# MailCat vs SMS

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

SMS is free to download; MailCat costs $3.99 up front. SMS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year. MailCat asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.0 for MailCat against 1.0 for SMS. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

MailCat ships an update every 4 months, SMS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and September 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MailCat | SMS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mailcat/id459361669/reviews) | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder/id6755705891/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 4 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seimitsusakufu LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/459361672) | [慧君 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831145253) |

## 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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder/id6755705891)

Automatically forward SMS messages based on keywords to your email. This app processes all rules locally for enhanced privacy and security, offering offline operation. It's ideal for backing up important messages, verification codes, and separating work and personal communications.

**Highlights:** Keyword matching for SMS forwarding, Auto email forwarding, Local device processing, Secure and reliable forwarding, Offline operation, Verification code forwarding

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $6.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MailCat free?

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

### Is SMS free?

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

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

MailCat and SMS are both rated 1.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do MailCat or SMS have ads?

Neither MailCat nor SMS shows ads.

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

MailCat ships an update every 4 months, and SMS every 2 months. Most recently, MailCat was updated on June 5, 2026 and SMS on September 1, 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.*