# 阿里小号 vs TIM

The clearest difference is rating: 阿里小号 at 3.0 against TIM's 1.9. 阿里小号 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). TIM's advantage is ratings volume (731 vs 134). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

阿里小号 holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TIM has 731 ratings behind it against 134, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of 阿里小号's written reviews are positive against 19% of TIM's.

阿里小号 ships an update every 6 weeks, TIM every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 阿里小号 | TIM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.0 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id922830198/reviews)** | [1.9 (731 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tim-qq/id1175213887/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 134 | **731** |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 18.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 46 MB | 347 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alibaba Telecom  (Beijing) Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/964437704) | [Tencent Technology (Shanghai) Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/473924491) |

## What reviewers say

### 阿里小号

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id922830198)

Easily obtain a secondary, real phone number without a physical SIM card. This app allows you to manage multiple numbers for different scenarios, ensuring privacy and preventing harassment. It supports all major carriers and functions like a regular phone line for calls and texts.

**Highlights:** Get a new phone number without a SIM, Manage multiple real numbers, Switch between numbers easily, Make/receive calls and texts, Set do-not-disturb times, Use for various scenarios (dating, renting, etc.)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### TIM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tim-qq/id1175213887)

This instant messaging app focuses on efficient communication and collaboration for work, study, and life. It offers QQ friend and message synchronization, file saving, a favorites feature, and real-time voice and video calls. It also includes task management, scheduling, and collaborative document editing.

**Highlights:** QQ friend and message sync, File saving to cloud storage, Favorites for text, images, links, Real-time voice and video calls, To-do list management, Schedule creation and viewing, Collaborative document editing

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient and focused on chatting
- 👍 Simple and clean UI design
- 🤖 Useful for office work

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤯 Confusing UI changes
- 🗑️ Removal of useful features like email

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to open shared links
- Inconsistent message synchronization
- Unreliable notification system
- Frequent login issues

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- iPad version
- Improved file sharing and management
- Restore removed features like email


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 阿里小号 free?

阿里小号 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is TIM free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 阿里小号 or TIM?

阿里小号 is rated higher. 阿里小号 averages 3.0 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while TIM averages 1.9 from 731 ratings.

### Do 阿里小号 or TIM have ads?

TIM shows ads; 阿里小号 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 阿里小号 or TIM?

阿里小号 ships an update every 6 weeks, and TIM every 3 months. Most recently, 阿里小号 was updated on October 13, 2026 and TIM on October 16, 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.*