Hiya Alternative

Hiya Identifies Spam.Katch Screens Every Call Live.

Hiya labels calls before you pick up. Katch answers every missed call with AI, captures who called and why, and sends you an instant summary — before you call back.

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100% free during beta • iPhone & Android • Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket

The Core Difference

Hiya identifies and labels spam callers before you pick up. But when you miss a call — spam or real — Hiya does nothing. Katch's AI answers every missed call live, has a brief conversation with the caller to capture their name, reason, and urgency, then sends you an instant text summary. Hiya is caller ID. Katch is a live AI receptionist.

200M+

Hiya installs globally (Hiya, 2024)

4.6B

robocalls per day in the US (FCC, 2024)

78%

of Americans don't answer unknown calls (YouMail, 2024)

Why Hiya Isn't Enough on iPhone

🚫

Labels, doesn't answer

On iPhone, iOS only lets Hiya label calls as "Spam Risk." It cannot answer, screen, or intercept them. Your phone still rings for every call Hiya marks.

Real callers get no screening

When a doctor's office, new client, or school calls while you're busy, Hiya provides zero value. The call rings through, you miss it, you have no idea who or why.

📵

No missed call summary

Hiya tells you a call might be spam before you pick up. It tells you nothing about who called or why after you miss a call. Katch captures that information automatically.

Hiya vs Katch, Feature Comparison

Feature Hiya ✦ Katch
Free Beta
Spam call identification
Answers missed calls with AI
Live call screening
AI conversation with caller
Caller intent captured
Real-time text summary
Works on iPhone (carrier-level)Label only
Works on Android
Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket
Monthly costFree / $3.99 PremiumFree (beta)

How Katch Works Where Hiya Can't

The iOS Limitation

Apple's iOS only allows third-party apps to label incoming calls — not answer them. Hiya can show "Spam Risk" before you tap Accept, but it cannot screen the call, answer on your behalf, or capture caller intent. Katch uses carrier-level call forwarding — which happens before your phone even rings — so it works regardless of iOS restrictions, on iPhone and Android alike.

📞 Without Katch

You miss a call from an unknown number. Hiya shows "Possible Spam" but you already missed it. You call back. It rings out. You never learn who called or why.

✦ With Katch

You miss the same call. Katch's AI answers, has a brief conversation, captures the caller's name and reason. You get: "John from ABC Plumbing — calling about a quote for Thursday." You call back with full context.

Pricing: Hiya Premium vs Katch

Hiya Free

$0/mo

  • ✓ Spam identification
  • ✕ No live screening
  • ✕ No missed call summary

Hiya Premium

$3.99/mo

  • ✓ Reverse number lookup
  • ✓ Enhanced spam blocking
  • ✕ No live screening

$47.88/year

Katch Beta

$0/mo

  • ✓ Live AI call screening
  • ✓ Caller intent captured
  • ✓ Instant text summary

Free during beta

Hiya Premium costs $47.88/year and still doesn't screen calls. Katch costs $0 during beta.

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Works on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Cricket.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Hiya identifies and labels spam callers. Katch goes further — when you miss any call, Katch's AI answers live, has a brief conversation with the caller to capture their name, reason, and urgency, then sends you an instant text summary. Hiya is caller ID. Katch is a live AI receptionist.
No. On iPhone, iOS restrictions prevent Hiya from answering or screening calls — it can only label incoming calls as "Spam Risk." Katch works at the carrier level via call forwarding, so it bypasses iOS restrictions entirely and screens calls on both iPhone and Android.
Apple's iOS only allows third-party apps to label calls, not intercept or answer them. Hiya can mark a call as spam before you pick up, but it cannot screen the call or answer it on your behalf. Katch uses carrier-level call forwarding, which is outside iOS's control, so it works regardless of operating system.
Yes. Katch works via call forwarding on all major US carriers: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Cricket. Setup takes under 60 seconds using your carrier's call forwarding codes.
Yes, Katch is free during beta. No subscription fee, no per-minute charges, no carrier add-on required.
No. Callers dial your normal number. If you miss the call, it forwards to Katch automatically. Callers experience a brief, natural AI conversation — no app download, no setup on their end.

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Free during beta. Screen calls live. Never miss what matters.

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