Comparison

SMS vs SMS Forwarder

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

Head to head
About

SMS

Send and receive SMS and MMS messages across your devices seamlessly. Your messages stay synced and accessible from your mobile device or web browser, using your existing phone number.

Highlights
  • Cross-device SMS and MMS sync
  • Cloud-based message storage
  • Seamless web browser access
  • Uses your existing phone number
  • Easy setup
Features
Read full description

Stay connected everywhere with SMS Plus — the easy way to send and receive SMS messages using your personal flip phone number. SMS Plus allows you to send and receive SMS and MMS messages across your devices seamlessly. Whether you're using your mobile device or a web browser, your messages stay synced and accessible whenever you need them. KEY FEATURES Cross-Device SMS Sync Send and receive SMS and MMS messages across supported devices. Cloud Integration Your messages stay in sync automatically, securely stored and accessible anytime. Easy Setup No technical skills needed — start syncing your messages in minutes. Use Your Own Number SMS Plus works with your existing flip phone number — just like your native SMS app.

About

SMS Forwarder

Features
Read full description

Never miss a text again! SMS Forwarder automatically forwards every SMS you receive to email, Telegram, WhatsApp, your favorite messaging platform - or straight to your own API. No manual copying, no missed messages. Built on Apple Shortcuts, SMS Forwarder runs as a native iOS automation. The moment an SMS arrives on your iPhone, the shortcut triggers, applies your forwarding rules, and routes the message to your chosen destination. Once it's configured, it runs hands-free! FORWARD YOUR SMS TO: Email - receive every text directly in your inbox, automatically Telegram - route messages to yourself or a group via a dedicated Telegram bot LINE - receive your SMS on LINE via the SMS Forwarder official account WhatsApp - forward texts to a WhatsApp contact or number of your choice Slack - pipe incoming SMS into any Slack channel, instantly Discord - deliver texts straight to a Discord channel Microsoft Teams - send incoming SMS to a Microsoft Teams channel via webhook Google Chat - NEW! Forward texts to a Google Chat space Zapier, Make & IFTTT - trigger your automations with every SMS Custom API - Send every incoming SMS as a JSON POST to any HTTPS endpoint you control - your server, your automations, your rules KEY FEATURES: Custom API destination - each text is delivered to your endpoint as a clean JSON POST, ready to parse and automate Forwarding rules - create rules that map specific senders or keywords to specific destinations AES-256 encryption - every text is encrypted on your iPhone before it's forwarded, and never stored Built-in test message flow - verify your setup works before relying on it Quick Setup - NEW! On iOS 27, add the ready-made forwarding shortcut in a few taps, then switch its automation on In-app Shortcuts onboarding - a step-by-step walkthrough gets you configured in under 5 minutes Native Apple approach - works entirely through Apple Shortcuts, using iOS the way it was designed Keyword filtering - Add filtering keywords to only forward messages that are necessary HOW IT WORKS: Install SMS Forwarder and open the app Follow the in-app guide to set up an Apple Shortcuts automation on your iPhone Add a forwarding rule - choose your destination (email, Telegram, LINE, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Zapier, Make, IFTTT or your own API) and set any filters Send a test SMS to confirm everything is working Most users are fully set up in under 5 minutes. PERFECT FOR: Travelers, expats and dual-SIM users - land abroad, switch to a travel eSIM, and still see every text sent to your main number: OTPs, bank alerts and delivery updates follow you on any device, in any country Developers and technical teams - point the Custom API destination at your own REST endpoint and every SMS arrives as structured JSON - trigger pipelines, log messages, feed bots, or integrate with internal tools Business owners and solopreneurs - receive client texts in Slack, Teams or email so nothing slips through while you're heads-down Anyone managing OTPs and 2FA codes - auto forward verification codes to email or Telegram so they're always within reach Frequent SMS forwarders - stop copy-pasting texts manually; let the automation handle it every time SMS backup - Backup and save all your important SMS messages in your email or desired destination PRIVACY: SMS Forwarder uses Apple Shortcuts to access your incoming SMS details so you have full control over which messages get forwarded. Every message is encrypted with AES-256 on your iPhone before it's sent, then delivered to the destinations you chose. We never store your message content or the sender's number - only a masked preview and the delivery status, so you can see your forwarding history. No account is needed. Terms of Service: https://hoholapps.com/apps/sms-forwarder/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://hoholapps.com/apps/sms-forwarder/privacy/ EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SMS4 screens
SMS Forwarder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SMS at none against SMS Forwarder's 4. SMS also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). SMS Forwarder's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price and ads 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

Both are free to download. SMS Forwarder sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. SMS asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SMS ships an update monthly, SMS Forwarder every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
SMS versus SMS Forwarder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMSSMS Forwarder
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTawlq. IncMehmed Ihsan Kahramanoglu

In-app purchases

None

SMS

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

SMS Forwarder

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$149.99

Questions

Is SMS free?
SMS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SMS Forwarder free?
SMS Forwarder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SMS or SMS Forwarder have ads?
Neither SMS nor SMS Forwarder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SMS or SMS Forwarder?
SMS ships an update monthly, and SMS Forwarder every 5 days. Most recently, SMS was updated on October 24, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on October 25, 2026.

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