# SMS vs Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder at none against SMS's 2. SMS's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year. Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 1, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS | Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder/id6755705891/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 44 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [慧君 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831145253) | [Hadisur Rahman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1644913897) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forward-sms-sms-forwarder/id6759511643)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS free?

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

### Is Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder free?

Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SMS or Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder have ads?

Neither SMS nor Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMS or Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder?

SMS ships an update every 2 months, and Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder every 2 months. Most recently, SMS was updated on September 1, 2026 and Forward SMS | SMS Forwarder on September 22, 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.*