Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Clickatell | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud messaging and chat-commerce platform offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Apple Messages for Business APIs for businesses. | Estonian omnichannel business messaging platform with a single API for SMS, WhatsApp, and Viber (plus RCS in select markets), reaching 197+ countries. |
| Founded | 2000 | 2013 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 11-50 |
| HQ city | Redwood City | Tallinn |
| HQ country | USA | Estonia (EU) |
What's the differenceClickatell edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (61 vs 54). Clickatell is private and headquartered in Redwood City, USA; Messente is private and based in Tallinn, Estonia (EU).
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Clickatell | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| No | No |
What's the differenceThey share 3 channels. Clickatell additionally offers Apple Messages for Business, while Messente additionally offers Viber.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | Free test credits on signup |
| Docs quality | high | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C# | Python, Node.js, PHP, Java, Ruby, C# |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | No |
| API types | REST, SMPP | REST, SMPP |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Messente adds Ruby; Clickatell offers Sandbox / test env, while Messente does not.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Clickatell | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | No |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 | Yes | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceClickatell offers SOC 2, while Messente does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Clickatell | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| 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 dataprotection@clickatell.com; specific message content or metadata retention periods are not published. | Not publicly documented in detail for message content. Messente's data handling policy sets general retention of 1 year after contact without a business relationship or 2 years after the end of a business relationship; message data processed on customers' behalf is retained per each customer's Data Processing Agreement, with custom message retention periods offered as a feature. Data is stored only in EU data centres (Germany and Finland) with an EU-based, EU-owned cloud provider. |
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 dataprotection@clickatell.com; specific message content or metadata retention periods are not published. Messente: Not publicly documented in detail for message content. Messente's data handling policy sets general retention of 1 year after contact without a business relationship or 2 years after the end of a business relationship; message data processed on customers' behalf is retained per each customer's Data Processing Agreement, with custom message retention periods offered as a feature. Data is stored only in EU data centres (Germany and Finland) with an EU-based, EU-owned cloud provider.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Self-service prepaid pay-as-you-go credits, with quote-based enterprise plans (Connect, Interact, Transact) requiring sales contact. | Quote-based commitment plans (Essential/Professional/Enterprise) pairing a monthly fee with per-country message prices for 25K+ monthly volumes, plus an SMS-only pay-as-you-go option with a minimum monthly spend of 500 euros. |
| SMS starting price | $0.008 per SMS to the USA (published rate) | Not published (per-country prices shown via on-site pricing calculator; quotes tailored by volume and market) |
| Free developer credit | No | Free test credits on signup |
What's the differenceClickatell and Messente are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Clickatell | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 190 | 197 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | 99.90%–99.98% uptime (SLA, varies by plan) | No published SLA |
What's the differenceMessente leads on Countries covered (197 vs 190 for Clickatell).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Clickatell | Messente |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.3 | 5.0 |
| G2 reviews | 2 | 2 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 11-50 |
What's the differenceMessente leads on G2 rating (5 vs 4.3 for Clickatell).
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