# Virtual Number | Receive SMS vs SMS Activate

The clearest difference is device support: SMS Activate at 3 against Virtual Number | Receive SMS's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Virtual Number | Receive SMS sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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.

Virtual Number | Receive SMS ships an update monthly, SMS Activate every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Virtual Number | Receive SMS | SMS Activate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-number-receive-sms/id6759781531/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **25** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 41 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FREE VIRTUAL NUMBER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1733230798) | [Holylabs Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692036677) |

## What reviewers say

### Virtual Number | Receive SMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-number-receive-sms/id6759781531)

Get a temporary virtual phone number to receive SMS verification codes instantly for account activation, especially for Telegram. Protect your privacy by using a second number and keeping your real one private. Access numbers from over 100 countries with 24/7 support.

**Highlights:** Instant SMS verification code delivery, Virtual phone numbers from 100+ countries, Secure and private account verification, Telegram account activation support, 24/7 customer support, Second phone number for privacy

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Virtual Number for Telegram | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Virtual Number for Telegram | $12.99 | per month |
| Private Number | $6.99 | one-time |
| 10 Credit | $8.99 | one-time |
| Private Number | $8.99 | one-time |
| Virtual Number for Telegram | $9.99 | one-time |
| 30 Credit | $14.99 | one-time |
| Private Number | $14.99 | one-time |
| 75 Credit | $29.99 | one-time |
| 125 Credit | $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 Virtual Number | Receive SMS free?

Virtual Number | 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 Virtual Number | Receive SMS or SMS Activate have ads?

Neither Virtual Number | Receive SMS nor SMS Activate shows ads.

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

Virtual Number | Receive SMS ships an update monthly, and SMS Activate every 4 weeks. Most recently, Virtual Number | Receive SMS was updated on October 31, 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.*