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Utilities · head to head

Truecaller vs Yelp

Truecaller logo

Truecaller

Utilities

Caller ID and spam blocking app that identifies unknown numbers by crowdsourcing users' contact books

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yelp logo

Yelp

Utilities

Local business reviews and search app whose real business is advertising and first party lead data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Truecaller its caller ID database is built from other users uploading their contact books, which means a person's name and number can be listed without them ever installing or consenting to Truecaller directly.; Yelp its revenue model depends on selling advertising and leads to the same businesses being reviewed, which creates a structural tension over how neutral rankings and filtered reviews really are.
  • They diverge on capability: Truecaller covers Caller ID, Yelp covers Business search and reviews.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Truecaller and Yelp actually diverge.

Attributes where Truecaller and Yelp differ
AttributeTruecallerYelp
Pricing modelFree tier plus subscriptionFree for consumers, advertising sold to businesses
PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Truecaller

  • Caller ID
  • Spam blocking
  • Call recording
  • SMS spam filtering
  • Truecaller for Business
  • Premium profile controls

Only in Yelp

  • Business search and reviews
  • Reservations and waitlist
  • Yelp Guest Manager listings
  • Request a Quote
  • Photos and menus
  • Collections and lists

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Truecaller

  • Someone wanting to identify unknown numbers calling from delivery services, banks or scam operationsnot Yelp
  • A user who wants unknown-sender SMS automatically filtered out of the main inboxnot Yelp
  • A small business wanting its verified name and logo to show when it calls customersnot Yelp
  • A person who wants to check whether their own number is unexpectedly listed and request removalnot Yelp

Yelp

  • Finding a nearby restaurant or service and reading recent customer reviews before visitingnot Truecaller
  • Booking a table at a restaurant that uses Yelp for reservationsnot Truecaller
  • Requesting quotes from local contractors or service providers for a specific jobnot Truecaller
  • Checking a business's current hours, menu or photos before goingnot Truecaller

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Truecaller

  • Its caller ID database is built from other users uploading their contact books, which means a person's name and number can be listed without them ever installing or consenting to Truecaller directly.
  • Removing a number requires actively finding and using the unlisting tool; it is opt-out, not opt-in, so most people never realise they need to do this.
  • The free tier is ad-supported, and ads appear on the call screen itself, which some users find intrusive during otherwise mundane phone use.
  • Call recording availability depends on local law and has been restricted or removed in some regions and OS versions, so it cannot be relied on everywhere.
  • Regulatory and app-store scrutiny of the contact-upload model has led to restrictions or bans in some countries, so availability and feature set are not consistent globally.

Yelp

  • Its revenue model depends on selling advertising and leads to the same businesses being reviewed, which creates a structural tension over how neutral rankings and filtered reviews really are.
  • Businesses can pay to have a competitor's ad appear on their own listing page, a practice that has drawn sustained criticism from small business owners.
  • Yelp's review filtering algorithm is not disclosed in detail, so businesses cannot audit why some reviews are filtered out as unreliable and others are not.
  • Review quality varies widely by category and city, with restaurants and nightlife much better covered than niche trades in smaller markets.
  • Consumer data such as searches and saved lists feeds Yelp's advertising and lead products sold to businesses, which is the actual monetisation even though the app itself is free.

Pricing, plan by plan

Truecaller

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Caller ID and spam blocking
    • Ad-supported
    • Limited profile privacy controls
  • Premium$2.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • See who viewed your profile
    • Priority spam list updates

Yelp

Free
  • Consumer appFree
    • Free search, reviews and reservations

Which should you pick?

Choose Truecaller if

  • You need caller id.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want spam blocking.
Truecaller review

Choose Yelp if

  • You need business search and reviews.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want reservations and waitlist.
Yelp review

Questions people ask

Is Truecaller or Yelp better?
Neither clearly leads. Truecaller starts at Free and Yelp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Truecaller or Yelp?
Truecaller starts at Free and Yelp at Free.
Does Truecaller or Yelp run on more platforms?
Truecaller runs on iOS, Android. Yelp runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Truecaller for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Truecaller best used for?
Truecaller is most often used for someone wanting to identify unknown numbers calling from delivery services, banks or scam operations, a user who wants unknown-sender sms automatically filtered out of the main inbox, a small business wanting its verified name and logo to show when it calls customers, a person who wants to check whether their own number is unexpectedly listed and request removal. Of those, someone wanting to identify unknown numbers calling from delivery services, banks or scam operations and a user who wants unknown-sender sms automatically filtered out of the main inbox are not what Yelp is typically brought in for.
What can Truecaller do that Yelp cannot?
Truecaller covers Caller ID, Spam blocking, Call recording, SMS spam filtering. Yelp covers Business search and reviews, Reservations and waitlist, Yelp Guest Manager listings, Request a Quote.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Truecaller: How does Truecaller know who is calling me from an unsaved number?

It matches the number against a database built largely from other users' uploaded contact lists, plus spam reports from its user base.

Yelp: Does Yelp cost anything to use as a reviewer?

No, browsing and writing reviews is free with no subscription.

Truecaller: Can I remove my number from Truecaller if I never installed it?

Yes, Truecaller provides an unlisting search and removal tool at truecaller.com/unlisting, though you must find and use it yourself.

Yelp: How does Yelp actually make money?

From advertising and lead generation products sold to local businesses, not from consumers.

Truecaller: Does Truecaller read my messages or call content?

Truecaller states it does not access call or message content, only caller ID and spam-reporting metadata.

Yelp: Can a business pay to remove negative reviews?

No, Yelp states paying for ads does not remove or bury negative reviews, though critics have long disputed how independent the ranking and filtering process really is.

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