Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | 46elks | Attentive |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Swedish telecom API platform ("telecom infrastructure for the web") for sending and receiving SMS and MMS, making and receiving phone calls, and managing virtual phone numbers. | AI-powered SMS, MMS, RCS, email, and push marketing platform for consumer brands, with REST and GraphQL APIs for subscriber management and event-triggered messaging rather than direct message sending. |
| Founded | 2011 | 2016 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 10-50 | 1,000-1,500 |
| HQ city | Uppsala | New York |
| HQ country | Sweden (EU) | USA |
What's the differenceAttentive edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (40 vs 33). 46elks is private and headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden (EU); Attentive is private and based in New York, USA.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | 46elks | Attentive |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | Yes | Yes |
| RCS | No | Yes |
| No | No | |
| Viber | No | No |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | No | No |
| Voice | Yes | No |
| No | Yes |
What's the differenceThey share 2 channels. 46elks additionally offers Voice, while Attentive additionally offers RCS, Email.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | 46elks | Attentive |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | No |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
| Docs quality | med | med |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | — | iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin), React Native |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | Yes |
| API types | REST | REST, GraphQL |
What's the difference46elks offers Self-service onboarding, while Attentive does not; on SDKs, Attentive adds iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin), React Native; on API types, Attentive adds GraphQL.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | 46elks | Attentive |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | No |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | No | No |
| SOC 2 | No | Yes |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the difference46elks offers EU data residency, while Attentive does not; Attentive offers US data residency, while 46elks does not; Attentive offers SOC 2, while 46elks does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | 46elks | Attentive |
|---|---|---|
| Retention policy | Not publicly documented in detail. 46elks' data protection policy states that personal data stays inside the EU on servers owned by 46elks and that system backups are stored for a maximum of 14 days; specific retention periods for message content and metadata are not published, and the service operates under EU ePrivacy directive 2002/58/EG and Swedish telecom law (LEK 2022:482, PTS rules). | No fixed retention periods are published; the privacy policy states personal information is retained "for as long as necessary to provide our Service or as needed to comply with applicable legal obligations." EU/UK/Swiss consumer data is transferred to and processed in the United States under the EU-U.S., UK Extension, and Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Frameworks. |
What's the difference46elks: Not publicly documented in detail. 46elks' data protection policy states that personal data stays inside the EU on servers owned by 46elks and that system backups are stored for a maximum of 14 days; specific retention periods for message content and metadata are not published, and the service operates under EU ePrivacy directive 2002/58/EG and Swedish telecom law (LEK 2022:482, PTS rules). Attentive: No fixed retention periods are published; the privacy policy states personal information is retained "for as long as necessary to provide our Service or as needed to comply with applicable legal obligations." EU/UK/Swiss consumer data is transferred to and processed in the United States under the EU-U.S., UK Extension, and Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Frameworks.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | 46elks | Attentive |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go per message/minute from a prepaid account balance, with no startup fees and no minimum monthly costs. | Custom-quoted, usage-based subscription priced on message volume, subscriber list size, channels, and premium AI add-ons; no self-serve signup or published per-message rates. |
| SMS starting price | €0.047 per SMS part to Sweden (ex VAT); prices vary by destination country | Not published |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
What's the difference46elks and Attentive are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | 46elks | Attentive |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 215 | 20 |
| Direct operator connections | No | No |
| Published uptime SLA | No published uptime SLA (business-hours support SLA only; extended SLA available on request) | No published SLA |
What's the difference46elks leads on Countries covered (215 vs 20 for Attentive).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | 46elks | Attentive |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 0.0 | 4.5 |
| G2 reviews | 0 | 1,483 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 10-50 | 1,000-1,500 |
What's the differenceAttentive leads on G2 rating (4.5 vs 0 for 46elks); Attentive leads on G2 reviews (1,483 vs 0 for 46elks).
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