# magicApp Calling & Messaging vs CaptionCall

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CaptionCall at none against magicApp Calling & Messaging's 12. CaptionCall also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 49%). magicApp Calling & Messaging's advantage is ratings volume (26K vs 3.6K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. magicApp Calling & Messaging sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. CaptionCall asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for magicApp Calling & Messaging against 4.8 for CaptionCall. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: magicApp Calling & Messaging has 26K ratings behind it against 3.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of magicApp Calling & Messaging's written reviews are positive against 74% of CaptionCall's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | magicApp Calling & Messaging | CaptionCall |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicapp-calling-and-messaging/id463926997/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captioncall/id1529823668/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 3.6K |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews | **74.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 67 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MAGICJACK VOIP SERVICES LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534194883) | [MachineGenius](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529823670) |

## What reviewers say

### magicApp Calling & Messaging

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicapp-calling-and-messaging/id463926997)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Incoming-only calls + texting | $3.49 | per month |
| Outgoing-only calls + texting | $3.49 | per month |
| Incoming and Outgoing calls | $3.99 | per month |
| magicJack Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| magicJack Canadian | $5.99 | per month |
| $4.99 magicJack International minutes credit | $4.99 | one-time |
| SMS for Canadian Numbers | $4.99 | one-time |
| Texting and SMS upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| $9.99 magicJack International minutes credit | $9.99 | one-time |
| $20.00 magicJack International minutes credit | $19.99 | one-time |
| $19.99 magicJack International minutes credit | $19.99 | one-time |
| $40.00 magicJack International minutes credit | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Excellent call quality
- 💰 Affordable pricing
- 🌍 Works internationally
- 🔍 Useful for maintaining a US number
- 🤖 Reliable service for over 15 years

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 🤖 Unreliable connectivity issues
- 🤖 Poor customer support
- 🤖 Deactivation of accounts without notice
- 🤖 Inability to transfer or port out numbers

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### CaptionCall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captioncall/id1529823668)

This app provides real-time, live captions for phone calls, enabling deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to communicate effectively. It offers a free, secure, and private way to make and receive calls with automatic transcription, accessible anywhere with internet service.

**Highlights:** Live call captioning, Real-time transcription, Customizable display, Secure and private, Use WiFi or mobile data, Voicemail alerts

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great captioning quality
- 🚀 Fast and accurate transcription
- 🔓 Ability to use own phone number
- 💡 Saves call transcripts for reference
- 👍 Helpful for hearing-impaired users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional dropped calls
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with personal data
- 🐛 Caller ID issues
- 🐛 Difficulty with voicemail

**Reported bugs**

- Login/connection issues
- Captions not showing up during calls
- Keypad blocking captions

**Requested features**

- Automatic language detection and switching
- Text-to-speech functionality for mute users
- Customizable tone/volume settings
- Improved integration with phone dialer


## Frequently asked questions

### Is magicApp Calling & Messaging free?

magicApp Calling & Messaging is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CaptionCall free?

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

### Which has better reviews, magicApp Calling & Messaging or CaptionCall?

CaptionCall is rated higher. magicApp Calling & Messaging averages 4.7 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while CaptionCall averages 4.8 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do magicApp Calling & Messaging or CaptionCall have ads?

Neither magicApp Calling & Messaging nor CaptionCall shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, magicApp Calling & Messaging or CaptionCall?

magicApp Calling & Messaging ships an update fortnightly, and CaptionCall fortnightly. Most recently, magicApp Calling & Messaging was updated on October 1, 2026 and CaptionCall on September 30, 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.*