numbers that can be blocked
- 🤔 Doesn't always block all spam calls
- 🤷‍♀️ Doesn't block text messages
- ⚠️ Lacks customer support

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when adding new numbers
- Blocked numbers still receive calls
- Database errors cause app to malfunction
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add ability to block text messages
- Increase number of numbers that can be blocked
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
- Add option to block entire country codes
- Provide better customer support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Truecaller free?

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

### Is Number Shield free?

Number Shield costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Truecaller or Number Shield?

Number Shield is rated higher. Truecaller averages 4.4 out of 5 from 253K ratings, while Number Shield averages 4.5 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do Truecaller or Number Shield have ads?

Truecaller shows ads; Number Shield does not.

### Which is updated more often, Truecaller or Number Shield?

Truecaller ships an update weekly, and Number Shield every 2 months. Most recently, Truecaller was updated on November 1, 2026 and Number Shield on October 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Truecaller or Number Shield?

Truecaller currently peaks at #42 in the App Store charts, and Number Shield at #54. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*