# MailCat vs SMS Forwarder

The clearest difference is price: SMS Forwarder at Free against MailCat's $3.99. SMS Forwarder also leads on rating (4.4 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). MailCat's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

SMS Forwarder is free to download; MailCat costs $3.99 up front. SMS Forwarder sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. MailCat asks for nothing beyond the download.

SMS Forwarder holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SMS Forwarder has 46 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of MailCat's written reviews are positive against 30% of SMS Forwarder's.

MailCat ships an update every 4 months, SMS Forwarder every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MailCat | SMS Forwarder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mailcat/id459361669/reviews) | **[4.4 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder/id6753724792/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **46** |
| Positive reviews | 13.0% of reviews | **30.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 4 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seimitsusakufu LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/459361672) | [Alexey Sakharov](https://appshunter.io/developer/800373228) |

## What reviewers say

### MailCat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mailcat/id459361669)

This app helps organize your inbox by automatically categorizing emails using machine learning and custom rules. It can filter spam and move messages to designated mailboxes, supporting IMAP accounts.

**Highlights:** Machine learning spam filtering, Rule-based email categorization, IMAP account support, Move emails to specified mailboxes, Blacklist and spam learning data, Multiple account switching

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### SMS Forwarder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder/id6753724792)

Automatically forward SMS messages to various platforms like email, Telegram, Slack, and more. This app ensures you never miss important texts, including OTPs and 2FA codes, with on-device processing for complete privacy. Set up custom rules to filter and route messages to any device or service.

**Highlights:** Forward SMS to Email, Forward OTP & 2FA codes, Business SMS forwarding, Forward SMS while traveling, Remote work & multi-device support, Forward to 8 platforms, Smart SMS filtering & rules

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Version | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Version | $39.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MailCat free?

MailCat costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SMS Forwarder free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MailCat or SMS Forwarder?

SMS Forwarder is rated higher. MailCat averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while SMS Forwarder averages 4.4 from 46 ratings.

### Do MailCat or SMS Forwarder have ads?

Neither MailCat nor SMS Forwarder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MailCat or SMS Forwarder?

MailCat ships an update every 4 months, and SMS Forwarder every 2 weeks. Most recently, MailCat was updated on November 1, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on November 9, 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.*