An imessage-exporter alternative, without Terminal.
Textlore is the best imessage-exporter alternative if you want a Mac app instead of Terminal, and imessage-exporter stays the better pick if you want free, scriptable or iPhone-backup exports.
Short answer
Textlore is the best imessage-exporter alternative if you want a Mac app instead of Terminal, and imessage-exporter stays the better pick if you want free, scriptable or iPhone-backup exports.
TL;DR
- imessage-exporter is free and open source (GPL-3.0). It exports text or HTML and runs on Mac, Linux and Windows.
- Textlore is a Mac app with a window. It adds Recs, Promises, search, PDF, CSV, Markdown and image export, and an archive that saves as you go.
- Textlore costs $20 until 28 October, then $39$39 once, for 2 Macs, with 14 days free.
- Keep imessage-exporter for iPhone backups, Linux, Windows and scripts.
4 options at a glance
| Option | Best for | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Textlore | A window with Recs, Promises, search and 6 export formats. | Paid after 14 days. Mac only, macOS 26. |
| imessage-exporter | Free, scriptable text and HTML exports. | Terminal. No search. No direct PDF. |
| Decipher TextMessage | Printing texts from iPhone backups, no Terminal. | $29.99. No Recs or Promises. |
| iMazing | Whole-phone backup, no Terminal. | Yearly subscription. |
Why people look for an imessage-exporter alternative
- Terminal is the barrier. You install it with Cargo or Homebrew and run commands with flags such as
-sand-efor dates. - It has no PDF. Its README says PDF export did not work in a reasonable way, and suggests printing the HTML from Safari.
- It runs once. You run it again for a fresh copy. Textlore saves new messages and photos on its own.
Textlore: a Mac app for the same database
Textlore is a Mac app that reads your Messages and WhatsApp for Mac history. Recs lists what friends told you to try, with their exact words, and Promises lists what you said you'd do for people, both found by Apple's on-device model on Macs with Apple Intelligence. It also searches every year as you type, keeps its own archive of messages and photos, and exports to 6 formats with phone numbers and emails hidden by default. It never sends, edits or deletes a message, and nothing leaves your Mac.
- Install and go. Drag it to Applications and switch on Full Disk Access. About 100,000 messages import in under a minute.
- Recs and Promises. imessage-exporter turns messages into files. Textlore reads them and lists what friends recommended and what you promised.
- Export with a preview. PDF, HTML, text, Markdown, CSV or an image, for a chat, a date range or a few messages you pick.
- Private by default. Phone numbers and emails are hidden until you switch them on.
What Textlore doesn't do
- It is Mac only, and needs macOS 26 or later.
- It reads the Messages history on your Mac, so your iPhone texts need Messages in iCloud switched on to get there.
- It reads Messages (iMessage, SMS and the other texts in it) and WhatsApp for Mac. It can't read an iPhone backup.
- Recs, Promises and Ask AI need a Mac with Apple Intelligence.
When imessage-exporter is the better pick
- You want free, open-source code you can read.
- You need to read an iPhone backup, including an encrypted one.
- You use Linux or Windows, or a Mac that cannot run macOS 26.
- You want to run exports on a schedule from a script.
Full table: Textlore vs imessage-exporter.
Questions
Is there a GUI for imessage-exporter?
imessage-exporter is a command-line tool. A Mac app such as Textlore reads the same Messages history in a window, with search, Recs, Promises and export.
Is imessage-exporter really free?
Yes. It is free, open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Can Textlore export HTML and text like imessage-exporter?
Yes. Textlore exports PDF, HTML, plain text, Markdown, CSV and an image.
Can Textlore read an iPhone backup like imessage-exporter?
No. Textlore reads the Messages history on your Mac. Switch on Messages in iCloud to get iPhone texts there.
Can I try Textlore before I pay?
Yes. Every feature is free for 14 days, with no account, no email and no card. After that it is a one-time purchase for 2 Macs. See the pricing page.
A window instead of a command line.
Download Textlore and open your Messages history in a minute. Free for 14 days.