Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Clickatell | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud messaging and chat-commerce platform offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Apple Messages for Business APIs for businesses. | Multi-channel marketing and messaging platform offering email, SMS, web push, and chatbots (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Facebook Messenger, Instagram) through a unified interface and REST API. |
| Founded | 2000 | 2015 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 51-200 |
| HQ city | Redwood City | New York |
| HQ country | USA | USA |
What's the differenceSendPulse edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (63 vs 61). Clickatell is private and headquartered in Redwood City, USA; SendPulse is private and based in New York, USA.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Clickatell | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | No |
| RCS | Yes | No |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Viber | No | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | No | Yes |
| Telegram | No | Yes |
| Apple Messages for Business | Yes | No |
| Voice | No | No |
| No | Yes |
What's the differenceThey share 2 channels. Clickatell additionally offers RCS, Apple Messages for Business, while SendPulse additionally offers Viber, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Email.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | Free plan (15,000 emails/mo) + 10 test SMS |
| Docs quality | high | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C# | PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, Node.js, C# |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | No |
| API types | REST, SMPP | REST, SMTP |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, SendPulse adds Ruby; Clickatell offers Sandbox / test env, while SendPulse does not; on API types, Clickatell adds SMPP; SendPulse adds SMTP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Clickatell | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | No |
| SOC 2 | Yes | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceSendPulse offers US data residency, while Clickatell does not; Clickatell offers ISO 27001, while SendPulse does not; Clickatell offers SOC 2, while SendPulse does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Clickatell | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Personal data is retained for as long as needed to provide the services or to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Servers are located in the United States and Germany with redundant, backed-up storage; under GDPR users can access, export, or request deletion of their data, and all account data is permanently deleted when an account is terminated. |
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. SendPulse: Personal data is retained for as long as needed to provide the services or to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Servers are located in the United States and Germany with redundant, backed-up storage; under GDPR users can access, export, or request deletion of their data, and all account data is permanently deleted when an account is terminated.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Self-service prepaid pay-as-you-go credits, with quote-based enterprise plans (Connect, Interact, Transact) requiring sales contact. | Pay-as-you-go for SMS (priced per message by destination country); free-forever plan plus paid monthly subscription tiers for email and other channels. |
| SMS starting price | $0.008 per SMS to the USA (published rate) | €0.01 per SMS (e.g. Colombia, Turkey) |
| Free developer credit | No | Free plan (15,000 emails/mo) + 10 test SMS |
What's the differenceClickatell and SendPulse are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Clickatell | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 190 | 200 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | No |
| Published uptime SLA | 99.90%–99.98% uptime (SLA, varies by plan) | No published SLA |
What's the differenceSendPulse leads on Countries covered (200 vs 190 for Clickatell); Clickatell offers Direct operator connections, while SendPulse does not.
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Clickatell | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| G2 reviews | 2 | 714 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 51-200 |
What's the differenceSendPulse leads on G2 rating (4.6 vs 4.3 for Clickatell); SendPulse leads on G2 reviews (714 vs 2 for Clickatell).
Still deciding? Read the quickstart guides: