Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Attentive | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | 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. | Enterprise CPaaS and A2P messaging provider offering SMS, WhatsApp, Viber, RCS and email through a single API, plus messaging-hub and SMS-firewall services for mobile network operators. |
| Founded | 2016 | 2006 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 1,000-1,500 | 500-1,000 |
| HQ city | New York | Baar |
| HQ country | USA | Switzerland |
What's the differenceAttentive edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (40 vs 36). Attentive is private and headquartered in New York, USA; GMS is private and based in Baar, Switzerland.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Attentive | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | Yes | No |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| No | Yes | |
| Viber | No | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | No | No |
| Voice | No | No |
| Yes | Yes |
What's the differenceThey share 3 channels. Attentive additionally offers MMS, while GMS additionally offers WhatsApp, Viber.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Attentive | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | No | No |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
| Docs quality | med | med |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin), React Native | iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin) |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | No |
| API types | REST, GraphQL | REST |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Attentive adds React Native; Attentive offers Sandbox / test env, while GMS does not; on API types, Attentive adds GraphQL.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Attentive | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | No | Yes |
| US data residency | Yes | No |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | No | Yes |
| SOC 2 | Yes | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceGMS offers EU data residency, while Attentive does not; Attentive offers US data residency, while GMS does not; GMS offers ISO 27001, while Attentive does not; Attentive offers SOC 2, while GMS does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Attentive | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| Retention policy | 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. | Not publicly documented in detail. GMS's privacy notice states personal data is processed under EU GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and held at its Switzerland headquarters (recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection); no specific retention periods for message content or metadata are published. GMS also holds ISO/IEC 27701 (privacy information management) certification. |
What's the differenceAttentive: 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. GMS: Not publicly documented in detail. GMS's privacy notice states personal data is processed under EU GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and held at its Switzerland headquarters (recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection); no specific retention periods for message content or metadata are published. GMS also holds ISO/IEC 27701 (privacy information management) certification.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Attentive | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | 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. | Custom enterprise pricing negotiated with sales; no public self-service or per-message price list. |
| SMS starting price | Not published | Not published |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
What's the differenceAttentive and GMS are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Attentive | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 20 | 0 |
| Direct operator connections | No | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | No published SLA | 99.99% network availability (claimed; no formal SLA published) |
What's the differenceAttentive leads on Countries covered (20 vs 0 for GMS); GMS offers Direct operator connections, while Attentive does not.
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Attentive | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.5 | 0.0 |
| G2 reviews | 1,483 | 0 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 1,000-1,500 | 500-1,000 |
What's the differenceAttentive leads on G2 rating (4.5 vs 0 for GMS); Attentive leads on G2 reviews (1,483 vs 0 for GMS).
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