Comparison

Tiny Intercom vs Intercom

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Tiny Intercom

Transform an old iPhone or iPad into a functional audio intercom for your home. Use your primary device to communicate with individuals in another room without needing to shout or walk around. It operates entirely on your local network for secure, private conversations.

Highlights
  • Audio intercom functionality
  • Local network operation
  • Encrypted communication
  • Multiple terminal/controller support
  • Announcement-only mode
  • Apple Watch companion app
Features
Read full description

Repurpose an old, unused iPhone/iPad into an audio intercom. Install the app on both your regular device and the unused one, put the unused device in a remote room in your house and you will be able to talk to whoever is in that room from your phone. No more yelling or walking over! The app can run in two modes: terminal and controller. The terminal is what you put in the remote room. In this mode, the app runs continuously (turning the screen off is OK), transmitting audio in both directions. The controller mode is for your everyday phone, tablet or Mac. In this mode, you can connect to terminals to listen and talk through them. The app works entirely on your local network, with no accounts, servers or cloud services involved. Connecting to a terminal requires pairing using an access code that is visible only on the terminal. All communications between controllers and terminals are encrypted. You can have as many terminals and controllers as you wish. Multiple controllers can connect to the same terminal at the same time (and speak together), and a controller can connect to multiple terminals (but not at the same time). If desired for privacy or other reasons, it is possible to set a terminal to an "announcement only" mode where you can speak via the terminal but not listen to it. Toggle "Mute microphone in terminal" in the iOS app settings to activate this mode. TIP: You can use Apple Configurator to lock your terminal device into a “single app mode” (aka kiosk mode) to make it run just the intercom terminal app and not allow switching out of it. Features and requirements: • Audio only. This app does not support video. • All devices must be on the same local Wi-Fi network to communicate. • In order to connect to a terminal, a controller must first be paired with it. The pairing code is displayed on the terminal (press the "key" button) and can be scanned as a QR code or entered manually in the controller app.  • The app can also run in either controller or terminal mode on Apple Silicon Macs. • A companion Apple Watch app lets you connect to terminals from your wrist. See below for watch app functionality and limitations. • There are no in-app purchases or ads of any kind. • Versions of this app are available for other platforms in case you have a mix of iOS and other devices. See the developer site for details. Apple Watch support: The companion watch app can be used as a controller to connect to terminals, but not as a terminal. Please note: • The paired phone must be on, nearby and connected to the local network where your terminals are. • New terminals must be paired from the phone first. The watch app itself is unable to pair. • Updates to terminal names or availability may take a moment to appear on the watch. They are not as instantaneous as on the phone. • The UI when connected to a terminal is the standard Apple Watch "in-call" UI rather than a custom one as on the phone. Just like on the phone, you can either listen or talk, but not at the same time. Tap the "mute" button to switch between listening and talking. • The watch app is not available in countries/territories that prohibit use of the Apple CallKit framework. If you start the watch app in such a country/territory, you will receive a "This app is not available in your country or region" error message.

About

Intercom

This app transforms your Wi-Fi network into a house intercom system. Easily discover nearby devices, invite users, and communicate via push-to-talk or hands-free modes without needing cloud servers or accounts.

Highlights
  • Local Wi-Fi intercom
  • Push-to-talk and hands-free modes
  • Device discovery
  • Invite system
  • No cloud servers or accounts
  • Optional premium features
Features
Read full description

