# Text Me vs Talking Stick

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Talking Stick at none against Text Me's 10. Talking Stick also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (58% vs 28%). Text Me's advantage is ratings volume (674K vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Text Me sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Talking Stick asks for nothing beyond the download.

Talking Stick holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text Me has 674K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of Text Me's written reviews are positive against 58% of Talking Stick's.

Text Me ships an update fortnightly, Talking Stick every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Text Me | Talking Stick |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (674K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-me-phone-call-plus-texting/id514485964/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talking-stick-indigenous/id1611790835/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **674K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 28.3% of reviews | **58.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#10** | — |
| Size | 234 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [TextMe, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/307996876) | [TryCycle Data Systems Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1363149350) |

## What reviewers say

### Text Me

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-me-phone-call-plus-texting/id514485964)

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #24 Top Free · Social Networking, #198 Top Grossing (US App Store)

This app provides free calling and texting to US and Canada numbers, along with a secondary phone number for privacy. It allows international communication at low costs and offers features like voicemail and picture messaging.

**Highlights:** Free calls and texts to US/Canada, Second phone number for privacy, Low-cost international calls, Voicemail service, Picture, voice, and video messages, Customizable phone numbers

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Get this phone number | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Get this phone number | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Features | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Features | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| 100 TextMe Credits | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for texting and calling
- 👍 Useful for a second number
- 🌐 Works well on WiFi
- 💡 Allows multiple numbers
- 🔒 Provides privacy and security

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Requires ID verification
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🐛 Unreliable service
- ❌ Numbers frequently expire

**Reported bugs**

- Texts and calls not working
- Account suspension without explanation
- Lost contacts and message history
- Inability to retrieve expired numbers

**Requested features**

- Improve customer support
- Add more free features
- Allow porting of existing numbers
- Provide better call quality


### Talking Stick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talking-stick-indigenous/id1611790835)

Connect anonymously with Indigenous peers for support and understanding. Access service providers and receive emergency alerts. A safe, confidential space for open conversation.

**Highlights:** Anonymous peer chats, Connect with service providers, Emergency alerts, Culturally relevant support, 24/7 availability, No account required

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Text Me free?

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

### Is Talking Stick free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Text Me or Talking Stick?

Talking Stick is rated higher. Text Me averages 4.7 out of 5 from 674K ratings, while Talking Stick averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Text Me or Talking Stick have ads?

Text Me shows ads; Talking Stick does not.

### Which is updated more often, Text Me or Talking Stick?

Text Me ships an update fortnightly, and Talking Stick every 2 months. Most recently, Text Me was updated on November 11, 2026 and Talking Stick on November 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.*