NoCall
Updated comparison

tellows alternative

tellows is a caller ID and call blocking app, with a reverse lookup website, that scores every number from 1 to 9 from its community's ratings. Here we summarise what its website, its App Store and Google Play listings and its privacy policy say, next to what NoCall publishes on nocall.io.

By NoCall Team

Quick answer

Both apps identify calls with a community-fed database and let you look up numbers. On iPhone, tellows identifies calls for free and keeps blocking and the personal blacklist for tellows Pro, a subscription; on Android, the free version (with ads) lets you block manually with a local blacklist and Premium adds automatic blocking. NoCall offers number lookup and caller identification for free, and its Pro plan, a one-off payment, includes full blocking.

Practical comparison

Who offers it
NoCallNoCall, a service run by Byteguard Sociedad Limitada. Website at nocall.io and apps for iOS and Android.
tellowstellows UG (haftungsbeschränkt), based in Bennewitz (Germany), according to its legal notice and its Google Play listing. The iPhone app is sold by Netzberater UG (haftungsbeschränkt), of Leipzig, according to its App Store listing. It has apps for iPhone (iOS 17.0 or later) and Android and the reverse lookup website tellows.es.
Free and paid
NoCallFree plan with ads: caller identification, number lookup and community reports. Pro is a one-off payment, no subscription.
tellowsOn iPhone, identification is free and tellows Pro (€1.99 a month or €9.99 a year, according to its App Store listing) adds blocking and the personal blacklist. On Android, the free version has ads and manual blocking with a local blacklist; Premium removes ads and adds automatic blocking and offline identification.
How calls are checked
NoCallCall blocking and automatic SMS filtering on iOS happen on the device.
tellowsAccording to its privacy policy, on Android it sends unknown incoming numbers to its servers; on iPhone it imports the score lists into the phone's storage.
Declared data
NoCallIt never uploads your contacts. Its policy details the data it processes, such as a random device identifier in the app and technical data on the website.
tellowsIts policy says personal contacts are not sent and names AdMob for advertising, Firebase, Crashlytics and the Facebook SDK. On Google Play it declares that it collects crash logs and app interactions for analytics and shares no data with third parties.

When to choose NoCall

  • You want to look up a number in the browser, with a clear category and community comments.
  • You prefer a one-off payment for blocking instead of a subscription.
  • You also want the SMS filters included in NoCall Pro.

When tellows may fit

  • You already use the 1-9 tellows score to decide whether to answer.
  • You get calls from numbers in several countries: tellows says it is active in more than 50.
  • On Android you want to block manually with a blacklist without paying.

Honest limitations

  • Features, prices and data practices of both apps can change: check the store listing and the privacy policy before installing. App Store and Google Play privacy labels are filled in by each developer and are not verified by the stores. tellows' Google Play label does not mention the phone numbers that, according to its policy, the Android app sends to its servers.
  • What the free version of tellows includes differs between iPhone and Android.
  • No community database is complete: a number with no reports is not necessarily safe.

FAQ

Is tellows free?

The app is free to download. On iPhone, caller identification is free and blocking and the personal blacklist need tellows Pro, sold at €1.99 a month or €9.99 a year according to its App Store listing. On Android, the free version has ads and lets you block manually with a local blacklist; Premium adds automatic blocking based on community ratings.

What does the tellows score mean?

It is a 1-9 score that tellows calculates from its users' ratings: 1 means trustworthy and 9 untrustworthy. NoCall instead shows a category, a 0-100 risk score and community reports and comments.

How is NoCall different?

NoCall lets you look up numbers on the web without an account, and its Pro plan is a one-off payment that includes call blocking and SMS filters. tellows sells Pro or Premium as a subscription and uses its own 1-9 score.

Sources reviewed

We reviewed public official sources and product pages. Features can change, so validate sensitive details before deciding.

Look up a number before calling back

NoCall helps you check spam reports, category and comments from users in Ireland.

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tellows alternative: comparison with NoCall | NoCall