SMS Forwarder vs Relay
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SMS Forwarder
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.
- 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
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SMS Forwarder is the easiest text message forwarding app for iPhone. Automatically forward SMS to Email, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, another phone number, or any custom webhook. Set up once and receive text messages on any device, anywhere. 100% PRIVATE — ON-DEVICE SMS FORWARDING Your messages never leave your iPhone. SMS Forwarder processes everything on-device with zero data stored on external servers. No tracking, no analytics — you stay in full control of your data. WHY CHOOSE SMS FORWARDER? - Forward SMS to Email Automatically forward text messages to your inbox. Perfect for keeping records of bank notifications, order confirmations, and important texts. - Forward OTP & 2FA Verification Codes Receive one-time passwords and 2FA verification codes on your laptop or work computer. Never miss time-sensitive SMS codes again. - Business SMS Forwarding Forward client messages to Slack, Discord, or Microsoft Teams instantly. Keep your team in the loop without sharing your personal phone number. - Forward SMS While Traveling Access text messages from your second phone or local SIM card while abroad. Stay connected to important SMS notifications globally. - Remote Work & Multi-Device Forward text messages to any device. Receive important SMS notifications on your computer, tablet, or another phone wherever you are. FORWARD SMS TO 8 PLATFORMS Email • Telegram • Slack • Discord • Microsoft Teams • WhatsApp • Another Phone • Custom API/Webhook SMART SMS FILTERING & FORWARDING RULES • Create unlimited text message forwarding rules • Filter SMS by sender name, phone number, or message content • Schedule forwarding for specific days and time ranges • Test SMS forwarding before activating POPULAR SMS FORWARDING USE CASES • Forward bank SMS notifications to email for record-keeping • Receive 2FA verification codes on your work computer • Auto forward delivery and order updates to Telegram • Route customer text messages to your Slack workspace • Forward OTP codes to another device while traveling abroad • Share appointment reminders with family via WhatsApp • Integrate SMS into business automation via webhooks and API HOW SMS FORWARDING WORKS 1. Create a forwarding rule — choose which text messages to forward and where 2. Set filters — filter by sender, message content, or schedule (optional) 3. Set up iOS Shortcuts — follow our simple video guide, and you're done PRICING Free: Try SMS forwarding with a limited number of messages Premium: Unlimited text message forwarding to all platforms Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled 24+ hours before the period ends. Manage in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Download SMS Forwarder now and stop missing important text messages. Video tutorials and support available in-app. Privacy Policy: https://smsforwardingapp.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://smsforwardingapp.com/terms
Relay
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Get every text you wish to the place where you actually need it. Relay automatically forwards the iPhone messages that you choose to Telegram, WhatsApp, Email, Slack, and other destinations. One Apple Shortcut. Set up in 60 seconds. Runs forever. Advanced features like Quiet Hours, Duplicate Detection, Activity History, Approval, Smart Filters etc. makes Relay unique and powerful. REAL THINGS PEOPLE USE RELAY FOR Read OTPs on your laptop while your phone charges in another room. Get bank transaction alerts in Slack so your finance team sees them live. Forward delivery codes to WhatsApp so your partner can let the courier in when you are out. Mirror texts from a travel SIM to your primary chat when you are abroad. Share OTPs with a parent or partner who needs them across devices. Pipe verification codes into a private Telegram chat for searchable history. Send incoming SMS to your own webhook for automations like n8n, Make, or Zapier. Keep delivery, banking, and personal texts visible on your work computer without picking up the phone. WHERE YOU CAN FORWARD Telegram, with one tap pairing or your own bot WhatsApp, forwarding to a contact with one tap to confirm Email, any inbox: Gmail, Outlook, ProtonMail, custom domains Slack, post to any channel via webhook Discord, post to any channel via webhook Microsoft Teams, post via Power Automate flow Webhook, any URL for your own tooling Phone, forward to another iPhone via Shortcuts Free includes up to 3 destinations. Relay Pro unlocks unlimited - send the same text to multiple places at once. SMART ROUTING Decide where each kind of message goes. Bank alerts to email. OTPs to Telegram. Delivery codes to WhatsApp. Personal texts stay private. Filter by category, sender, or keyword. Combine criteria with AND inside a rule and OR across rules. QUIET HOURS Pause forwarding to specific destinations during specific hours. No 3am Slack pings. Day of week control. Overnight windows handled cleanly. LIGHT TRANSFORMS Customize how forwarded texts read at the destination. Add the sender as a prefix. Strip promotional footers. Remove bracketed prefixes so the message arrives clean. YOUR MESSAGES STAY ON YOUR DEVICE Every SMS, every routing rule, and every classification result lives on your iPhone. Relay never uploads your message content to our servers and never shares it with anyone except the destinations you choose. No account, no sign-in, no profile, no cloud sync of your messages. HOW IT WORKS For Relay to work properly, you have to configure an automation using Apple Shortcuts for the app to get access to new incoming SMS. Relay cannot directly access your text messages or messaging history. When the Shortcut automation runs, the message content and sender name pass through Relay, classify on device, and forward only to the destinations you have pre-configured. You can even set up a confirmation step before anything is forwarded. Setup takes 60 seconds. Runs forever. Never needs touching again. RELAY PRO Relay is free to use. For advanced use cases, you can opt for a paid subscription of Relay Pro, which unlocks unlimited forwarding, unlimited destinations, unlimited smart-filter rules, and your full activity history. Multiple subscription plans are available — weekly, monthly, and annual, with a free trial on the annual plan. Pricing is shown in your local currency at checkout. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at purchase. Subscriptions auto-renew unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://relaysms.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://relaysms.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: SMS Forwarder at none against Relay's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. SMS Forwarder sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Relay sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SMS Forwarder ships an update every 2 weeks, Relay weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SMS Forwarder | Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (36 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 36 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alexey Sakharov | North Studio |
In-app purchases
SMS Forwarder
- Pro Version3 Days trial2 variants$7.997 Days
- Pro Version7 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Pro Version7 Days trial$39.991 Year
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- Pro Version7 Days trial$69.991 Year
Relay
- Relay Pro Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Relay Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
- Relay Pro Annual7 Days trial$89.991 Year
Questions
Is SMS Forwarder free?
Is Relay free?
Do SMS Forwarder or Relay have ads?
Which is updated more often, SMS Forwarder or Relay?
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