Unwanted calls have become the daily plague of French people. Facing this problem, telecom operators have developed different solutions. But which one is most effective? Complete comparison of the 4 major French carriers.
Comparison Table
| Criteria | Orange | SFR | Free | Bouygues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native solution | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Free | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | - |
| Activation | Orange et moi app | Third-party app | Subscriber area | Manual |
| "Spam" display | ✅ Yes | Via app | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Auto-block | ✅ Optional | Via app | ✅ Optional | ❌ No |
Orange: The Most Complete
The Anti-spam Calls Solution
Orange offers the most complete solution with its Anti-spam calls service, integrated for free in the "Orange et moi" app. According to official Orange documentation, the service allows you to:
- Identify suspicious calls with the "Spam likely" label
- Automatically block numbers known as spam
- Report unwanted numbers to enrich the database
How to Activate
- Download the "Orange et moi" app (iOS or Android)
- Log in to your account
- Go to Account → Anti-spam calls
- Enable protection
Our opinion: The most effective and easy-to-use solution among French carriers. Highly recommended for Orange customers.
Free: A Solid Alternative
The Antispam Voice Service
Free offers its Antispam voice service, an intelligent blocking system for suspicious calls. According to Free support, the service enables intelligent blocking of suspicious incoming calls (scams, phishing, etc.).
Features
- Detection of fraudulent calls (ping calls, scams)
- Blocking of suspicious premium-rate numbers
- Filtering of recurring unsolicited calls
Our opinion: Less visible than Orange, but effective. Free offers a decent solution for its subscribers.
SFR: Third-Party Solutions
No Native Integrated Solution
SFR does not offer an anti-spam solution as complete as Orange or Free. The carrier rather recommends using third-party applications like Truecaller or Hiya.
Our opinion: Disappointing compared to the competition. SFR subscribers must turn to external solutions.
Bouygues Telecom: The Poor Relative
No Dedicated Solution
Bouygues Telecom does not offer a native anti-spam service. The carrier only communicates best practices and refers to third-party solutions.
Our opinion: Bouygues is clearly behind on this topic. Too bad for the 4th French carrier.
Our Verdict
🥇 1st: Orange
Complete, free and effective native solution. The best choice if anti-spam is important to you.
🥈 2nd: Free
Decent Antispam voice service, less visible but functional.
🥉 3rd: SFR
No mature native solution, but recommendations for third-party apps.
4th: Bouygues
No dedicated solution. Avoid if spam calls bother you.
FAQ
Can I use Truecaller with Orange?
Yes, both solutions can coexist. Truecaller will add an extra layer of protection.
Does anti-spam block legitimate calls?
Sometimes, yes (false positives). You can usually disable automatic blocking and keep only the alert display.
What about companies that prospect?
If your numbers are marked as spam at Orange, see our guide: How to remove spam likely Orange.
Sources: Orange Support, Free Support, Service-Public.fr
