HomeWAV vs Pay Tel
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HomeWAV
Connect with incarcerated loved ones through phone calls, video calls, and messaging. Manage funds, schedule visits, and receive notifications when they are available. This app facilitates communication and connection with inmates.
- Create free account
- Add and manage inmate contacts
- Manage funds and payment information
- Initiate phone and video calls
- Send messages to inmates
- Schedule onsite and remote visits
- Receive inmate login notifications
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HomeWAV Mobile App Features: - New to HomeWAV? Create a free account. - Returning visitor? Login with your username and password. - Fully registered and approved visitors will be able to choose the facility and add inmate. - See available funds, add funds or transfer funds. - Add, update or change credit/debit information. - Only pay for the minutes you use. No plans or packages. - Once logged in, the inmate will see you are available and can initiated a phone call, video call or message (*If allowed by facility). - Visitor will receive notification once inmate is logged in. - Easily schedule onsite visits (*If allowed by facility). - No scheduling required for remote video visitations. For best results, a WIFI connection and use of headset are suggested. Note: Not available at all facilities. Phone and video costs will vary.
Pay Tel
Stay connected with loved ones. Receive instant alerts for messages and notifications. Easily view your balance and add funds, or send photos to inmates in eligible correctional facilities.
- Instant message alerts
- Unread message count
- Current balance visibility
- Add funds link
- Send photos to inmates
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The Pay Tel app provides you with easy access to important functionality: Instant alerts for any notifications from Pay Tel™ or your inteleMESSAGE™ contacts. Current unread messages count indicator. Just press to open inteleMESSAGE™. Visibility to your current balance, and a link to the main PayTel.com site for Adding Funds. Send photos to inmates in eligible facilities.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HomeWAV at 3.8 against Pay Tel's 1.6. HomeWAV also leads on ratings volume (11K vs 126) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). Pay Tel's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HomeWAV holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HomeWAV has 11K ratings behind it against 126, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of HomeWAV's written reviews are positive against 4% of Pay Tel's.
HomeWAV ships an update every 5 weeks, Pay Tel every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HomeWAV | Pay Tel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (11K ratings) — better | 1.6 (126 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 8.4% of reviews — better | 3.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11K — better | 126 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #144 — better | #206 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 94 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HomeWAV | Pay Tel Communications |
Customer experience
HomeWAV
Pay Tel
User reviews
HomeWAV
From 11K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Able to communicate with loved ones
- 👍 Appreciate having the app to use instead of in-person visits
- 🤗 Great customer service
Room to improve
- 🐛 Constant login issues and app crashes
- 💰 Expensive and overpriced for the service provided
- 🔥 Unreliable video/audio quality and frequent disconnections
- 🤯 Frustrating and disappointing experience overall
Pay Tel
From 126 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📱 Enables communication with incarcerated loved ones
- 📹 Video calling functionality available
- 💬 Messaging feature when working properly
- ✅ App works smoothly after recent updates (per some users)
- 🎯 Easy to add funds/make payments
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- ❌ Messages fail to send or display
- 🔌 Constant login errors and authentication failures
- ⏱️ Extremely slow loading times
- 🔄 App randomly logs users out mid-session
Bugs and requests
HomeWAV
Reported bugs
3 issues- App frequently logs users out unexpectedly
- Video calls often freeze or disconnect
- Inability to receive notifications of incoming calls
Requested features
3 requests- Keep users logged in to avoid constant re-logins
- Improve video/audio quality and reliability
- Provide more affordable pricing options
Pay Tel
Reported bugs
21 issues- App crashes on launch or during use
- Login authentication errors persist across sessions
- Messages fail to send despite payment being deducted
- Messages don't appear in inbox despite being sent
- App logs out randomly while actively in use
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Typing causes screen to flicker and delete message content
- Blank white screens when trying to view messages
- App won't work when Wi-Fi is enabled (Error 403)
- Incorrect notification counts
- Balance doesn't update after adding funds
- Video call invitations don't pop up or display
- Call connections drop mid-conversation
- Echo/feedback during calls
- Calls ring once then hang up immediately
- Account lockout with 'phone number doesn't belong to account' error
- PIN number errors preventing login
- App won't open on certain devices (iPhone specific issues)
- Messages appear days late
- Duplicate messages being sent and charged
- App freezes when typing long messages
- Website login doesn't sync with app login
Requested features
12 requests- Improved app stability and performance optimization
- Better customer service responsiveness (live chat, phone support)
- Reduced pricing for calls and messages
- Same-day video visit scheduling
- Better message persistence (don't delete on app exit)
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Improved call quality and connection stability
- Wi-Fi compatibility fix
- Better user interface design and navigation
- Automatic message saving/drafts
- Transaction history visibility
- Refund policy for failed transactions
- Faster fund processing and balance updates
In-app purchases
HomeWAV
No in-app purchases
Pay Tel
No in-app purchases
