6 Best Call Blocker Apps for Unwanted Spam

Written By
Marianne Sison
Marianne Sison
Reviewed By:
Nov 14, 2024
12 minute read

The best call blocker app comes with various call rejection options, including the ability to screen calls, automatically block numbers, and identify caller information in real time. To improve its spam-blocking accuracy, it relies on smart algorithms and a large database of known spam numbers. Features vary by phone’s operating system, which includes custom call handling to allow users to control their privacy preferences and how and when they want their calls blocked.

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Best Call Block Apps Compared

Call Blocker AppsMonthly Starting Price (per Line) Key FeaturesOur Rating out of 5
YouMail Logo.$7.99
  • Custom call handling features
  • Personalized greetings
  • Free phone number
4.95
Visit YouMail
Truecaller logo.$9.99
  • Ghost call
  • Shared family accounts 
  • AI-powered call scanner
4.89
Visit Truecaller
Robokiller logo.$4.99
  • Spam text protection
  • Block/allow list
  • Call screening
4.85
Visit Robokiller
Hiya logo.$3.99
  • Business and personal name lookups
  • Voicemail protection
  • Outbound call safety
4.53
Visit Hiya
Nomorobo logo.$1.99
  • Spam-free voicemail box
  • SMS protection
  • Advanced call screening
4.30
Visit Nomorobo
Verizon call filter logo.$3.99
  • Caller ID
  • Call category controls
  • Spam risk meter
3.99
Visit Verizon Call Filter

YouMail: Best Overall for Professional Call Handling

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YouMail Monthly Pricing (per Line)

  • Free: $0 for 50 mailbox capacity, 30 transcribed voicemails, call blocking, and custom greetings

Personal

  • Plus: $7.99 for robocall blocking, email/SMS alerts, call screening, visual voicemail, transcription, custom greetings, and privacy scan
  • Essentials: $14.99 for one phone number, unlimited calls and texts, and everything in Plus

Premium

  • Essentials: $14.99 for one phone number, call screening, custom greetings, visual voicemail, transcription, autoforward, and after-hours settings conference calls, and recording
  • Complete: $24.99 for five phone numbers, auto-attendant, autoreply, three recorded greetings, and business messaging
  • Ultimate: $34.99 for 15 phone numbers, call routing, five recorded greetings, fraud protection, and unlimited visual voicemail

Our Expert Opinion

Call blocking apps typically limit their capabilities to the basics like spam protection, call screening, and caller ID. With YouMail, however, you can control how incoming calls reach you through its comprehensive business phone features. Forward calls to multiple team members, configure the ideal business hours to receive calls, and automate routing of incoming calls. Premium plans include call routing, extensions, sequential forwarding, and work hours.

Aside from blocking unknown numbers, you can direct incoming callers to an automated phone system that directs them to voicemail, an extension, a forwarding number, or a prerecorded message. You can choose from YouMail’s large inventory of personalized greetings in different categories, including commercial ads, music, politics, and entertainment.

While YouMail offers a generous free plan, its paid plans are above the industry average for a call blocking application. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative below $5, check out Nomorobo, which starts for as low as $1.99 per device monthly.

Additional Features

  • Unknown/Private number blocking: Provides the option to reject voicemails or ask private callers to enter their number before leaving a voicemail.
  • Reverse phone number lookup: If you’ve been constantly receiving nuisance calls, YouMail offers a free phone directory tool where you can identify and block them. Simply enter the number and see if it’s been reported as spam.
  • Voicemail greetings: Play a personalized message to welcome callers every time they reach your voicemail. Upload an audio file or choose from YouMail’s greetings catalog.
Configuration options for YouMail's customized call protection.
Customize call handling for blocked or hidden caller IDs. (Source: YouMail)

Truecaller: Best Privacy Features

Truecaller Pricing (per Line)

  • Free: $0 for caller ID and spam blocking
  • Premium: $9.99/month or $74.99/year
  • Family: $14.99/month or $99.99/year for up to four accounts
  • Gold: $249 per year

The plans include caller ID, advanced spam blocking, call recording, call screening, voicemail, custom greeting, unlimited call requests, ghost call, and live chat support.

Our Expert Opinion

Truecaller is the best call blocker app for those who value privacy as much as call blocking, thanks to its robust privacy protections. Upgrading to the Premium plan includes a voice-based virtual assistant that screens callers by asking the reason for calling and an AI call scanner that identifies whether the voice on the other end is human or computer-generated. Additionally, you can set up automatic call blocking to minimize disruptions.

If you have several contacts using Truecaller, you can check if someone viewed your profile or how often you appear in Truecaller searches. However, note that these features can be exclusive to either iOS or Android. For a call blocking app that works across devices, YouMail is a great option. All plans include the same range of features, giving you powerful call protection across devices.

