Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Clickatell | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud messaging and chat-commerce platform offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Apple Messages for Business APIs for businesses. | Communications APIs for SMS, voice, video, and messaging (part of Ericsson) |
| Founded | 2000 | 2001 |
| Ownership | private | public |
| Employees | 250-500 | 2,000-3,000 |
| HQ city | Redwood City | Holmdel |
| HQ country | USA | USA |
What's the differenceVonage edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (89 vs 61). Clickatell is private and headquartered in Redwood City, USA; Vonage is public and based in Holmdel, USA.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Clickatell | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | Yes |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Viber | No | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | No | Yes |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | Yes | No |
| Voice | No | Yes |
| No | No |
What's the differenceThey share 3 channels. Clickatell additionally offers Apple Messages for Business, while Vonage additionally offers MMS, Viber, Facebook Messenger, Voice.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | €2 free trial credit |
| Docs quality | high | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C# | Node.js, Python, PHP, Java, C#, Ruby, Kotlin |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | Yes |
| API types | REST, SMPP | REST |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Vonage adds Ruby, Kotlin; on API types, Clickatell adds SMPP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Clickatell | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| 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 differenceVonage offers US data residency, while Clickatell does not; Vonage offers Choose region, while Clickatell does not; Vonage offers HIPAA, while Clickatell does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Clickatell | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Vonage retains message and call records to provide services and meet legal obligations; message content retention is limited and, for some APIs, configurable, with data-processing terms available for enterprise customers. |
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. Vonage: Vonage retains message and call records to provide services and meet legal obligations; message content retention is limited and, for some APIs, configurable, with data-processing terms available for enterprise customers.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| 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/minute with volume discounts |
| SMS starting price | $0.008 per SMS to the USA (published rate) | Approx. $0.0072 per US SMS segment (plus carrier fees) |
| Free developer credit | No | €2 free trial credit |
What's the differenceClickatell and Vonage are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Clickatell | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 190 | 200 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | 99.90%–99.98% uptime (SLA, varies by plan) | 99.95% |
What's the differenceVonage leads on Countries covered (200 vs 190 for Clickatell).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Clickatell | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| G2 reviews | 2 | 200 |
| Ownership | private | public |
| Employees | 250-500 | 2,000-3,000 |
What's the differenceVonage leads on G2 reviews (200 vs 2 for Clickatell).
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