Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | 46elks | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Email-to-SMS gateway that lets US and Canadian businesses send and receive text messages from Gmail, Outlook, or any email client by addressing an email to a phone-number address. |
| Founded | 2011 | 2019 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 10-50 | 11-50 |
| HQ city | Uppsala | Mesa |
| HQ country | Sweden (EU) | USA |
What's the difference46elks edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (33 vs 17). 46elks is private and headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden (EU); TextBolt is private and based in Mesa, USA.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | 46elks | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | Yes | No |
| RCS | No | No |
| No | No | |
| Viber | No | No |
| 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.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | 46elks | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
| Docs quality | med | low |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | — | — |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | No |
| API types | REST | SMTP |
What's the difference46elks offers Sandbox / test env, while TextBolt does not; on API types, 46elks adds REST; TextBolt adds SMTP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | 46elks | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | No |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | No |
| ISO 27001 | No | No |
| SOC 2 | No | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the difference46elks offers EU data residency, while TextBolt does not; TextBolt offers US data residency, while 46elks does not; 46elks offers GDPR, while TextBolt does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | 46elks | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| 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). | Per the privacy policy, SMS message history is retained for 12 months from the date sent/received, with delivery status tracked via Twilio callbacks; a calendar-event cache is kept 90 days after the event date, and account data is retained while active plus 30 days after deletion. Servers are located in the United States. |
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). TextBolt: Per the privacy policy, SMS message history is retained for 12 months from the date sent/received, with delivery status tracked via Twilio callbacks; a calendar-event cache is kept 90 days after the event date, and account data is retained while active plus 30 days after deletion. Servers are located in the United States.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | 46elks | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go per message/minute from a prepaid account balance, with no startup fees and no minimum monthly costs. | Monthly subscription plans (Basic $29, Standard $49, Professional $99, plus custom Enterprise) that each include a set allowance of SMS-segment credits, with automatic per-segment overage billing. |
| SMS starting price | €0.047 per SMS part to Sweden (ex VAT); prices vary by destination country | $0.030 per SMS segment (Enterprise 5,000+ credits/mo, US/Canada); $0.058/segment on the $29/mo Basic plan |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
What's the difference46elks and TextBolt are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | 46elks | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 215 | 2 |
| Direct operator connections | No | No |
| Published uptime SLA | No published uptime SLA (business-hours support SLA only; extended SLA available on request) | 99.9% (Enterprise plan) |
What's the difference46elks leads on Countries covered (215 vs 2 for TextBolt).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | 46elks | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| G2 reviews | 0 | 0 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 10-50 | 11-50 |
What's the difference46elks and TextBolt are closely matched on company & trust — no material differences in the tracked fields.
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