# SMS vs SMS Forwarder

The clearest difference is rating: SMS Forwarder at 5.0 against SMS's 1.0. SMS Forwarder also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). SMS's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year and SMS Forwarder sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SMS Forwarder holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

SMS ships an update every 2 months, SMS Forwarder every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 1, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS | SMS Forwarder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder/id6755705891/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder-forwardly/id6761444629/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 44 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [慧君 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831145253) | [Sergei Neprimerov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840447095) |

## 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 |


### SMS Forwarder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder-forwardly/id6761444629)

Automatically forward incoming SMS messages to your preferred destinations like email, Telegram, or Slack. Set up custom rules to filter messages by sender or keywords, ensuring you never miss important texts, OTPs, or 2FA codes.

**Highlights:** Automatic SMS forwarding, Forward to email, Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, Teams, Discord, Filter by sender and keywords, Schedule forwarding rules, OTP and 2FA code forwarding, On-device processing for privacy

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly plan | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Special offer | $17.99 | per year |
| Yearly offer | $34.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS free?

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

### Is SMS Forwarder free?

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

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

SMS Forwarder is rated higher. SMS averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while SMS Forwarder averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### 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 every 2 months, and SMS Forwarder every 5 days. Most recently, SMS was updated on September 1, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on August 29, 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.*