Villacom turns your Wi‑Fi network into a house intercom. No accounts and no subscription. Your audio stays on your local network. Install the app, pick a station name, and start talking on the same network. When someone isn't on Wi‑Fi yet, send an invite by text so they can join when they're back on yours. How it works Open Villacom on any iPhone, iPad, or Mac on your Wi‑Fi. Nearby stations appear as chips. A Friend who isn’t on the network stays in the row, and a linked contact shows that person’s name. Choose Everyone for an open channel or a specific station for direct talk. Hold to talk, or switch to Hands Free. Your audio stays on your local network. Invite who you mean Tap Invite to reach everyone nearby, a live station, or someone from your recent list—even if they're offline. Link a contact to send a prefilled invite through Messages. When they tap the link on the same Wi‑Fi, you're connected. With Villacom+, text a join link from away to bring someone onto your home Wi‑Fi. Villacom+ (14-day trial, then optional one-time upgrade) Every new install includes a 14-day trial with full Villacom+ on your Apple ID. After the trial, keep premium features with a single one-time purchase (Family Sharing supported; no subscription): • Color themes — Accent colors beyond the default orange (iPhone and iPad) • AirPlay output — Send voice to a HomePod, Apple TV, or other AirPlay speaker • Remote home access — Connect from cellular through a home hub; use the Home chip • Station mode — Always-on intercom on a docked iPhone or iPad at home • Incoming translation — Translate incoming talk and typed messages on this station into your language • Captions & messages — Typed messages, live captions, and spoken incoming text • Unlimited Friends — More than three contact-linked Friends for quick invites • Extended history — 90 days of recent stations instead of 30 • Apple Watch — Connect to the chip selected on iPhone; join invites; hold to talk, mute, or end from your wrist. Talk and listen use the iPhone mic and speaker (or AirPods), not the Watch The free app includes full local intercom: discovery, invites, push-to-talk, Hands Free, Page, room monitor, Play Last, Live Activity, Siri, up to three Friends, and 30-day recent-station history. VoiceOver and Voice Control supported. When the trial ends, premium features revert unless you upgrade. Features • Nearby discovery — Everyone, a station, Home (Villacom+), or AirPlay (Villacom+) • Smart invites and join links — Reach someone nearby, or send a link when they aren't on Wi‑Fi yet • Page and room monitor — Ring a nearby station. iPhone and iPad can wake with the incoming-call banner, and Answer joins the person who paged you. Listen to one room or everyone without talking • Play Last, Live Activity, and Siri — Replay the last talk, stop and play it again, mute from the Lock Screen, or connect from Siri and the Action Button • Works across devices — iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch (Villacom+) • Private by design — Voice stays on your local network Great for • Home — Talk upstairs, page a docked station, room monitor, HomePod (Villacom+), always-on hub, or connect from away • Small teams, events, and on-location crew on the same Wi‑Fi • Quick voice without phone calls or group texts Requirements • Same Wi‑Fi for live intercom; Local Network and Microphone permissions • Contact linking is optional and stored on device only • AirPlay, remote access, station mode, incoming translation, captions, and Apple Watch require Villacom+ (included during your 14-day trial) Bottom line Dependable, low-latency voice on the network you already have. Try Villacom+ free for 14 days; upgrade once to keep Plus features on every device signed into the same Apple ID. Visit https://www.touchapptech.com/intercom

Screenshots

Tiny Intercom4 screens
Intercom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tiny Intercom at none against Intercom's 1. Tiny Intercom also leads on iOS requirement (10.3 vs 18.6). Intercom's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Intercom sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Tiny Intercom asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Tiny Intercom against 5.0 for Intercom. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tiny Intercom ships an update every 2 weeks, Intercom every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Tiny Intercom versus Intercom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTiny IntercomIntercom
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch
Requires iOS10.3 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEugene GershnikTouch App Technologies, LLC

Customer experience

Tiny Intercom

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Intercom

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tiny Intercom

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Intercom

One-time1
  • Villacom+$5.99

Questions

Is Tiny Intercom free?
Tiny Intercom is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Intercom free?
Intercom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tiny Intercom or Intercom?
Tiny Intercom and Intercom are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Tiny Intercom or Intercom have ads?
Neither Tiny Intercom nor Intercom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tiny Intercom or Intercom?
Tiny Intercom ships an update every 2 weeks, and Intercom every 6 days. Most recently, Tiny Intercom was updated on October 1, 2026 and Intercom on September 26, 2026.

Other comparisons