Comparison

Cathay vs autoforward

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cathay

Features
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The Cathay Knowledge Sharing Platform A digital knowledge platform that empowers human interaction & collaboration One Global Team. One Mission. Dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and corporates solve their greatest challenges with hard work, persistence and sincerity. Your tailored startup flow Access hot startups curated for your needs by our global teams Disruptive business opportunities Foster partnership with latest hot startups and follow collaboration statuses Global Sector Knowledge Sharing Share and explore key knowledge via studies and events Spark new relations in collaboration groups with our ecosystem partners

About

autoforward

Automatically forward incoming SMS messages from your iPhone to an email address or another phone number. Never miss important alerts like two-factor authentication codes or delivery updates.

Highlights
  • SMS to Email Forwarding
  • SMS to SMS Forwarding
  • Reliable Message Delivery
  • Forward 2FA Codes
  • Forward Delivery Updates
  • Free to Use
Read full description

autoforward forwards text messages to email automatically. Every incoming SMS or iMessage on your iPhone, or only the ones from a sender or with a keyword you choose, goes straight to any email address. Whether you’re managing two-factor authentication codes, delivery updates or appointment reminders, text message forwarding to email means you never miss one, and you can read your texts on a PC or Mac. Key Features: • SMS to Email Forwarding: Receive your text messages directly in your email inbox, perfect for archiving or managing SMS alongside emails. • Every Text or Just Some: Forward everything, or filter by sender or keyword right in the automation. • Sender in Subject: Show who texted you in the email subject, so your mail app groups every message from the same sender into one conversation. • Reliable Delivery: Messages are processed securely and are never stored longer than necessary for forwarding. • Your Own Mail Server: Optionally send through your own SMTP server (Gmail, iCloud or any mail server), so messages go directly through your infrastructure. Credentials stay encrypted on your iPhone. • History Without Contents: See recipient, time and status of every forward. The message itself is never logged. • Free to Use: autoforward has a free tier with daily and monthly limits. Common Uses: • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Reliably forward OTP and login codes by email, to yourself or a coworker. • Delivery & Appointment Updates: Forward delivery notifications and appointment reminders. • Texts on Your Computer: Read and search your SMS in your inbox on any device. How It Works: autoforward adds a “Forward as email” action to Apple Shortcuts. A Message automation runs it on every incoming text; set it up once, in a couple of minutes, with the guide and video in the app. No account, no jailbreak, nothing to keep open. If you have been looking for an SMS forwarder for iPhone, this is it. Privacy First: Your privacy is our priority. Messages are processed securely and are never stored longer than necessary for forwarding. With your own SMTP server, forwarding runs entirely on your iPhone. Privacy Policy: https://autoforward.app/en/privacy Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Cathay4 screens
autoforward4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cathay at none against autoforward's 2. Cathay also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.4). autoforward's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 13 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. autoforward sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Cathay asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cathay ships an update every 13 months, autoforward fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Cathay versus autoforward: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCathayautoforward
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—93.3% of reviews
Number of ratings—18 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.4
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB5 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCathay Innovation SASabove the fold GmbH

In-app purchases

None

Cathay

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

autoforward

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Cathay free?
Cathay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is autoforward free?
autoforward is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cathay or autoforward have ads?
Neither Cathay nor autoforward shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cathay or autoforward?
Cathay ships an update every 13 months, and autoforward fortnightly. Most recently, Cathay was updated on September 8, 2026 and autoforward on September 27, 2026.

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