# MailCat vs SMS Forwarder

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SMS Forwarder at 80% against MailCat's 13%. SMS Forwarder also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and rating (4.6 vs 1.0). MailCat's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). 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 $4.99 per 7 days. MailCat asks for nothing beyond the download.

SMS Forwarder holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SMS Forwarder has 33 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 80% of SMS Forwarder's.

MailCat ships an update every 4 months, SMS Forwarder every 9 days. 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) | **[4.6 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder-forward-sms/id6755627694/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **33** |
| Positive reviews | 13.0% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 4 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seimitsusakufu LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/459361672) | [MOV DIGITAL LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1630498556) |

## 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-forward-sms/id6755627694)

Automate the forwarding of SMS messages to various platforms like email, Telegram, and Slack. Filter messages by keywords, schedules, or blacklists to ensure only important information is sent. Ideal for professionals managing OTPs, 2FA codes, and client updates.

**Highlights:** Automated SMS forwarding, Multi-channel destination support, Keyword and blacklist filtering, Schedule-based forwarding rules, Forwarding to email, Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, Teams, Preserves real sender information, iOS Shortcuts support

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## 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 4.6 from 33 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 9 days. 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.*