HomeWAV vs VisiTel
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.
VisiTel
Connect with incarcerated loved ones through convenient video calls from home. Schedule and receive virtual visits after obtaining approval from the detention center. Not all facilities offer this service, so check local policies.
- Place video calls to detainees
- Receive video calls from home
- Requires detention center approval
- Account creation via website
- Customer support available
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The VisiTel mobile app allows you to place video calls to detainees in jail. You can place and receive video calls from the comfort of your own home. Approvals for your video visitation is required by the detention center. Not all detention centers support video visitation. Please contact your detention center for policies and procedures for video visitation. Please create an account by visiting https://secure.visitel.us. For help call setting up your account please call our help center at (972) 239-2182.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HomeWAV at 3.8 against VisiTel's 2.9. HomeWAV also leads on ratings volume (11K vs 30) and chart position (#152 vs unranked). VisiTel's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (33% vs 8%). On price, update cadence, 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 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HomeWAV has 11K ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 8% of HomeWAV's written reviews are positive against 33% of VisiTel's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
HomeWAV ships an update every 5 weeks, VisiTel every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | HomeWAV | VisiTel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (11K ratings) — better | 2.9 (30 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 8.4% of reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 11K — better | 30 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #152 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 94 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HomeWAV | Manit Chanthavong |
Customer experience
HomeWAV
VisiTel
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
VisiTel
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
HomeWAV
No in-app purchases
VisiTel
No in-app purchases
