Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Clickatell | Sinch |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud messaging and chat-commerce platform offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Apple Messages for Business APIs for businesses. | Cloud communications platform for messaging, voice, and email APIs |
| Founded | 2000 | 2008 |
| Ownership | private | public |
| Employees | 250-500 | 3,000-5,000 |
| HQ city | Redwood City | Stockholm |
| HQ country | USA | Sweden (EU) |
What's the differenceSinch edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (92 vs 61). Clickatell is private and headquartered in Redwood City, USA; Sinch is public and based in Stockholm, Sweden (EU).
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Clickatell | Sinch |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | Yes |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Viber | No | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | No | Yes |
| Telegram | No | Yes |
| Apple Messages for Business | Yes | Yes |
| Voice | No | Yes |
| No | Yes |
What's the differenceThey share 4 channels. Sinch additionally offers MMS, Viber, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Voice, Email.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | Sinch |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | Yes |
| Docs quality | high | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C# | Java, Python, C#, Node.js, PHP |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | Yes |
| API types | REST, SMPP | REST, SMTP, SMPP |
What's the differenceOn API types, Sinch adds SMTP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Clickatell | Sinch |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | Yes |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA | No | Yes |
What's the differenceSinch offers US data residency, while Clickatell does not; Sinch offers Choose region, while Clickatell does not; Sinch offers HIPAA, while Clickatell does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Clickatell | Sinch |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Sinch retains message and delivery records to provide the service and meet legal obligations; retention windows for message content are limited and, for some products, configurable via data-processing agreements. |
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. Sinch: Sinch retains message and delivery records to provide the service and meet legal obligations; retention windows for message content are limited and, for some products, configurable via data-processing agreements.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | Sinch |
|---|---|---|
| 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 per message with volume and committed-use pricing |
| SMS starting price | $0.008 per SMS to the USA (published rate) | Approx. $0.0075 per US SMS segment (varies by volume; plus carrier fees) |
| Free developer credit | No | Yes |
What's the differenceClickatell and Sinch are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Clickatell | Sinch |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 190 | 150 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | 99.90%–99.98% uptime (SLA, varies by plan) | 99.95% |
What's the differenceClickatell leads on Countries covered (190 vs 150 for Sinch).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Clickatell | Sinch |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| G2 reviews | 2 | 150 |
| Ownership | private | public |
| Employees | 250-500 | 3,000-5,000 |
What's the differenceSinch leads on G2 reviews (150 vs 2 for Clickatell).
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