# magicApp Calling & Messaging vs Private Texting SMS Phone Text

The clearest difference is monetization model: magicApp Calling & Messaging at free with in-app purchases against Private Texting SMS Phone Text's subscription. magicApp Calling & Messaging also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). Private Texting SMS Phone Text's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 49%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. magicApp Calling & Messaging sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Private Texting SMS Phone Text sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

magicApp Calling & Messaging holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26K and 16K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of magicApp Calling & Messaging's written reviews are positive against 71% of Private Texting SMS Phone Text's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

magicApp Calling & Messaging ships an update fortnightly, Private Texting SMS Phone Text monthly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | magicApp Calling & Messaging | Private Texting SMS Phone Text |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicapp-calling-and-messaging/id463926997/reviews)** | [4.4 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-texting-sms-phone-text/id883312358/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 16K |
| Positive reviews | 49.1% of reviews | **71.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 67 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.7 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MAGICJACK VOIP SERVICES LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534194883) | [BinaryPattern](https://appshunter.io/developer/874400678) |

## 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


### Private Texting SMS Phone Text

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-texting-sms-phone-text/id883312358)

Communicate with a new, temporary, or permanent phone number without revealing your personal number. Protect your privacy while texting, sending pictures, and managing contacts separately. Ideal for online transactions and dating.

**Highlights:** New phone number for texting, MMS picture messaging support, Separate conversations and contacts, Block unwanted numbers, Permanent or temporary numbers, Unlimited private messaging

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Texting Line - Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Plan (With Trial) | $7.99 | per month |
| Best Value Plan | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Texting Line - Month | $12.99 | per month |
| Texting Line - 3 Month Plan | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| 10 Credits | $2.99 | one-time |
| 35 Credits | $5.99 | one-time |
| 100 Credits | $6.99 | one-time |
| 100 Credits | $8.99 | one-time |
| 200 Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| 200 Credits | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1,500 Credits | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔒 Keeps personal information private
- 🚀 Works as expected
- 💡 Useful for anonymous communication

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for frequent use
- 🔒 Limited number of free credits
- 🐛 Unreliable, messages fail to send
- 💰 Deceptive subscription practices

**Reported bugs**

- Unknown errors prevent sending messages
- Inconsistent performance, app stops working
- Inability to transfer credits between devices

**Requested features**

- Allow more characters per message
- Provide more free credits
- Add ability to choose phone number
- Improve customer support responsiveness


## Frequently asked questions

### Is magicApp Calling & Messaging free?

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

### Is Private Texting SMS Phone Text free?

Private Texting SMS Phone Text is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, magicApp Calling & Messaging or Private Texting SMS Phone Text?

magicApp Calling & Messaging is rated higher. magicApp Calling & Messaging averages 4.7 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while Private Texting SMS Phone Text averages 4.4 from 16K ratings.

### Do magicApp Calling & Messaging or Private Texting SMS Phone Text have ads?

Neither magicApp Calling & Messaging nor Private Texting SMS Phone Text shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, magicApp Calling & Messaging or Private Texting SMS Phone Text?

magicApp Calling & Messaging ships an update fortnightly, and Private Texting SMS Phone Text monthly. Most recently, magicApp Calling & Messaging was updated on October 30, 2026 and Private Texting SMS Phone Text on October 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.*