# MessageCat vs BetterCallGuard

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BetterCallGuard at 100% against MessageCat's 33%. BetterCallGuard also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). MessageCat's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

MessageCat is free to download; BetterCallGuard costs $0.99 up front. MessageCat sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. BetterCallGuard asks for nothing beyond the download.

BetterCallGuard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MessageCat has 30 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of MessageCat's written reviews are positive against 100% of BetterCallGuard's.

MessageCat ships an update every 9 days, BetterCallGuard every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MessageCat | BetterCallGuard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messagecat/id6503609135/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bettercallguard/id6737252351/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **30** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 43 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [瑞青 邓](https://appshunter.io/developer/1749426631) | [Qingdao Chuyan Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450752232) |

## What reviewers say

### MessageCat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messagecat/id6503609135)

This app uses advanced AI to automatically identify and block spam text messages. It classifies incoming SMS into categories like normal, promotional, and transactional, offering real-time protection both online and offline. Users can customize filtering rules and block all messages with a single tap.

**Highlights:** AI intelligent interception, Automatic SMS classification, Real-time online protection, Offline intelligent filtering, Customizable filtering settings, Block all SMS, Privacy focused local filtering

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Member | $0.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Membership | $0.99 | per 3 months |
| Weekly Member | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual Member | $2.99 | per year |
| Semi-annual membership | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| Lifetime Member | $9.99 | one-time |


### BetterCallGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bettercallguard/id6737252351)

Block unwanted promotional and spam calls efficiently. This app uses smart algorithms to block calls in bulk by number segments without tracking your private data, ensuring your privacy and peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Block promotional/spam calls, Bulk blocking by number segments, Whitelist specific numbers, iCloud synchronization, User data and privacy security

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MessageCat free?

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

### Is BetterCallGuard free?

BetterCallGuard costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MessageCat or BetterCallGuard?

BetterCallGuard is rated higher. MessageCat averages 4.3 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while BetterCallGuard averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do MessageCat or BetterCallGuard have ads?

Neither MessageCat nor BetterCallGuard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MessageCat or BetterCallGuard?

MessageCat ships an update every 9 days, and BetterCallGuard every 6 weeks. Most recently, MessageCat was updated on September 17, 2026 and BetterCallGuard on August 1, 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.*