# Group SMS vs Contacts Groups

The clearest difference is rating: Contacts Groups at 4.1 against Group SMS's 3.5. Contacts Groups also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (111 vs 4). Group SMS's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 9 months). On price and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Group SMS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Contacts Groups asks for nothing beyond the download.

Contacts Groups holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Contacts Groups has 111 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Group SMS's written reviews are positive against 33% of Contacts Groups's.

Group SMS ships an update fortnightly, Contacts Groups every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Group SMS | Contacts Groups |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/group-sms-mass-text-sender/id872664523/reviews) | **[4.1 (111 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contacts-groups-email-and-text/id954983555/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **111** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Carlo Di Giuseppe](https://appshunter.io/developer/404162454) | [LiveBird Technologies Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/551521372) |

## What reviewers say

### Group SMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/group-sms-mass-text-sender/id872664523)

Easily send personalized SMS messages to multiple contacts at once. Create custom lists, use templates with variables, and schedule messages for future delivery. Syncs across devices via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Personalized group SMS, Custom contact lists, Message templates with variables, Scheduled SMS sending, Send history log, iCloud sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Group SMS Pro – Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Group SMS Pro – Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Group SMS Pro – Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


### Contacts Groups

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contacts-groups-email-and-text/id954983555)

Easily send mass text messages and emails to your organized contact groups. Save time and stay connected with friends, family, or customers by sending messages, vCards, or even attachments to multiple people at once. Features include push notifications, one-tap calling, and birthday reminders.

**Highlights:** Mass SMS and email sending, vCard sharing, Push notifications, One-tap calling, Birthday reminders, Message templates, iCloud sync

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Group SMS free?

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

### Is Contacts Groups free?

Contacts Groups is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Group SMS or Contacts Groups?

Contacts Groups is rated higher. Group SMS averages 3.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Contacts Groups averages 4.1 from 111 ratings.

### Do Group SMS or Contacts Groups have ads?

Contacts Groups shows ads; Group SMS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Group SMS or Contacts Groups?

Group SMS ships an update fortnightly, and Contacts Groups every 9 months. Most recently, Group SMS was updated on November 6, 2026 and Contacts Groups on November 1, 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.*