Comparison

Hiya vs Number Shield

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

Head to head
About

Hiya

Block unwanted spam and scam calls while identifying unknown callers. Get real-time caller ID and call reasons before you answer, and protect your voicemail from spam. Offers premium features for an enhanced calling experience.

Highlights
  • Spam and scam call blocking
  • Real-time caller ID
  • Call reason identification
  • Voicemail protection
  • Spoofed call protection
  • Reverse phone lookup
Features
Read full description

Know who's calling. Block unwanted calls. Screen the rest. CALLER ID & CALL BLOCKING See who's calling before you answer. Hiya shows caller names and call context for incoming calls and automatically blocks numbers reported as unwanted, using Hiya's phone number reputation data. LOOK UP UNKNOWN NUMBERS Search any number to see who called and whether it has been reported as spam or unwanted by other users. CALL SCREENER * Turn on Call Screener and set up call forwarding, and unknown calls are answered by Hiya on your behalf. Hiya asks the caller why they're calling, so you can decide whether to pick up. Call forwarding is set up through your carrier, and the steps are guided in the app. AI VOICE DETECTION & CALL SAFETY ALERTS * For calls handled by Call Screener, Hiya's servers can analyze the call and flag signs of an AI-generated voice or risky requests. You'll see the alert in the app. REPORT & REVIEW Report numbers you don't trust and see your recent call activity in one place. Requirements and availability: - Caller ID and call blocking require enabling Hiya in iPhone Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. - Call Screener, AI Voice Detection, and Call Safety Alerts require call forwarding to be enabled with your carrier. They are available only in the United States and Canada, in English and French, Spanish and may not be supported by all carriers or plans. - Feature availability may vary by device, operating system, carrier, and plan. - Detection is designed to help identify risk but cannot identify every unwanted or suspicious call. * = U.S. and Canada only. English, French, and Spanish only. Terms of Service: https://www.hiya.com/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://hiya.com/hiya-data-policy

About

Number Shield

Block unwanted calls and texts from scammers who use fake phone numbers. Easily block entire groups of similar numbers using wildcards. Your contacts are always safe, and blocked calls go to voicemail.

Highlights
  • Block similar numbers with wildcards
  • Block international numbers
  • Contacts automatically allowed
  • Block from missed calls screen
  • Send blocked calls to voicemail
  • Send blocked texts to Junk filter
Currently charting
Read full description

Block annoying scammers who hide behind fake phone numbers. Do you get unwanted calls or text messages from phone numbers similar to your own? With Number Shield, block an entire group of numbers at once. Just enter a wildcard for each digit you want to block. For example, if your number is 714-555-1234, scammers might use a number like 714-555-6789. Block all similar numbers by entering 714-555-####. Wildcards and numbers can be combined in any order you choose. Block international numbers, too! To make sure you don't miss calls from your family and friends, phone numbers in your contacts are always allowed. Block numbers directly from your phone's missed calls screen. Just follow these steps: 1. Tap the “ i ” button next to the missed call. 2. Tap “Share Contact”. 3. Tap “Block Similar Numbers”. (If you don't see this action, tap “Edit Actions...“ to enable it.) 4. Now you'll see the Number Shield number entry screen. Tap “Done” to block calls from similar numbers. Please note: • Each number pattern can contain up to 7 wildcards, and up to 50,000,000 phone numbers can be blocked. • Blocked calls are sent directly to voice mail. • Blocked text messages are sent to the “Junk” filter in the Messages app. • iMessage messages are not blocked. • When “Do Not Disturb” is enabled on your phone, calls that should be blocked may appear in your phone's list of missed calls. More information about caller ID spoofing in the United States is available from the FCC: https://www.fcc.gov/spoofing

Screenshots

Hiya4 screens
Number Shield4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Hiya at Free against Number Shield's $2.99. Hiya also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (238K vs 1.9K). Number Shield's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and review sentiment (50% vs 29%). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Hiya is free to download; Number Shield costs $2.99 up front. Hiya sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Number Shield asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Hiya against 4.5 for Number Shield. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hiya has 238K ratings behind it against 1.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of Hiya's written reviews are positive against 50% of Number Shield's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hiya ships an update weekly, Number Shield every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Hiya versus Number Shield: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiyaNumber Shield
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.5 (238K ratings) — better4.5 (1.9K ratings)
Positive reviews28.9% of reviews50.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings238K — better1.9K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#161#45 — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.616.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHiyaKinnaman Software LLC

Customer experience

Hiya

All ratings238,201 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.0%
Written reviews1,503 reviews
Positive28.9%
Neutral7.6%
Negative63.5%

Number Shield

All ratings1,855 ratings
Positive86.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews346 reviews
Positive50.3%
Neutral6.9%
Negative42.8%

User reviews

Hiya

From 238K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Blocks spam calls
  • 👍 Useful for identifying scam/fraud numbers
  • 🔒 Provides security against unwanted calls
  • 🤖 Reduces number of robocalls

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance, sometimes lets spam through
  • 💰 Paid subscription required for full functionality
  • 🔍 Lookup feature not always accurate
  • 🕰️ Requires manual reporting of spam numbers

Number Shield

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Blocks calls effectively
  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🔒 Protects from spam calls
  • 💡 Allows blocking entire area codes
  • ⭐ Works as expected

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes or freezes
  • 🔍 Limited number of numbers that can be blocked
  • 🤔 Doesn't always block all spam calls
  • 🤷‍♀️ Doesn't block text messages
  • ⚠️ Lacks customer support

Bugs and requests

Hiya

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Settings reset unexpectedly
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • Inability to block certain numbers

Requested features

4 requests
  • Automatic spam blocking without user intervention
  • Ability to block entire area codes
  • Integration with phone's native call blocking
  • Spam protection for text messages

Number Shield

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes when adding new numbers
  • Blocked numbers still receive calls
  • Database errors cause app to malfunction
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to block text messages
  • Increase number of numbers that can be blocked
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes
  • Add option to block entire country codes
  • Provide better customer support

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Hiya

Subscriptions9
  • Lookup Plan - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Hiya Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Hiya Premium - Monthly2 variants$3.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Hiya Premium - Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Hiya Premium - Quarterly7 Days trial$9.993 Months
  • Hiya Premium - Quarterly$9.993 Months
  • Hiya Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Hiya Premium - Yearly2 variants$24.991 Year
  • Hiya Premium - Yearly3 Days trial$24.991 Year
None

Number Shield

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hiya free?
Hiya is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Number Shield free?
Number Shield costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hiya or Number Shield?
Hiya is rated higher. Hiya averages 4.5 out of 5 from 238K ratings, while Number Shield averages 4.5 from 1.9K ratings.
Do Hiya or Number Shield have ads?
Neither Hiya nor Number Shield shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hiya or Number Shield?
Hiya ships an update weekly, and Number Shield every 2 months. Most recently, Hiya was updated on October 27, 2026 and Number Shield on October 26, 2026.
Which is more popular, Hiya or Number Shield?
Hiya currently peaks at #161 in the App Store charts, and Number Shield at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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