# Smart Group vs SMS Forwarder

The clearest difference is price: SMS Forwarder at Free against Smart Group's $7.99. SMS Forwarder also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 33%). Smart Group's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 27) and chart position (#146 vs unranked). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

SMS Forwarder is free to download; Smart Group costs $7.99 up front. SMS Forwarder sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Smart Group asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Smart Group against 4.3 for SMS Forwarder. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SMS Forwarder has 389 ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Smart Group's written reviews are positive against 50% of SMS Forwarder's.

Smart Group ships an update every 4 months, SMS Forwarder every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Group | SMS Forwarder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-group-email-smstext/id378476242/reviews) | **[4.3 (389 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder-forward-sms/id6693285061/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 64 | **389** |
| Positive reviews | 32.6% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#146** | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shan Shan Liu](https://appshunter.io/developer/312352870) | [TSUBASA TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY](https://appshunter.io/developer/1539089870) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Group

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-group-email-smstext/id378476242)

**Currently charting:** #146 Top Paid · Business (US App Store)

Automatically organize contacts into dynamic groups based on custom criteria. Send emails and text messages to these smart groups instantly. Manage distribution lists and utilize customized templates for efficient communication.

**Highlights:** Automatic smart group creation, Send group SMS/Text and Email, Assign contacts to multiple groups, Customized templates and signatures, Distribution list management

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SMS Forwarder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder-forward-sms/id6693285061)

Automate the forwarding of your text messages to various platforms like email, WhatsApp, Slack, and webhooks. Securely share critical information such as OTPs and 2FA codes, or trigger automated workflows. All processing happens on your device for enhanced privacy.

**Highlights:** Forward SMS to Email, Forward to WhatsApp, Forward to Slack/Discord/Teams, Webhook Integrations, Forward OTPs and 2FA codes, Automatic message forwarding, On-device processing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Month | $10.00 | per month |
| 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $49.99 | per year |
| Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Annual | $69.99 | per year |
| Annual | $71.99 | per year |
| Annual | $71.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $71.99 | per year |
| 1 Year | $72.00 | per year |
| 1 Year | $72.00 | per year |
| 1 Year | $72.00 | per year |
| Annual | $83.90 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient SMS forwarding
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Helpful setup guide
- 👍 Responsive customer support
- 👍 Streamlines communication

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable/inconsistent performance
- 🐛 Setup issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🤔 Unclear free trial policy
- 🤔 Questionable business practices

**Reported bugs**

- Forwarding issues with new iOS versions
- Unexpected charges and refund denials
- Compatibility problems with certain devices

**Requested features**

- Improved reliability and stability
- More transparent pricing and trial options
- Support for more messaging platforms
- Ability to forward messages when device is offline


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart Group free?

Smart Group costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SMS Forwarder free?

SMS Forwarder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Smart Group or SMS Forwarder?

SMS Forwarder is rated higher. Smart Group averages 4.3 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while SMS Forwarder averages 4.3 from 389 ratings.

### Do Smart Group or SMS Forwarder have ads?

Neither Smart Group nor SMS Forwarder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Group or SMS Forwarder?

Smart Group ships an update every 4 months, and SMS Forwarder every 2 weeks. Most recently, Smart Group was updated on November 1, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on October 30, 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.*