Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Clickatell | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud messaging and chat-commerce platform offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Apple Messages for Business APIs for businesses. | Digital identity and programmable communications platform offering SMS, RCS, voice, WhatsApp, Viber and email APIs alongside phone verification and fraud-prevention services. |
| Founded | 2000 | 2005 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 500-1,000 |
| HQ city | Redwood City | Marina del Rey |
| HQ country | USA | USA |
What's the differenceTelesign edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (70 vs 61). Clickatell is private and headquartered in Redwood City, USA; Telesign is private and based in Marina del Rey, USA.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Clickatell | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| No | Yes |
What's the differenceThey share 3 channels. Clickatell additionally offers Apple Messages for Business, while Telesign additionally offers Viber, Voice, Email.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | Yes |
| Docs quality | high | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C# | C#, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | No |
| API types | REST, SMPP | REST |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Telesign adds Ruby; Clickatell offers Sandbox / test env, while Telesign does not; on API types, Clickatell adds SMPP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Clickatell | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA | No | Yes |
What's the differenceTelesign offers US data residency, while Clickatell does not; Telesign offers HIPAA, while Clickatell does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Clickatell | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Customer transaction data is retained for 90 days for operational troubleshooting and billing purposes, with full backups maintained across two separate data centers also kept for 90 days. |
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. Telesign: Customer transaction data is retained for 90 days for operational troubleshooting and billing purposes, with full backups maintained across two separate data centers also kept for 90 days.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| 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/per-transaction pricing with volume-based enterprise contracts; public per-message rates are not transparently listed. |
| SMS starting price | $0.008 per SMS to the USA (published rate) | Not published |
| Free developer credit | No | Yes |
What's the differenceClickatell and Telesign are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Clickatell | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 190 | 230 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | 99.90%–99.98% uptime (SLA, varies by plan) | No published SLA |
What's the differenceTelesign leads on Countries covered (230 vs 190 for Clickatell).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Clickatell | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| G2 reviews | 2 | 20 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 500-1,000 |
What's the differenceTelesign leads on G2 reviews (20 vs 2 for Clickatell).
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