Decipher TextMessage Alternatives: What to Use If You Also Need the Call Log

The Short Answer: Keep Decipher for Texts, Look Elsewhere for Calls

If you only need text messages on paper, you don't need an alternative. Decipher TextMessageis $29.99 one-time as of October 1, 2026, runs on Windows and Mac, and does that one job well. Look for an alternative if you also need the call log, want calls and texts in a single document, or would rather not install software. Decipher's TextMessage page doesn't list call history; the call log comes from a separate Decipher product, Decipher Backup Browser, so you end up with two purchases and two files to combine by hand.

The right Decipher TextMessage alternative depends on what you need. For calls and texts in one exhibit, Exhibit A has a free watermarked tier and runs in a browser tab on Windows or as a Mac app; on Windows the calls come from an encrypted iPhone backup, and the app asks for the backup password. iMazing and TouchCopy are device managers that export both, as separate exports. TextPort runs on the iPhone, and its listing mentions texts and chat apps, not calls. For the full three-way price table, see our Decipher vs. iMazing vs. TouchCopy comparison; the table below covers only the call-history gap.

What Decipher TextMessage Does Well

Checked on the vendor's own pages on October 1, 2026:

• Price: $29.99 one-time, no subscription, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Platforms and formats: Windows and Mac; exports PDF, CSV, HTML, and TXT.
• Coverage: iMessage, SMS, RCS, and MMS, with contact names, timestamps, and photo and video attachments. Its page also says it can recover deleted messages, which depends on what is still in your backup.
• Backups: it works from a backup on your computer, and its page says it is compatible with encrypted backup formats.

For a messages-only job it is a one-time $29.99, handles photo and video attachments that Exhibit A doesn't, and is marketed for exactly this use. Nothing below is an argument against it for that. We haven't run every export ourselves, so open the PDF and check it against the list further down.

The Three Gaps People Hit

These aren't flaws so much as the edges of what the product is for.

1. No call history. The TextMessage page covers messages only. Decipher sells the call log separately as Decipher Backup Browser, also $29.99 on its page as of October 1, 2026 — about $60 for both. That page describes viewing and saving the call log but doesn't state an export format, so check what file you get.
2. Two files to merge. Texts in one document and calls in another means lining them up yourself. In a custody case the sequence is often the point: the 6:02 text, then the 6:04 call nobody answered.
3. A backup first. Decipher reads a backup, not the phone. On Windows that means a backup made in iTunes or the Apple Devices app (see how to back up an iPhone with the Apple Devices app), which can take a while the first time. Texts are in either kind of backup. Call history is different: Apple's support article 108353 lists call history among the things an encrypted backup includes that an unencrypted one doesn't, so tick "Encrypt local backup," set a password you'll remember, and write it down, because Apple says a forgotten password means earlier encrypted backups can't be used. Our post on whether an iPhone backup includes call history has the details.

Alternatives, by What You Need

• Calls and texts in one document, no install on Windows: Exhibit A, described in its own section below.
• A full device manager: iMazing (Windows and Mac) exports messages as PDF, Excel/CSV, or TXT and call logs as Excel or CSV, from a connected device or a backup, per its site. It does more than Decipher because it manages the whole phone. Its store page showed an error when we loaded it on October 1, 2026, so check current pricing.
• No backup, phone plugged in: TouchCopy reads an iPhone connected by USB or Wi-Fi, on Windows or Mac. It exports messages as PDF, HTML, CSV, or plain text with attached photos and videos, and copies call logs with each call's date and duration. It's sold as a lifetime license for two PCs or 12-month and 6-month licenses for one; its page showed no figures when we loaded it, so check current pricing.
• A Windows-only manager: CopyTrans Contacts exports SMS, iMessage, and WhatsApp threads, with attachments, to PDF, Word, Excel, text, CSV, or HTML. Its page doesn't list call history and shows no price, so check current pricing.
• Phone only, no computer: TextPort is a free iPhone download, but its App Store listing says a subscription is required to export; as of October 1, 2026 it lists weekly plans from $4.99, $14.99 monthly, and annual plans from $49.99. The listing says it reads a conversation through Apple's Shortcuts app and mentions texts and chat apps, not calls. It also has a desktop companion for Mac and Windows that reads iPhone backups. The phone app is the only option here with no computer and no backup.

