Comparison

DefaultSMS vs Cyd

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

Head to head
About

DefaultSMS

This app allows you to set your preferred messaging applications like Telegram or WhatsApp as the default for handling SMS and tapping on phone number links. It acts as a redirector, ensuring convenience and privacy by processing all data on-device.

Highlights
  • Set default messaging app
  • Redirect SMS and link taps
  • Supports Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal
  • On-device data processing
  • Easy setup
  • Privacy-focused
Read full description

Popular messaging platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal has yet to support the new Default Apps option in Settings, which would have allowed your iPhone to automatically use these apps instead of the stock Messages app for sending messages or when you tap on phone numbers or message links. That's why we've made DefaultSMS - It acts as a redirector to enable you to set your Default Messaging App as Telegram, WhatsApp or Signal!  When you tap on a phone number anywhere on your phone, the system will prompt you to ask if you would like to call or message. Once you've set DefaultSMS up, you can directly open your favourite messaging app, in place of the default stock Messages app, for ultimate convenience! We have also designed the app with privacy in mind, ensuring that all processes are done on device, with no phone numbers or data logged anywhere in app. It simply accepts the details that the system provides, and passing it along to the messaging app that you prefer. Setup is easy too. Simply set DefaultSMS as your default messaging app in the Settings app, and choose your desired messaging app in DefaultSMS. Note: DefaultSMS is a product made by an independent developer, and is not supported, endorsed or affiliated with WhatsApp Messenger, Telegram Messenger or Signal Messenger, in any way or form.

About

Cyd

Features
Read full description

Most tech platforms are controlled by a tiny group of powerful billionaires. You don't OWE them your data. Even posting on Bluesky is a privacy nightmare. Why should our social media posts remain on the internet forever? With Cyd for iPhone, you can: - CREATE A LOCAL, PRIVATE BACKUP OF YOUR DATA, including Bluesky posts, reposts, likes, bookmarks, and chat messages. - CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO DELETE. You can delete it all, or you can be selective, deleting most of it but keeping what went viral. - SCHEDULE AUTOMATIC DELETION, keeping your online data as ephemeral as you want over time. The Cyd developers can't access your accounts or your data. - Cyd runs directly on your device, not on our servers. - Cyd is designed so that we don't have access to your accounts, or to any of your data in those accounts. We don't even record what your username is. - When you sign into a Bluesky account in Cyd, you grant the app running locally on your phone permission to access it, not us, the developers of the app. Cyd is open source. The code is available at: https://github.com/lockdown-systems/cyd-mobile Read our privacy policy at: https://cyd.social/privacy/ Read our EULA at: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DefaultSMS2 screens
Cyd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Cyd at Free against DefaultSMS's $0.99. Cyd also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.2). DefaultSMS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#130 vs unranked). 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

Cyd is free to download; DefaultSMS costs $0.99 up front. Cyd sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year. DefaultSMS asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DefaultSMS ships an update every 3 weeks, Cyd weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
DefaultSMS versus Cyd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDefaultSMSCyd
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#130 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.216.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVincent NeoLockdown Systems

In-app purchases

None

DefaultSMS

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cyd

Subscriptions1
  • Cyd Premium Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is DefaultSMS free?
DefaultSMS costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cyd free?
Cyd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DefaultSMS or Cyd have ads?
Neither DefaultSMS nor Cyd shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DefaultSMS or Cyd?
DefaultSMS ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cyd weekly. Most recently, DefaultSMS was updated on November 6, 2026 and Cyd on October 31, 2026.

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