Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | 46elks | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Estonian omnichannel business messaging platform with a single API for SMS, WhatsApp, and Viber (plus RCS in select markets), reaching 197+ countries. |
| Founded | 2011 | 2013 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 10-50 | 11-50 |
| HQ city | Uppsala | Tallinn |
| HQ country | Sweden (EU) | Estonia (EU) |
What's the differenceMessente edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (54 vs 33). 46elks is private and headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden (EU); Messente is private and based in Tallinn, Estonia (EU).
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | 46elks | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | Yes | No |
| RCS | No | Yes |
| No | Yes | |
| Viber | No | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | No | No |
| Voice | Yes | No |
| No | No |
What's the differenceThey share 1 channels. 46elks additionally offers MMS, Voice, while Messente additionally offers RCS, WhatsApp, Viber.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | 46elks | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | Free test credits on signup |
| Docs quality | med | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | — | Python, Node.js, PHP, Java, Ruby, C# |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | No |
| API types | REST | REST, SMPP |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Messente adds Python, Node.js, PHP, Java, Ruby, C#; 46elks offers Sandbox / test env, while Messente does not; on API types, Messente adds SMPP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | 46elks | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | No |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | No | Yes |
| SOC 2 | No | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceMessente offers ISO 27001, while 46elks does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | 46elks | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| 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). | Not publicly documented in detail for message content. Messente's data handling policy sets general retention of 1 year after contact without a business relationship or 2 years after the end of a business relationship; message data processed on customers' behalf is retained per each customer's Data Processing Agreement, with custom message retention periods offered as a feature. Data is stored only in EU data centres (Germany and Finland) with an EU-based, EU-owned cloud provider. |
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). Messente: Not publicly documented in detail for message content. Messente's data handling policy sets general retention of 1 year after contact without a business relationship or 2 years after the end of a business relationship; message data processed on customers' behalf is retained per each customer's Data Processing Agreement, with custom message retention periods offered as a feature. Data is stored only in EU data centres (Germany and Finland) with an EU-based, EU-owned cloud provider.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | 46elks | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go per message/minute from a prepaid account balance, with no startup fees and no minimum monthly costs. | Quote-based commitment plans (Essential/Professional/Enterprise) pairing a monthly fee with per-country message prices for 25K+ monthly volumes, plus an SMS-only pay-as-you-go option with a minimum monthly spend of 500 euros. |
| SMS starting price | €0.047 per SMS part to Sweden (ex VAT); prices vary by destination country | Not published (per-country prices shown via on-site pricing calculator; quotes tailored by volume and market) |
| Free developer credit | No | Free test credits on signup |
What's the difference46elks and Messente are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | 46elks | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 215 | 197 |
| Direct operator connections | No | Yes |
| 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 197 for Messente); Messente offers Direct operator connections, while 46elks does not.
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | 46elks | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 0.0 | 5.0 |
| G2 reviews | 0 | 2 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 10-50 | 11-50 |
What's the differenceMessente leads on G2 rating (5 vs 0 for 46elks); Messente leads on G2 reviews (2 vs 0 for 46elks).
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