Comparison

TrashAlert vs ProtectShield

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

Head to head
About

TrashAlert

Never miss trash day again. This app automatically finds your local pickup schedule by address and sends timely reminders. It supports multiple cities and handles holiday adjustments, ensuring your bins are always out on time.

Highlights
  • Address-based schedule lookup
  • Push notification reminders
  • Holiday schedule adjustments
  • Recycling and organics tracking
  • Multi-city support
  • Free public API
Features
Read full description

When is trash day? It's the simplest question — and somehow the hardest to answer. You just moved. Or maybe you've lived here for years but still can't remember if recycling is this week or next. You've Googled it, called the city, taped a note to the fridge. And you still rolled the bin out on the wrong day. TrashAlert fixes this in 10 seconds. Enter your address. Get your exact pickup schedule — trash, recycling, organics, bulk, all of it. Set a reminder and never think about it again. HOW IT WORKS 1. Enter your street address 2. We look it up against real city data (not AI guesses) 3. See your full weekly schedule instantly 4. Set push notifications — evening before + morning of 5. Done. Bins out on time, every time. REAL DATA FROM REAL CITIES TrashAlert pulls directly from official city waste management systems. We cover 21 US cities, verified one city at a time, with 6.2M+ addresses, including: • New York City — 1.1M+ addresses (all 5 boroughs, DSNY data) • Los Angeles — 750K+ addresses (LASAN) • Houston — 800K+ addresses (Solid Waste Management) • Phoenix — 450K+ addresses (Public Works) • Philadelphia — 400K+ addresses (Streets Department) • San Diego — 350K+ addresses (Environmental Services) • Austin — 275K+ addresses (Resource Recovery) • Boston — 150K+ addresses (Public Works) Plus Long Beach, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Kansas City, Nashville, Portland, Salt Lake City, Tempe, McKinney, Cary, Arlington, Arlington County and DeKalb County. SMART REMINDERS • Evening-before reminder so you can roll the bins out tonight • Morning-of "last chance" alert before the truck comes • Holiday auto-adjustments — we know when pickup shifts • Recycling week tracking — no more guessing odd vs. even weeks FEATURES - Instant address lookup across 21 cities - Push notification reminders (evening + morning) - Holiday schedule adjustments - Recycling & organics tracking - Multi-city support — save multiple addresses - Community reporting for uncovered areas - Free public API for developers - No account required for basic lookup FREE FOREVER TrashAlert is free — 1 address with email and push reminders, holiday adjustments, and recycling tracking. No ads, no tricks. A Pro tier ($3/mo) is coming soon with unlimited addresses, SMS reminders, household sharing, and custom alert times. Join the waitlist inside the app. BUILT DIFFERENT Most "trash day" apps make you manually set your schedule. TrashAlert already knows it — because we pull from the same databases your city uses. Real data. Real schedules. Real reminders. FOR DEVELOPERS TrashAlert offers a free public API. No API key required. 60 requests/minute. Build trash-day features into your own apps, smart home systems, or property management tools. Full docs at trashalert.io/api. Stop Googling "when is trash day." Start getting reminded.

About

ProtectShield

This app provides a secure and straightforward VPN experience. It encrypts your internet connection, protecting your data on public Wi-Fi and allowing access to various server locations. Designed for simplicity, it focuses on a clear interface and reliable connection.

Highlights
  • Secure VPN connection
  • Public Wi-Fi protection
  • Access to server locations
  • Manual or auto server selection
  • Subscription restore
  • Simple user interface
Read full description

ProtectShield: VPN helps you secure your internet connection with encrypted VPN access and a simple, focused experience. Use ProtectShield to: - establish a secure VPN connection - protect your connection on public Wi-Fi - access available server locations - choose a server manually or use Auto-Choose - restore your subscription on a new device ProtectShield is designed for people who want a straightforward VPN experience without unnecessary complexity. The app focuses on secure connection access, clear subscription terms, and an easy-to-use interface across supported iPhone devices and iPad compatibility mode. Privacy and data handling: ProtectShield is designed as a privacy-focused VPN service. The app uses limited data necessary to create and manage the VPN connection, verify subscription access, restore purchases, and keep the service working securely. ProtectShield does not use advertising identifiers or cross-app tracking. Subscription information: ProtectShield requires an auto-renewable subscription to access the VPN service. Available subscription options, trial eligibility, billing terms, renewal details, and pricing are shown in the purchase flow before you subscribe. Existing subscribers can restore purchases directly in the app. Features: - Secure VPN connection - Access to available server locations - Public Wi-Fi protection - Simple connection flow - Subscription restore support - Clear privacy and legal access inside the app Important: Trial availability, if offered, is shown in the in-app purchase flow for eligible users. Subscription access renews automatically unless canceled through your Apple account settings. Privacy Policy: https://protectshield.pro/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://protectshield.pro/terms.html

Screenshots

TrashAlert4 screens
ProtectShield4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TrashAlert at 5.0 against ProtectShield's 4.3. TrashAlert also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and device support (3 vs 1). ProtectShield's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 days) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price 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. ProtectShield sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. TrashAlert asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TrashAlert holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ProtectShield has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TrashAlert ships an update every 8 days, ProtectShield every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 2 level
TrashAlert versus ProtectShield: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrashAlertProtectShield
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.3 (6 ratings)
Number of ratings16 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB55 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperTombStone Dash LLCKatana Ltd

Customer experience

TrashAlert

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ProtectShield

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

None

TrashAlert

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

ProtectShield

Subscriptions5
  • Weekly Plan7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Plan3 Days trial$12.997 Days
  • Weekly Plan$12.997 Days
Show 2 more
  • Annual Plan$19.991 Year
  • Annual Plan$29.991 Year

Questions

Is TrashAlert free?
TrashAlert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ProtectShield free?
ProtectShield is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TrashAlert or ProtectShield?
TrashAlert is rated higher. TrashAlert averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ProtectShield averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.
Do TrashAlert or ProtectShield have ads?
Neither TrashAlert nor ProtectShield shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TrashAlert or ProtectShield?
TrashAlert ships an update every 8 days, and ProtectShield every 4 days. Most recently, TrashAlert was updated on October 24, 2026 and ProtectShield on October 22, 2026.

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