# SMSCat vs iScan

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iScan at none against SMSCat's 3. iScan also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMSCat sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. iScan asks for nothing beyond the download.

SMSCat ships an update every 8 days, iScan every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMSCat | iScan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smscat/id6503609135/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **34** | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 44 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [瑞青 邓](https://appshunter.io/developer/1749426631) | [佳璐 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/6797698488) |

## What reviewers say

### SMSCat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smscat/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 (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Member | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual Member | $2.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Member | $9.99 | one-time |


### iScan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iscan-scan-the-qr-code/id6797840733)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMSCat free?

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

### Is iScan free?

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

### Do SMSCat or iScan have ads?

Neither SMSCat nor iScan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMSCat or iScan?

SMSCat ships an update every 8 days, and iScan every 2 weeks. Most recently, SMSCat was updated on November 4, 2026 and iScan on October 31, 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.*