PhoneBlock vs RealCall
PhoneBlock
phoneblock.netRealCall
realcall.aiSide by side
| Figure | PhoneBlock | RealCall |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $3/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Call blocker apps | 8.2 (#8) | 8.4 (#7) |
| Spec score · Spam Call Blocking Apps | 7.8 (#16) | 8.4 (#6) |
| Purpose | PhoneBlock automatically blocks unwanted advertising and spam calls using a community maintained database. | RealCall provides spam call blocking and caller ID for global users. |
| Support | The operator says users can contact him by email for help, including if their number was mistakenly added to the blocklist. | The support page lists [email protected] for account and data management and other issues, and [email protected] for media inquiries. |
Plans
RealCall
- Subscription$4.49 a month
- Subscription$12.99, paid once
- Subscription$35.99 a year
In their own words
PhoneBlock
PhoneBlock is a free call-blocking service that uses a community-maintained database to identify unwanted advertising and spam calls. Users can report numbers through the app, website, or personal blacklist, and reports join the shared blacklist. The Android app blocks known spam calls, keeps call history, and supports reports and personal lists; it requires Android 10 or later. For incoming calls, the Android app sends only the phone number’s SHA-1 hash and does not access contacts.
Landline users can choose a router dongle, a Fritz!Box cloud answering machine, or a blocklist phonebook synchronized through CardDAV. The documented iPhone setup syncs spam numbers into contacts through CardDAV; a native iPhone app is in development, and beta registration is available. Phone systems can download the blocklist in different formats or query it through an API. PhoneBlock is licensed under GPL-3.0 and operated as a private project. The operator accepts email requests for help, including for mistakenly listed numbers. PhoneBlock costs nothing, with donations optional; its terms advise against business use.
RealCall
RealCall is a mobile app for caller ID and spam-call blocking on Android and iOS. It uses a database and AI-based modeling to identify spam and scam calls, and says it can block them before the phone rings. The app also offers reverse phone lookup, with listings of active robocallers and recordings. For texts, RealCall says GPT-4 detects and blocks fraudulent SMS messages. Its AI can also answer unwanted calls to occupy scammers, while user activity helps its system learn spammers’ calling patterns. Blocking settings are customizable, but AI Blocking requires a subscription. RealCall offers a free plan and advertises a free trial; its Subscription is billed Free for 7 days, then $4.49/Month after the free trial. The privacy policy says the app may collect call and text logs, contacts, voicemail recordings, and de-identified texts from callers outside a user’s contacts. Family Plan sharing is temporarily available on iOS only.