Comparison

SMSNode vs SMS Forwarder

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SMSNode

Features
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SMSNode is a cross-platform client for managing hardware SMS gateways and SIM cards through a convenient, modern chat interface. Key Features: Unified Chat Interface: send and receive SMS through your gateways as easily as in a regular messenger. Contact Management: organize your address book, create groups, and manage conversations efficiently. SIM & Gateway Control: monitor your GSM equipment (GoIP and others) directly from your device. Admin Tools: manage user permissions, gateway status, and routing rules on the go. Modern Design: full Material 3 support and dark mode. IMPORTANT: This is a client-side app. It REQUIRES a self-hosted SMSNodeBackend server. Without your own server, the app runs in Demo Mode only, letting you explore the interface on our test environment. Lawful use only. You are solely responsible for the connected equipment, SIM cards, and the content and legality of the messages you send, including obtaining recipients' consent. Any unlawful use โ€” spam, fraud, or caller-ID spoofing โ€” is prohibited. Perfect for privacy-conscious individuals and businesses who want full control over their SMS communication and hardware.

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

SMSNode4 screens
SMS Forwarder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SMSNode at none against SMS Forwarder's 3. SMS Forwarder's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. SMS Forwarder sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SMSNode asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SMSNode ships an update monthly, SMS Forwarder every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
SMSNode versus SMS Forwarder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMSNodeSMS Forwarder
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.217.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size37 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVasilii MarfinMehmed Ihsan Kahramanoglu

In-app purchases

None

SMSNode

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

SMS Forwarder

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

Questions

Is SMSNode free?
SMSNode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SMS Forwarder free?
SMS Forwarder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SMSNode or SMS Forwarder have ads?
Neither SMSNode nor SMS Forwarder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SMSNode or SMS Forwarder?
SMSNode ships an update monthly, and SMS Forwarder every 4 days. Most recently, SMSNode was updated on September 19, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on September 22, 2026.

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