# SMS vs PhoneLeash

The clearest difference is rating: PhoneLeash at 4.5 against SMS's 1.0. PhoneLeash also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year and PhoneLeash sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PhoneLeash holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

SMS ships an update every 2 months, PhoneLeash every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS | PhoneLeash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder/id6755705891/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoneleash-auto-sms-forwarder/id6760244996/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 44 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [慧君 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831145253) | [GEARANDROID LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883439676) |

## 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 |


### PhoneLeash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoneleash-auto-sms-forwarder/id6760244996)

Automatically forward incoming text messages from your iPhone to your email. Access texts from anywhere, receive alerts at work, or keep an archive of conversations. Your messages are encrypted and never sold.

**Highlights:** Automatic SMS forwarding to email, Access texts remotely, Receive alerts at work, International text access, Email archive of conversations, Encrypted message transit

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal OTP — Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Commercial OTP — Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Personal - Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Commercial Monthly | $25.99 | per month |
| Personal Semi-Annual | $38.99 | per 6 months |
| Personal Annual | $69.99 | per year |
| Commercial — Semi-Annual | $116.99 | per 6 months |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS free?

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

### Is PhoneLeash free?

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

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

PhoneLeash is rated higher. SMS averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while PhoneLeash averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do SMS or PhoneLeash have ads?

Neither SMS nor PhoneLeash shows ads.

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

SMS ships an update every 2 months, and PhoneLeash every 6 days. Most recently, SMS was updated on November 5, 2026 and PhoneLeash on October 31, 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.*