Additional Features

  • Ghost call: Schedule a fake call to avoid awkward situations or boring meetings. Set the name and phone number you want to appear or choose from your existing contacts.
  • Live caller ID: Identify incoming calls and extract relevant caller details by saying ‘Hey Siri, Search Truecaller,’ back-tapping on the back of the iPhone, or pressing the action button. This feature is available to iOS users only.
  • Gold caller ID: Displays your caller ID in gold to stand out and appear more credible from regular Truecaller users. Upgrading to the premium Gold plan includes high-priority support.
Three smartphones displaying the Truecaller interface for an incoming call, caller ID, and spam protection.
Decide whether to answer an incoming call by checking the caller ID. (Source: Truecaller)

Robokiller: Best SMS Protection

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Robokiller Pricing (per Line)

  • Monthly: $4.99
  • Yearly: $39.99
  • Free trial: 7 days

Includes spam protection for calls, texts, and voicemail, call screening, caller ID, custom block, answer bots, and audio fingerprinting

Our Expert Opinion

While most call blocker apps focus solely on preventing spam and robocalls, Robokiller is also designed to neutralize spam texts and voicemails. In recent robocall statistics, Robokiller revealed 19.2 billion spam texts were sent across the US in October 2024, with California as the most targeted state. By installing the Robokiller app, you’re all set to guard your inbox against pesky and harmful texts from unfamiliar senders.

This provider is equipped with an advanced SMS blocking algorithm that analyzes, filters, and defends your SMS inbox against unknown senders and political spam texts. You can also ban specific keywords, so any message that matches will be automatically stored in a junk folder, keeping your inbox clutter-free. You may set Robokiller as your default messaging app to maximize the SMS filter setting.

Unfortunately, Robokiller lacks a free version and charges your account instantly once the trial period expires. If you’re seeking a completely free app for blocking spam calls, Truecaller offers spam blocking and caller ID for its free-forever plan.

Additional Features

  • Answer Bots: Plays a prerecorded audio message to engage spam and robocallers, making them believe they’re talking to a real person. Choose from mildly amusing messages to courteous yet straightforward ones.
  • Blocked list: Prevent spam calls from a local area from reaching you by blocking a specific area code or number range. You can also add a label for identification.
  • Voicemail: Forwards busy and unanswered calls to Robokiller for screening. It will then analyze your voicemails and instantly block any detected spam.
Two smartphones displaying the Robokiller interface for setting safe and blocked numbers.
Configure which numbers should be in your block or allow list. (Source: Robokiller)

Hiya: Best Caller ID Functionality

Hiya Pricing (per Line)

  • Free: $0 for caller ID, unlimited lookups, fraud detection and alerts
  • Premium: $3.99/month or $14.99/year for name lookups, caller ID, visual voicemail, automatic fraud and spam blocking, spam updates, 200 monthly premium business and personal name lookups, and 25 area codes to block
  • Free trial: 7 days

Our Expert Opinion

Hiya is a spam call blocker app that uses AI to enhance caller ID accuracy and recognize call patterns. This is ideal for professionals receiving high volumes of unknown calls and requires an accurate caller ID app to decide which calls to answer. With its color-coded screens, you can instantly identify various call types, whether it’s a business, personal, or international call.

iOS users have access to the premium caller ID feature, which stores up to one million phone numbers in its iOS app directory, ready to be identified when you receive a spam call. Instead of a spam warning, it will display a green checkmark or a business icon followed by the name. Android users, on the other hand, have a smart dialer that will determine who owns the number you’re dialing.

Like Truecaller, Hiya offers features that may not be available for both iOS and Android users. We recommend YouMail, which unlocks the same feature set for its personal and premium plans across operating systems.

Additional Features

  • Visual voicemail: Provides a text transcription of your incoming voicemails and translates them into multiple languages, saving you significant time from listening to each message individually.
  • Prefix/area code-level blocking: Set a warning or block up to 25 number combinations from spam calls by specifying the area code or prefix. This is ideal for iPhone users who are unable to block an entire area code.
  • Call screener: Works as your phone assistant that filters calls before they reach your line. It displays detailed caller information so you can decide whether to answer or ignore the call.
Three smartphones displaying the Hiya interface for an incoming call, visual voicemail, and screened calls.
Hiya protects your privacy against voicemail spam. (Source: Hiya)

Nomorobo: Best for Landlines

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Nomorobo Pricing (per Line)

  • Landlines: Free for robocall protection
  • Basic: $1.99/month or $19.99/year per device for robocall protection and SMS protection for iOS
  • Max: $59.99/year per device, advanced call screening, voicemail box,
  • Family Plan: $79.99/year for up to four devices
  • Free trial: 14 days for mobile

Our Expert Opinion

Besides mobile devices, Nomorobo is an excellent app to block spam calls on landlines powered by VoIP phone systems. The service is completely free and supports over 120 VoIP carriers.

Nomorobo uses a call forwarding feature called simultaneous ring. When a call comes in, it rings a Nomorobo number for screening. A legitimate call will be forwarded directly to your landline, while a detected spam call will be intercepted. An incoming call that rings only once indicates that a spam call has been successfully blocked.

On the downside, Android users are at a disadvantage since SMS protection is available to Apple users only. A better alternative would be Robokiller, which offers spam text protection across mobile devices.

