# Receive SMS vs SMS Activate

The clearest difference is device support: SMS Activate at 3 against Receive SMS's 1. SMS Activate also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Receive SMS sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days and SMS Activate sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Receive SMS ships an update every 5 weeks, SMS Activate every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Receive SMS | SMS Activate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/receive-sms-virtual-number/id6755929647/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [NACIYE MEDENI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1800963110) | [Holylabs Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692036677) |

## What reviewers say

### Receive SMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/receive-sms-virtual-number/id6755929647)

This app provides temporary virtual phone numbers to receive SMS verification codes online. It helps protect your personal number during signups, logins, or activations, offering a private and efficient way to get codes without exposing your main line.

**Highlights:** Receive SMS online, Protect personal phone number, Fast virtual number access, Organized SMS inbox, Purpose-built for verification, Refund for unused attempts

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Verification Credit/Week | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 SMS Verification Credit | $9.99 | one-time |
| 3 SMS Verification Credits | $24.99 | one-time |
| 5 SMS Verification Credits | $34.99 | one-time |


### SMS Activate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-activate/id6768591062)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 SMS Activation | $4.99 | one-time |
| 5 SMS Activations | $14.99 | one-time |
| 10 SMS Activations | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Receive SMS free?

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

### Is SMS Activate free?

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

### Do Receive SMS or SMS Activate have ads?

Neither Receive SMS nor SMS Activate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Receive SMS or SMS Activate?

Receive SMS ships an update every 5 weeks, and SMS Activate every 4 weeks. Most recently, Receive SMS was updated on October 30, 2026 and SMS Activate on October 28, 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.*