# Hiya vs Merinal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Merinal at none against Hiya's 10. Merinal also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). Hiya's advantage is ratings volume (238K vs 1) and chart position (#125 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hiya sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Merinal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Merinal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hiya has 238K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Hiya ships an update weekly, Merinal fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hiya | Merinal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (238K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiya-spam-blocker/id986999874/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merinal/id6783307316/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **238K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 28.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#125** | — |
| Size | 179 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1112770081) | [Gamadev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1839749091) |

## What reviewers say

### Hiya

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiya-spam-blocker/id986999874)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

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:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lookup Plan - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Hiya Premium - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Hiya Premium - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Hiya Premium - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Hiya Premium - Quarterly | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Hiya Premium - Quarterly | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Hiya Premium - Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Hiya Premium - Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Hiya Premium - Yearly | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Merinal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merinal/id6783307316)

This app serves as an intelligent companion for professional events, trade shows, and conferences. It provides attendees, exhibitors, and organizers with easy access to all essential event information before and during the event. Users can view schedules, exhibitor lists, conference details, maps, and receive real-time notifications.

**Highlights:** Event program access, Exhibitor list and profiles, Conference schedules, Interactive event map, Digital badge access, Real-time notifications, Exhibitor lead scanning

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hiya free?

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

### Is Merinal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hiya or Merinal?

Merinal is rated higher. Hiya averages 4.5 out of 5 from 238K ratings, while Merinal averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hiya or Merinal have ads?

Neither Hiya nor Merinal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hiya or Merinal?

Hiya ships an update weekly, and Merinal fortnightly. Most recently, Hiya was updated on November 4, 2026 and Merinal on October 28, 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.*