Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Clickatell | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud messaging and chat-commerce platform offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Apple Messages for Business APIs for businesses. | 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 | 2000 | 2006 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 500-1,000 |
| HQ city | Redwood City | Baar |
| HQ country | USA | Switzerland |
What's the differenceClickatell edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (61 vs 36). Clickatell is private and headquartered in Redwood City, USA; GMS is private and based in Baar, Switzerland.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Clickatell | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | No |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Viber | No | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | Yes | No |
| Voice | No | No |
| No | Yes |
What's the differenceThey share 3 channels. Clickatell additionally offers Apple Messages for Business, while GMS additionally offers Viber, Email.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | No |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
| Docs quality | high | med |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C# | iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin) |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | No |
| API types | REST, SMPP | REST |
What's the differenceClickatell offers Self-service onboarding, while GMS does not; on SDKs, Clickatell adds Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C#; GMS adds iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin); Clickatell offers Sandbox / test env, while GMS does not; on API types, Clickatell adds SMPP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Clickatell | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | No |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 | Yes | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceClickatell offers SOC 2, while GMS does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Clickatell | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| Retention policy | Not publicly documented in detail. Clickatell states it moved its data infrastructure to Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Ireland (EU) in 2018 and directs GDPR/data-protection queries to [email protected]; specific message content or metadata retention periods are not published. | 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 differenceClickatell: Not publicly documented in detail. Clickatell states it moved its data infrastructure to Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Ireland (EU) in 2018 and directs GDPR/data-protection queries to [email protected]; specific message content or metadata retention periods are not published. 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 | Clickatell | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Self-service prepaid pay-as-you-go credits, with quote-based enterprise plans (Connect, Interact, Transact) requiring sales contact. | Custom enterprise pricing negotiated with sales; no public self-service or per-message price list. |
| SMS starting price | $0.008 per SMS to the USA (published rate) | Not published |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
What's the differenceClickatell and GMS are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Clickatell | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 190 | 0 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | 99.90%–99.98% uptime (SLA, varies by plan) | 99.99% network availability (claimed; no formal SLA published) |
What's the differenceClickatell leads on Countries covered (190 vs 0 for GMS).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Clickatell | GMS |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.3 | 0.0 |
| G2 reviews | 2 | 0 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 500-1,000 |
What's the differenceClickatell leads on G2 rating (4.3 vs 0 for GMS); Clickatell leads on G2 reviews (2 vs 0 for GMS).
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