Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Apifon | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Greek business-messaging platform for SMS, Viber, WhatsApp, RCS, Messenger and email campaigns, with a web platform plus REST and SMPP APIs. | Digital identity and programmable communications platform offering SMS, RCS, voice, WhatsApp, Viber and email APIs alongside phone verification and fraud-prevention services. |
| Founded | 2014 | 2005 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 51-200 | 500-1,000 |
| HQ city | Thessaloniki | Marina del Rey |
| HQ country | Greece (EU) | USA |
What's the differenceTelesign edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (70 vs 52). Apifon is private and headquartered in Thessaloniki, Greece (EU); Telesign is private and based in Marina del Rey, USA.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Apifon | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | No |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Viber | Yes | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | Yes | No |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | No | No |
| Voice | No | Yes |
| Yes | Yes |
What's the differenceThey share 5 channels. Apifon additionally offers Facebook Messenger, while Telesign additionally offers Voice.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Apifon | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | Free trial bonus on verification | Yes |
| Docs quality | high | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Java, PHP, C#, Python, Node.js | C#, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby |
| Sandbox / test env | No | No |
| API types | REST, SMPP | REST |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Telesign adds Ruby; on API types, Apifon adds SMPP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Apifon | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 | No | Yes |
| HIPAA | No | Yes |
What's the differenceTelesign offers US data residency, while Apifon does not; Telesign offers SOC 2, while Apifon does not; Telesign offers HIPAA, while Apifon does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Apifon | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| Retention policy | Message logs (telephone numbers, message body, sender ID, timestamps) are retained for a default period of 24 months; other personal data is kept for as long as a contractual relationship exists. All personal data is stated to be hosted on servers located within the European Union. | 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 differenceApifon: Message logs (telephone numbers, message body, sender ID, timestamps) are retained for a default period of 24 months; other personal data is kept for as long as a contractual relationship exists. All personal data is stated to be hosted on servers located within the European Union. 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 | Apifon | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Prepaid pay-as-you-go: customers top up a euro balance by card, PayPal, or bank transfer and messages are charged against it; per-message rates are quoted per account, not published. | 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 | Not published | Not published |
| Free developer credit | Free trial bonus on verification | Yes |
What's the differenceApifon and Telesign are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Apifon | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 200 | 230 |
| Direct operator connections | No | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | No published SLA | No published SLA |
What's the differenceTelesign leads on Countries covered (230 vs 200 for Apifon); Telesign offers Direct operator connections, while Apifon does not.
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Apifon | Telesign |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.8 | 4.3 |
| G2 reviews | 3 | 20 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 51-200 | 500-1,000 |
What's the differenceApifon leads on G2 rating (4.8 vs 4.3 for Telesign); Telesign leads on G2 reviews (20 vs 3 for Apifon).
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