# SMS vs Relay

The clearest difference is ads: SMS at none against Relay's shown. Relay's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SMS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year 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 ships an update every 2 months, Relay weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMS | Relay |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 44 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [慧君 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831145253) | [North Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896510509) |

## 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 |


### Relay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relay-sms-forwarding/id6767809269)

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Relay Pro Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Relay Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Relay Pro Annual | $89.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMS free?

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

### Is Relay free?

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

### Do SMS or Relay have ads?

Relay shows ads; SMS does not.

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

SMS ships an update every 2 months, and Relay weekly. Most recently, SMS was updated on October 2, 2026 and Relay on October 9, 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.*