Comparison

SMS Sparrow 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 Sparrow

Automatically forward your SMS messages to WhatsApp, Telegram, or email in real-time. Set it up once and forget about it, ensuring you never miss important texts like 2FA codes or bank alerts. Enjoy privacy-first forwarding with no ads.

Highlights
  • Real-time SMS forwarding
  • Forward to WhatsApp, Telegram, or Email
  • Set up once, runs automatically
  • Privacy-first, messages not stored
  • No ads
  • Simple 2-minute setup
Features
Read full description

Never miss an important text message again. SMS Sparrow forwards your SMS to WhatsApp, Telegram, or Email — automatically and in real-time. SET UP ONCE, FORGET ABOUT IT SMS Sparrow runs quietly using iOS Shortcuts and delivers your text messages to your chosen destination instantly. THREE DESTINATIONS, YOUR CHOICE - WhatsApp — read SMS in the app you use most - Telegram — keep all notifications in one place - Email — archive important messages securely WHY SMS SPARROW - Real-time delivery in seconds - Privacy first — messages are forwarded, never stored - No ads — ever - Simple 2-minute setup - Free plan to get started PERFECT FOR - 2FA codes and verification messages - Bank alerts and service notifications while traveling - Accessing SMS without a SIM card nearby Your messages are encrypted in transit and never stored on our servers. GDPR compliant. SMS Sparrow is for personal use only.

About

SMS Forwarder

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
Read full description

Forwardly automatically forwards your incoming SMS to the destinations you choose — so you never miss an important text while away, traveling, or working from another device.Set up a rule in under a minute. Forwardly runs in the background and delivers messages where you need them — email, Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, or another phone number. FORWARD SMS TO ANYWHERE YOU WORK – Email — Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, or any address – Telegram — personal chats or group channels – WhatsApp — individual or shared conversations – Slack — route alerts to your workspace channels – Microsoft Teams — keep your team in the loop – Discord — forward to any server or DM – Another phone number — SMS relay to any number SMART RULES. TOTAL CONTROL. – Filter by sender — forward only from specific contacts – Filter by keywords — match "OTP", "code", "verify", or any word – Schedule forwarding — active only during work hours or weekdays – Multiple rules — separate rules for each destination – Test before enabling — verify delivery works first – Instant toggle — pause or resume any rule with one tap BUILT FOR OTP & 2FA CODES – Auto-forward OTP and 2FA codes to a shared inbox – Never lose access because the code landed on the wrong device – Route verification texts from banks and payment apps – Works with codes from any sender IDEAL FOR BUSINESS & TEAMS Forward bank alerts to a shared email or Slack channel Route delivery and appointment notifications automatically Manage a secondary SIM without carrying two devices Keep your team updated on critical messages YOUR PRIVACY IS NON-NEGOTIABLE – All processing happens on your device – Message content is never uploaded or stored on our servers – No analytics on message content – Uses only Apple-approved, iOS-native methods FAQ Can I forward SMS to email on iPhone? Yes — Forwardly forwards SMS to any email automatically. Can I forward OTP codes to my team? Yes — use keyword filters to route codes to a shared inbox or Slack. Does Forwardly store my messages? No — all processing is on your device. Nothing is uploaded. Do I need to keep the app open? Your iPhone needs to be on and connected. The app runs in the background. SUBSCRIPTION Forwardly offers a free tier. Premium unlocks: – Unlimited forwarding rules – Advanced keyword and sender filters – Custom schedules – Priority support Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before renewal. Manage in Apple ID Settings > Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://fwrdly.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://fwrdly.app/privacy WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, and Microsoft Teams are trademarks of their respective owners.

Screenshots

SMS Sparrow4 screens
SMS Forwarder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SMS Sparrow at 5.0 against SMS Forwarder's 4.0. SMS Sparrow also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). SMS Forwarder's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price and ads 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 Forwarder sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. SMS Sparrow asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SMS Sparrow holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SMS Sparrow versus SMS Forwarder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMS SparrowSMS Forwarder
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews—50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequency—Every 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEvgeny YusovSergei Neprimerov

In-app purchases

None

SMS Sparrow

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

SMS Forwarder

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly plan$3.997 Days
  • Special offer$17.991 Year
  • Yearly offer$34.991 Year

Questions

Is SMS Sparrow free?
SMS Sparrow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SMS Forwarder free?
SMS Forwarder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SMS Sparrow or SMS Forwarder?
SMS Sparrow is rated higher. SMS Sparrow averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while SMS Forwarder averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do SMS Sparrow or SMS Forwarder have ads?
Neither SMS Sparrow nor SMS Forwarder shows ads.

Other comparisons