Comparison

SMS Export vs TextPort

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

Head to head
About

SMS Export

Easily copy SMS and iMessages from your iPhone or iPad to your PC or Mac. Save and print your conversations in various file formats. Requires a free desktop application download.

Highlights
  • Export SMS and iMessages
  • Save to Excel, HTML, CSV, TXT, EML
  • Select contacts for export
  • Sort messages by date/number
  • Compatible with iOS 10
  • Supports all iPhone/iPad models
Features
Read full description

IMPORTANT: DOWNLOAD THE LATEST DESKTOP APP from www.smsexport.com to be compatible with iOS 10! SMS Export is the only WORKING solution available on the AppStore to copy SMS and iMessages from your iPhone/iPad to your PC or Mac, to be able to save and print them. No need to configure TCP/IP or install on your computer "obscure" applications. On our website you can find all the easy-to-use software that you need. Just download the free Desktop app from www.smsexport.com Using the Complimentary Desktop App you can: - Export the messages to an Excel File - Export the messages to an HTML file - Export the messages to CSV, TXT or EML. - Select one or all contacts from your address book - Sort the messages by date or number iOS 10 ready! Requirements: - Mac OS X 10.6 - 10.11 - Windows XP / Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8 / Windows 10 - iTunes 12 You also need to download the FREE application for your PC or MAC from: http://www.smsexport.com ** IMPORTANT ** IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, PLEASE CHECK THE TROUBLESHOOTING SECTION ON OUR SITE. Feel free to contact us for any problem. Visit our site to download the full user guide a video tutorial. - All iPhone models, iPads and iPods are supported - iMessages and SMS can be exported You'll need to backup your iPhone with iTunes on the same PC/Mac where you installed our Application! Encryption must be disabled. You should temporarily disable iCloud just before using SMS Export. Then you can turn it on again. Video tutorial here: http://youtu.be/FF6EKAJJztA Go to www.smsexport.com for further information. Only the text part of messages is supported. No Images. Editor Picked by Best10Apps.com Beware of cheap imitations available on the AppStore. We are the ORIGINAL, serving you since 2009!

About

TextPort

Easily download and export text messages from your iPhone and other messaging apps. Preserve important conversations, memories, or legal documentation in various formats like PDF and CSV.

Highlights
  • Export SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, and more
  • Export to PDF, CSV, or plain text
  • Desktop app for bulk export
  • Transcribe chat screenshots to data
  • No export limits
  • Step-by-step guidance
Read full description

TextPort turns any text conversation on your iPhone into a print-ready, timestamped PDF, a searchable CSV spreadsheet, or a plain text transcript. Pick a conversation and TextPort pulls it straight out of iMessage, right on your iPhone. It works with iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram DMs, Telegram, Signal, Viber, Snapchat, WeChat, LINE, and more. No cable, no Mac, and no Apple backup needed. When you want your complete iMessage history, the companion TextPort desktop app for Mac and Windows exports full conversations from your computer. HOW IT WORKS 1. Open TextPort and tap Import 2. Choose the Messages conversation you want to export 3. Pick the date range you need, from a few days to the whole history 4. TextPort imports every message with its sender, wording, date, and time, in order. Export to PDF, CSV, or text, then print, save, or share FOR COURT AND LEGAL EVIDENCE TextPort produces clean, paginated PDFs with per-message timestamps and sender names. This is the format people file in family law, housing court, and civil disputes. People use it to prepare text messages for court, custody cases, divorce, small claims, HR complaints, and protective orders. No app makes a court-certified export; courts authenticate text messages through testimony that the export came from your own device and was not altered. The original conversation stays on your phone as a verifiable record that the export was not manipulated. TextPort leaves it untouched, so both the source and the export live on the same device, ready for lawyers, mediators, or insurance claims. THE STATE OF TEXTING AS EVIDENCE 2026 TextPort surveyed 1,081 U.S. adults about how people save, lose, and use text messages in disputes. 81% have screenshotted a text because they might need it as proof. 38% have had texts or DMs used in a legal, workplace, or other formal proceeding they were part of. 78% have deleted or lost messages they later wished they had kept. 32% of those who tried to save a full conversation found it hard or could not do it at all. The full report is free to read and cite on the TextPort website. WORKS WITH YOUR MESSAGING APPS TextPort works with messaging apps across your iPhone or iPad, including iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, Telegram, Signal, Viber, Snapchat, WeChat, and LINE. WhatsApp chats export to PDF with sender names, dates, and times. You never touch WhatsApp's chat-export file, dig through a backup, or email a chat to yourself. EXPORT FORMATS • PDF: save an entire text thread as a multi-page, timestamped, print-ready document • CSV: searchable spreadsheets for Excel, Numbers, or Sheets • Plain text: transcripts you can paste anywhere MORE WAYS PEOPLE USE TEXTPORT • Save text messages on iPhone permanently and archive years of conversations • Download text messages from iPhone before switching phones or a factory reset • Save a loved one's messages as a keepsake • Print WhatsApp chats as relationship evidence for USCIS applications • Document harassment for HR or the police • Keep business conversations for compliance and record-keeping WHY TEXTPORT • Works directly on your iPhone: most exporters are desktop software, but with TextPort you import, convert, and print text messages from iPhone, no computer needed • One app to export text messages from iPhone: an iMessage exporter that also handles the other chat apps on your phone • Desktop app included: extract text messages from iPhone backups and export your full iMessage and SMS history as a text message backup on Mac and Windows • A person answers your support questions, not a bot SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS TextPort is free to download; a subscription is required to export. A subscription unlocks unlimited message exporting, all file formats including PDF export, and premium customer support. Terms of Use: https://textport.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://textport.com/privacy

