eMates
How much does eMates cost?
Prices are current as of 11 Sept 2026.
eMates has no in-app products on record in the United States.
10+ alternatives to eMates
| eMates |   Talk Home: Cheap Calls |   Stars Messenger Kids Safe Chat |   Woov - Your Festival Companion |   Prison Video |   WeAre8 |   Prison Voicemail |   Doob - Members App | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating / 5 | 1.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Reviews | 159 | 39K | 31K | 6.7K | 4K | 3.3K | 133 | 98 |
| Released | 2021 | 2015 | 2014 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 | 2016 | 2021 |
| Monthly price | — | — | $1.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Annual price | — | — | $17.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
| One-time price | — | $6.99 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
The going rate for each plan in United States, in its own currency, shaded from the cheapest price on the row to the dearest.
eMates reviews
1.5 out of 5, based on 159 reviews.
What people like
- Helps keep contact with loved ones in prison.
- Works well sometimes when it actually functions.
- Allows sending photos to inmates.
What they complain about
- Emails often get lost or bounce back.
- Charges happen even when emails fail to send.
- Customer support is unavailable and unhelpful.
- The app crashes and fails to load screens.
Technical issues
The overall idea and use is a good system, helps you stay in touch. However, the bugs and technical issues using the app make it incredibly frustrating to use. Can take you 4/5 attempts to even get the screen to top up your wallet without it crashing. Apple Pay doesn’t work despite it being an option. Emails either just won’t send at all or take hours to send and if you close the app it won’t send in the background until you reopen it and realise it’s not sent.
Few issues but only recently.
I’ve been using this app for almost 2 months now. It’s been absolutely fine. But I’ve had to check a few times in a row for the replies to pop up. The app has been buggy for a few days. Everyday it’s changing the dates on sent and received emails. Changing it to the current date. I also have had situations where it adds my photo attachment multiple times and charging me for each one. One email had 21 photos attached - not by me but CHARGED me!!
Communication?
Hi, just wondering why it takes so long for my emails to get to my recipient. I have two waiting to be sent … or be replied to. I believed that, this service was designed to help the prisoner feel less isolated. And feel like they can communicate with people on the outside with ease. Stopping them from mental illness issues and from self harm thoughts. Please can you explain, why it can take upto 6 days for an email to be responded to. Thankyou
The programmers should be ashamed of themselves
I am disappointed in the quality of this app. It isn’t worth trying to use the app when the online version is considerably better. That said, even when using the online version, emails are not guaranteed to arrive at the prison and about a fifth of replies don’t make it back. This irritates me as I pay for this service and there isn’t any way to claim money back, which ironically, since it’s to a prison, has been “stolen” from me when emails aren’t delivered. It is providing a very important service and for a lot of people the cost of this service is a problem when it is so unreliable. I honestly can’t see why it is acceptable for it to be so poor; the programmers ought to hang their heads in shame. It’s hardly rocket science programming, is it? I log in and I can’t even see any messages! Just what is the company trying to achieve here?
Stupid app
App is totally useless saying failed to load for weeks now. I send a message and it’s still error communication to server. Sort it out before I lose my mind
Muhammad
It needs updates, a weak app. It’s not clear how to fill the form in the space : Note for staff Booking request What is the right thing I have to fill in, it’s not clear Please reply us because we need it badly Thank you
Horrible
Beside that they stole me so many times, tried to send my emails and they were left as draft and that charge it as £2-£4 and my money went by my account even though the email was never sent. So many other times it stopped working suddenly for days and days . Delusional app! They need to do so many improvements otherwise not recommended at all because is not funny to lie and fool the people in need.
App no longer works
This used be good little app shame it no longer works!
Poor App
Aside the fact it can take days for someone to receive the message I send, if you try use Apple Pay to top up, even though Apple Pay is shown as an acceptable payment method and is the top option on the payment screen, it then says Apple Pay is not accepted. Francis Toye, come on. It costs a fortune to send a simple message that you’re probably paying nothing for. Put some of the money you’re making into app development. Typical capitalist behaviour. If this was my app I’d be ashamed of myself
Too inconsistent
My emails at first were getting to my partner within 20-40 minutes and I was getting a reply back within that time. He has a laptop so doesn’t have to wait for someone to print things out. But now they’re taking several hours to a day to reach him and I don’t get replies until the following day after. It’s one of the only forms of contact we have so it’s better than nothing. But as he is on suicide watch, not being able to communicate with him regularly is the worst. And I don’t understand why the app sometimes works but basically doesn’t most of the time.
Dissapointing and frustrating
You have to stay on the app for the emails to send it costs money to email them and money for them to reply which adds up and makes no sense the price because emailing someone should be free, you also don’t get a notification when they reply only an email there is no option to change this. When a reply is received you have to wait on the app for at least a few minutes ti show up.The whole thing needs updating.
Absolute Rubbish
This is supposed to be a way of keeping contact with your family, it hardly ever works or sends anything first time ! Photos are a nightmare and the advertised support does not exist the email fails and when you ring the number it just says no agents available and cuts you off. But they are very happy to take your money on top ups. Complete scam
Full of issues
There are numerous issues which I tried to communicate in an email via the app, only for it to bounce back as undeliverable. The app is very unstable and unreliable. I have a blank screen where previously old messages were. A message I sent has been completely lost. Often it does not connect to the server and can take days to send/receive messages.
Pointless
Works for a week then dosent let you log back in after taken your money
eMates FAQ
- Is eMates free?
- Yes. The app is free, in all 175 countries it sells in, and it sells nothing inside it.
- Does eMates have a free trial?
- No. None of its offers (US) come with a free trial.
- What are the best alternatives to eMates?
- Talk Home: Cheap Calls (4.6 from 38,780 reviews, premium from $0.99), Stars Messenger Kids Safe Chat (4.6 from 31,020 reviews, premium from $1.99) and Woov - Your Festival Companion (4.6 from 6,653 reviews).
eMates download
Last updated 2 years ago.
eMates sells in 175 countries. It was released 5 years and 1 month ago, on 23 Aug 2021. It holds a 1.5 rating from 159 reviews.
Supports 1 language: English.
How much does eMates make?
Third-party estimates for the last 30 days, worldwide — not the store's own figures, which Apple publishes for nobody.