Spam Text Blocker vs Hold Up
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Spam Text Blocker
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Stop Spam. Stay Protected. Spam Text Blocker helps you filter spam, scam, phishing, smishing, robotexts, and unwanted SMS messages before they clutter your inbox. Features ⢠Block spam and junk messages ⢠Detect phishing and scam texts ⢠Filter robotexts automatically ⢠Silence promotional SMS ⢠Filter unknown senders ⢠Create custom filtering rules ⢠Designed to help keep important bank verification messages and one-time passcodes (OTP) out of Junk, except in Under Attack Mode, which sends every text from unknown senders to Junk ⢠Fast and lightweight: texts are checked on your iPhone How Filtering Works iOS only passes texts from senders who aren't in your contacts to the filter. Each text is checked on your iPhone against the rules you create and, with Premium, against a spam model for the language you pick: words, phrases, sender names and link patterns that are common in spam, scam and phishing texts. Depending on your rules and the filter sensitivity you choose, a text goes to Junk, Promotions or Transactions, or stays in your inbox. Free and Premium ⢠Free: your own rules (always allow a sender or word, or send it to Junk, Promotions or Transactions) and the Test a Message screen. ⢠Premium (auto-renewable subscription or one-time purchase): the spam model, filter sensitivity levels and Under Attack Mode. Works seamlessly with Apple's SMS Filter extension to help keep your Messages app clean and organized. Download Spam Text Blocker and enjoy a safer, cleaner messaging experience. Privacy Policy: https://brawny-elk-a07.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-for-SMS-Filter-Junk-Spam-Blocker-397fce579189806f96f5e4ee81816b59 Terms of Use (EULA): https://brawny-elk-a07.notion.site/Terms-of-Use-for-SMS-Filter-Junk-Spam-Blocker-397fce579189803ba6a0fe72a4953bc2
Hold Up
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Got a text saying your Apple ID is locked? A delivery fee to pay? A grandchild who needs gift cards? Take a screenshot and share it to Hold Up. It reads the message right on your iPhone and gives you a plain answer: ⢠Likely scam ⢠Unclear ⢠Looks ok Then it names three things it noticed in that specific message, and tells you what to do ā usually: do not tap that link. NOTHING IS UPLOADED There is no account to make. Turn on Airplane Mode and it still works, because the whole check happens on your phone. Your history stays on the device. BUILT TO BE READ OUT LOUD Large type, high contrast, and one thing to tap. Made for the moment you are on the phone with a parent trying to talk them out of sending money. TWO TAPS FROM MESSAGES Screenshot the message, tap Share, tap Hold Up. That is the whole thing. Hold Up is a second opinion, not a guarantee. If money or passwords are involved, hang up and use a number you already know. Five free checks. Then $19.99 a year, or $2.99 a month. SUBSCRIPTION Hold Up Unlimited gives you unlimited checks. ⢠Yearly ā $19.99, billed once a year ⢠Monthly ā $2.99, billed once a month Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it any time in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://sentinelai.in/terms Privacy Policy: https://sentinelai.in/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Spam Text Blocker at 16.6 against Hold Up's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Spam Text Blocker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Hold Up sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Spam Text Blocker | Hold Up |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 ā better | 18.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Muhammed Emin Aydin | Sarvesh Anand Kandala |
In-app purchases
Spam Text Blocker
- Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Premium (Yearly)7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Premium (Lifetime)$29.99
Hold Up
- Hold Up Unlimited Monthly$2.991 Month
- Hold Up Unlimited Yearly$19.991 Year
Questions
Is Spam Text Blocker free?
Is Hold Up free?
Do Spam Text Blocker or Hold Up have ads?
Which is updated more often, Spam Text Blocker or Hold Up?
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