Screenshots

SMS Export1 screens
TextPort4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: TextPort at Free against SMS Export's $4.99. TextPort also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 44 months). SMS Export's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 26) and review sentiment (73% vs 60%). On 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

TextPort is free to download; SMS Export costs $4.99 up front. TextPort sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. SMS Export asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TextPort holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TextPort has 1.4K ratings behind it against 157, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of SMS Export's written reviews are positive against 60% of TextPort's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SMS Export ships an update every 44 months, TextPort every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
SMS Export versus TextPort: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMS ExportTextPort
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.0 (157 ratings)4.4 (1.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.9% of reviews — better60.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1571.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 44 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#46 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS7.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB77 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFabrizio FarengaTSUBASA TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

Customer experience

SMS Export

All ratings157 ratings
Positive49.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative47.8%
Written reviews531 reviews
Positive72.9%
Neutral2.8%
Negative24.3%

TextPort

All ratings1,379 ratings
Positive84.7%
Neutral2.8%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews325 reviews
Positive60.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative37.5%

User reviews

SMS Export

From 157 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Reliable & easy
  • 🚀 Works great once it's set up
  • 🚀 Fantastic support
  • 🚀 It still works!
  • 🚀 Great computer App and Customer Service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Pointless
  • 🐛 Waste of money
  • 🐛 No iTunes
  • 🐛 Lazy App Store sneaky developer?
  • 🐛 Fake

TextPort

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick text message export
  • 👍 Intuitive interface
  • ✏️ Ability to edit messages

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable text capture
  • ⏱️ Time-consuming process
  • 💰 Expensive for limited functionality

Bugs and requests

SMS Export

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

2 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard

TextPort

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Incorrect message formatting
  • Inability to edit or delete messages

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved accuracy in text capture
  • Batch processing of messages
  • Free trial or better pricing

In-app purchases

None

SMS Export

No in-app purchases

15 purchases

TextPort

Subscriptions15
  • Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Weekly2 variants$6.997 Days
  • Monthly$6.997 Days
Show 12 more
  • Weekly3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Weekly2 variants$7.997 Days
  • Weekly3 variants$8.997 Days
  • Weekly$9.997 Days
  • Discounted Monthly$13.991 Month
  • Monthly$14.991 Month
  • Annual$39.991 Year
  • Annual$49.991 Year
  • Annual1 Month trial$59.991 Year
  • Annual$59.991 Year
  • Annual1 Month trial$69.991 Year
  • Annual8 variants$69.991 Year

Questions

Is SMS Export free?
SMS Export costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TextPort free?
TextPort is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SMS Export or TextPort?
TextPort is rated higher. SMS Export averages 3.0 out of 5 from 157 ratings, while TextPort averages 4.4 from 1.4K ratings.
Do SMS Export or TextPort have ads?
Neither SMS Export nor TextPort shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SMS Export or TextPort?
SMS Export ships an update every 44 months, and TextPort every 2 days. Most recently, SMS Export was updated on October 12, 2026 and TextPort on October 13, 2026.

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