# Cathay vs autoforward

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.

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

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Cathay | autoforward |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autoforward-forward-sms/id6745516888/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **18** |
| Positive reviews | — | 93.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 21 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.4 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cathay Innovation SAS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1596959525) | [above the fold GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1083656339) |

## What reviewers say

### Cathay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cathay/id1596959523)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### autoforward

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autoforward-forward-sms/id6745516888)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*