The Call-History Gap, Side by Side (Checked October 1, 2026)

Prices are what each vendor's site displayed on October 1, 2026; where none was shown, check current pricing. CopyTrans Contacts is left out because its page doesn't list call history. Feature notes come from the vendors' own descriptions, and we haven't tested every export. The full price and feature table is in our three-way comparison.

Checklist: Does Every Message Carry Its Own Date and Time?

Whichever tool you pick, open the finished PDF and check these before you rely on it:

• Every message has its own date and time, not one timestamp at the top of the day.
• Both sides are attributed by name or number, not just by bubble color.
• The thread is complete and in order. Compare the first message, the last, and a few in the middle against the phone.
• The header identifies the exhibit: whose phone, which contact, what date range, with page numbers.
• If calls are included, each shows direction, time, duration, and outcome.

Keep the backup you made the printout from. Rules vary by state and by judge, so ask your attorney or the court clerk what your court expects.

Where Exhibit A Fits, and Where It Doesn't

Exhibit A turns the call history and iMessages in an iPhone backup into a court-formatted PDF exhibit: a color-coded calendar, then a per-day log with every call and message on one timeline. The Mac app (free at /download) reads the Mac's own call and message records. On Windows or any computer, the browser app at getexhibita.com/app reads an iPhone backup folder locally: nothing is uploaded and there's no account. The free tier exports the full exhibit with a watermark. A clean copy is $39 one-time for a 90-day Case Pass, $14/month for Pro, or $149 for lifetime, with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a self-serve refund at getexhibita.com/manage.

Calls from a backup have a condition. Apple includes call history only in an encryptediPhone backup, so the browser app asks for the backup password and decrypts the databases inside your browser tab. Give it an unencrypted backup and you get a messages-only exhibit, and the app tells you so. If you forget the backup password, Apple's article says you can reset it, but you won't be able to use earlier encrypted backups.

The limits are real. It exports one contact at a time. It labels calls Connected, Missed, or Denied, but "Denied" is inferred from an unanswered outgoing call, because iOS doesn't record whether a call was actively declined. It is built around the text of messages rather than photo attachments, where Decipher's page lists photos and videos. And it's not a law firm: nothing here is legal advice, no export from any tool is admissible on its own, and evidence rules vary by state and judge. Show your attorney, or the court clerk if you represent yourself, the format before you rely on it.

FAQ

Does Decipher TextMessage export call history?

No. Decipher's TextMessage page covers text messages, iMessages, SMS, RCS, and MMS, and doesn't list call history. Decipher sells the call log separately as Decipher Backup Browser, which its page describes as viewing and saving the iPhone call log; both were listed at $29.99 on October 1, 2026. Apple keeps call history only in encrypted iPhone backups, so a backup-based tool needs an encrypted backup and its password to read the call log. Exhibit A puts calls and messages in one exhibit; its browser app opens an encrypted backup after you type the backup password.

Is Decipher TextMessage a one-time purchase?

Yes. As of October 1, 2026, the vendor's page lists $29.99 as a one-time price with no recurring fees or subscriptions, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. That covers TextMessage only; the call log is a separate Decipher product, Decipher Backup Browser, also listed at $29.99. Check current pricing before you buy.

Does Decipher TextMessage work on Windows, and do I need a backup first?

It works on Windows and Mac, and yes, it reads an iPhone backup on your computer, so you make one first. On Windows that means a backup made in iTunes or the Apple Devices app. Texts are in either kind of backup, and the vendor says Decipher is compatible with encrypted ones. If you want no backup step, TouchCopy and iMazing can read a connected phone, TextPort runs on the iPhone itself, and the Exhibit A Mac app reads the Mac's own call and message records.

Is there a free alternative to Decipher TextMessage?

Exhibit A's free tier exports the full court-formatted exhibit with a watermark, in a browser tab on Windows or from the free Mac app; a clean copy is $39 one-time for 90 days from purchase. TextPort is a free download, but its App Store listing says exporting needs a subscription. For a handful of messages, screenshots with the timestamps showing cost nothing.

Can I put texts and calls in the same PDF?

Yes, with Exhibit A, which lays calls and messages on one timeline in one PDF exhibit: a color-coded calendar followed by a per-day log. On Windows the calls come from an encrypted iPhone backup, and the browser app asks for the backup password and decrypts it in your browser tab; an unencrypted backup gives a messages-only exhibit, and the app says so. As far as their pages describe, the other tools covered here either leave calls out or export them separately from messages, so you would combine them yourself. Exhibit A exports one contact at a time.