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

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
Read full description

SMS Forwarder - Auto Forward SMS, OTP & 2FA Codes to Email, Telegram & Webhook! Core Features: - Keyword Matching - Support multiple keywords, accurately match SMS to forward - OTP & 2FA Forwarding - Automatically forward verification codes and two-factor auth SMS - Multi-Channel Forwarding - Forward to Email, Telegram or custom Webhook - Webhook Templates - Built-in formats for DingTalk, Feishu, WeCom, Slack, Discord and more - Failure Alerts - Get a local notification when forwarding fails - Local Device Processing - All forwarding rules are stored locally, SMS goes straight to your own email or channels - Secure and Reliable - Built on iOS Shortcuts, no SMS content leakage Perfect For: * Auto-forward Verification Codes - Automatically forward various verification codes to email for archiving * Important Notification Monitoring - Auto-forward important SMS from banks, logistics, etc. * Separate Work and Life - Forward work-related SMS to work email, keep life SMS on phone * Multi-device Sync - View SMS on multiple devices via email * Information Backup - Auto-backup important SMS to email, prevent phone loss * Group Notification Sync - Forward important SMS to DingTalk, Feishu or Telegram groups via Webhook Privacy Promise: No personal data • No SMS uploads • No registration Premium Plans: Lifetime Membership - Unlock all features permanently - Pay once, use forever - No subscription needed, incredible value Annual Subscription - Auto-renewable yearly subscription - Full access to all premium features - Flexible, cancel anytime Free Trial - 3-day free trial with full features Terms & Policies - User Agreement: http://rule.linkfun.top/25A6/user-agreement.html?lang=en - Privacy Policy: http://rule.linkfun.top/25A6/privacy-policy.html?lang=en - Disclaimer: http://rule.linkfun.top/25A6/disclaimer.html?lang=en - End User License Agreement (EULA): http://rule.linkfun.top/25A6/eula.html?lang=en

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 Custom API - NEW! 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 Privacy-first design - all processing happens by encryption Built-in test message flow - verify your setup works before relying on it 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 Personalized experience - Personalize your SMS forwarding experience for your own needs 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 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 the control on which SMS messages will be forwarded. The app or the whole automation flow does not store your message content - what you forward goes directly from SMS Forwarder to your chosen destination in an encrypted flow. Terms of Service: https://ayazmon.github.io/SMS-Forwarder/terms_of_service/ Privacy Policy: https://ayazmon.github.io/SMS-Forwarder/privacy_policy/ EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SMS3 screens
SMS Forwarder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SMS Forwarder at every 4 days against SMS's every 2 months. On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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 $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SMS ships an update every 2 months, SMS Forwarder every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 1, 2026 and August 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
SMS versus SMS Forwarder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMSSMS Forwarder
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer慧君 李Mehmed Ihsan Kahramanoglu

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SMS

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$7.99
3 purchases

SMS Forwarder

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$149.99

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.
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 4 days. Most recently, SMS was updated on September 1, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on August 24, 2026.

Other comparisons