Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Clickatell | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud messaging and chat-commerce platform offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Apple Messages for Business APIs for businesses. | Email-to-SMS gateway that lets US and Canadian businesses send and receive text messages from Gmail, Outlook, or any email client by addressing an email to a phone-number address. |
| Founded | 2000 | 2019 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 11-50 |
| HQ city | Redwood City | Mesa |
| HQ country | USA | USA |
What's the differenceClickatell edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (61 vs 17). Clickatell is private and headquartered in Redwood City, USA; TextBolt is private and based in Mesa, USA.
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Clickatell | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | No |
| RCS | Yes | No |
| Yes | No | |
| Viber | No | No |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | Yes | No |
| Voice | No | No |
| No | No |
What's the differenceThey share 1 channels. Clickatell additionally offers RCS, WhatsApp, Apple Messages for Business.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
| Docs quality | high | low |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C# | — |
| Sandbox / test env | Yes | No |
| API types | REST, SMPP | SMTP |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Clickatell adds Python, PHP, Java, Node.js, C#; Clickatell offers Sandbox / test env, while TextBolt does not; on API types, Clickatell adds REST, SMPP; TextBolt adds SMTP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Clickatell | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | No |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | No |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | No |
| SOC 2 | Yes | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceClickatell offers EU data residency, while TextBolt does not; TextBolt offers US data residency, while Clickatell does not; Clickatell offers GDPR, while TextBolt does not; Clickatell offers ISO 27001, while TextBolt does not; Clickatell offers SOC 2, while TextBolt does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Clickatell | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Per the privacy policy, SMS message history is retained for 12 months from the date sent/received, with delivery status tracked via Twilio callbacks; a calendar-event cache is kept 90 days after the event date, and account data is retained while active plus 30 days after deletion. Servers are located in the United States. |
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. TextBolt: Per the privacy policy, SMS message history is retained for 12 months from the date sent/received, with delivery status tracked via Twilio callbacks; a calendar-event cache is kept 90 days after the event date, and account data is retained while active plus 30 days after deletion. Servers are located in the United States.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Clickatell | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Self-service prepaid pay-as-you-go credits, with quote-based enterprise plans (Connect, Interact, Transact) requiring sales contact. | Monthly subscription plans (Basic $29, Standard $49, Professional $99, plus custom Enterprise) that each include a set allowance of SMS-segment credits, with automatic per-segment overage billing. |
| SMS starting price | $0.008 per SMS to the USA (published rate) | $0.030 per SMS segment (Enterprise 5,000+ credits/mo, US/Canada); $0.058/segment on the $29/mo Basic plan |
| Free developer credit | No | No |
What's the differenceClickatell and TextBolt are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Clickatell | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 190 | 2 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | No |
| Published uptime SLA | 99.90%–99.98% uptime (SLA, varies by plan) | 99.9% (Enterprise plan) |
What's the differenceClickatell leads on Countries covered (190 vs 2 for TextBolt); Clickatell offers Direct operator connections, while TextBolt does not.
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Clickatell | TextBolt |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.3 | 0.0 |
| G2 reviews | 2 | 0 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 250-500 | 11-50 |
What's the differenceClickatell leads on G2 rating (4.3 vs 0 for TextBolt); Clickatell leads on G2 reviews (2 vs 0 for TextBolt).
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