Additional Features

  • SMS protection: Identifies the phone number of an unfamiliar sender and checks it against a robocall database with over four million numbers. It will also scan for suspicious web links within the text message.
  • Call screening: When an unknown caller tries to reach you, they will hear a message stating that the number they’re calling is protected by Nomorobo, and they’ll be prompted to state their name and purpose for the call.
  • Spam-free voicemail: Provides a detailed notification of an incoming voicemail, including a text transcription.
The Nomorobo call screening interface for an incoming call with text transcription.
Receive a transcription of a screened call before answering it. (Source: Nomorobo)

Verizon Call Filter: Best for Basic Call Blocking

Verizon Call Filter Monthly Pricing (per Line)

  • Free: $0 for spam detection and blocking
  • Plus: $3.99 per line or $10.99 for 3 lines for spam blocking, caller ID, spam risk meter, personal block list, and block by category

Our Expert Opinion

Verizon Call Filter is the best app for blocking spam calls​ without the additional frills of an advanced call blocking app. It sticks to the basic functionalities, including spam blocking, block list, and caller ID, perfect for individual users who simply want to get rid of unwanted calls.

The free version works across Apple and Android devices. You only need to pay a minimal monthly fee of $10.99 if you wish to add up to three lines. However, Call Filter’s limited offerings may be insufficient for those with complex privacy concerns. If you’re seeking a sophisticated spam call blocking app, Robokiller uses advanced technology such as audio fingerprinting and predictive analytics for accurate identification of spam calls and texts.

Additional Features

  • Insights: Provides an overview of real-time call and app activity, including call type, location, and the number of spam calls blocked over the past 60 days. This enables users to set the right parameters to prevent these calls from reaching them.
  • Neighborhood filter: Block calls from phone numbers appearing to be local. You can block up to five area codes for free, while upgrading to Call Filter Plus lets you block up to 10.
  • Call categories: Blocks certain call types, including calls from marketers, surveys, political, and nonprofits. You can select which categories to block or forward to voicemail.
Two smartphones displaying Verizon Call Filter spam filter settings and an incoming spam call.
Verizon automatically blocks high-risk spam calls. (Source: Verizon)

How We Evaluated the Best Call Blocker Apps

To compare the best call blockers objectively, I developed a rubric that takes into account important factors businesses consider when choosing spam blocking solutions. These considerations include subscription rates, general and niche capabilities, ease of use, and customer support. Learn how I evaluated the best call blocker apps by clicking on the tabs below:
Methodology weights
Pricing 20%
General Features 25%
Niche Features 20%
Ease of Use 10%
Customer Support 10%
Expert Score 15%
To determine if the provider offers accessible subscription plans, I checked if they provide free versions and trials. I gave more points to those with an entry-level paid plan of less than $5, annual discounts, and group plans.
The essential call blocking tools I considered were spam protection for incoming calls, text messaging, and voicemail. The vendors with caller ID, call screening, and call handling capabilities were given higher points.
The advanced capabilities we took into account were call recording, visual voicemail, and reverse phone number lookup. Higher points were given to platforms that use AI to enhance spam-blocking accuracy.
The best spam call blockers require little to no effort to navigate in. I favored solutions that are easy to set up and operate and that beginner users can be comfortable with. I evaluated the user-friendliness of their mobile apps.
The variety of customer service channels was part of our considerations for customer support. We checked if the providers have phone, email, and live chat assistance. Those with 24/7 operations and a comprehensive knowledge base earned more points.
To examine the best apps to block spam calls, we examined providers offering a wide range of call blocking and handling tools for an accessible pricing point. Thus, we checked each vendor’s value for money and evaluated their popularity, standout capabilities, and ease of use.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best app to block calls?

The best call blocking app varies depending on the needs of a business or an individual user, including device compatibility, privacy features, and supported carriers. However, if you’re seeking a full-featured call blocker app that works across various devices, YouMail is an excellent choice.

Do call blocker apps work?

Definitely, call blocking apps maintain an extensive database of known spam and robocall numbers from legitimate sources like public directories and user reports. They also come with call handling features to give users more control over their incoming calls. Modern call blocker apps use AI and a predictive algorithm to enhance accuracy in detecting potential spam calls.

Is there an app that will block outgoing calls?

While it is not as common as incoming call blocking, there are a few apps like Call Blocker and Call Control that allow users to block outgoing calls by specifying certain numbers or contact lists they want to restrict.

Bottom Line

Call blocking apps provide a variety of security methods to safeguard the privacy of businesses and professionals against spammers and robocalls. From call screening to custom blocking rules, users get ultimate control over how they manage incoming spam calls.

Our top pick among call blocker apps is YouMail, which provides a free version and all-inclusive plans with call handling, custom greetings, and voicemail protection. Download the free app today and enjoy a spam-free call and text experience.

Marianne Sison

Marianne Sison

Office Technology Staff Writer at Fit Small Business

Marianne is a technology analyst with nearly five years of experience reviewing collaborative work management solutions. She helps businesses identify the right tools and apply best practices to streamline workflows and improve project performance. Her insights on project management and unified communications appear in publications like TechnologyAdvice, TechRepublic, and Fit Small Business.

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