Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | GMS | Smstools |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Enterprise CPaaS and A2P messaging provider offering SMS, WhatsApp, Viber, RCS and email through a single API, plus messaging-hub and SMS-firewall services for mobile network operators. | Belgian business-messaging platform by Xtreme Internet Solutions offering an SMS gateway API, bulk SMS marketing software, WhatsApp Business API, voice messages and email-to-SMS with EU-only hosting. |
| Founded | 2006 | 2004 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 500-1,000 | 1-10 |
| HQ city | Baar | Dilsen-Stokkem |
| HQ country | Switzerland | Belgium (EU) |
What's the differenceSmstools edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (56 vs 36). GMS is private and headquartered in Baar, Switzerland; Smstools is private and based in Dilsen-Stokkem, Belgium (EU).
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | GMS | Smstools |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | No |
| RCS | Yes | No |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Viber | Yes | No |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | No | No |
| Voice | No | Yes |
| Yes | No |
What's the differenceThey share 2 channels. GMS additionally offers RCS, Viber, Email, while Smstools additionally offers Voice.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | GMS | Smstools |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | No | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | Free test credit on sign-up |
| Docs quality | med | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin) | PHP, Node.js, Python, Ruby, PowerShell |
| Sandbox / test env | No | Yes |
| API types | REST | REST, SMTP |
What's the differenceSmstools offers Self-service onboarding, while GMS does not; on SDKs, GMS adds iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin); Smstools adds PHP, Node.js, Python, Ruby, PowerShell; Smstools offers Sandbox / test env, while GMS does not; on API types, Smstools adds SMTP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | GMS | Smstools |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | No |
| Choose region | No | No |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | No |
| SOC 2 | No | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceGMS offers ISO 27001, while Smstools does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | GMS | Smstools |
|---|---|---|
| Retention policy | Not publicly documented in detail. GMS's privacy notice states personal data is processed under EU GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and held at its Switzerland headquarters (recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection); no specific retention periods for message content or metadata are published. GMS also holds ISO/IEC 27701 (privacy information management) certification. | Not publicly documented in detail. Smstools states all data is stored on servers located in Europe under GDPR-compliant processes, with AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit, and a Data Processing Agreement is available on request, but no specific message content/metadata retention periods are published. |
What's the differenceGMS: Not publicly documented in detail. GMS's privacy notice states personal data is processed under EU GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and held at its Switzerland headquarters (recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection); no specific retention periods for message content or metadata are published. GMS also holds ISO/IEC 27701 (privacy information management) certification. Smstools: Not publicly documented in detail. Smstools states all data is stored on servers located in Europe under GDPR-compliant processes, with AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit, and a Data Processing Agreement is available on request, but no specific message content/metadata retention periods are published.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | GMS | Smstools |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Custom enterprise pricing negotiated with sales; no public self-service or per-message price list. | Pay-as-you-go per message with volume discounts; no subscription, setup fee or monthly minimum, with a personalised rate sheet issued on registration. |
| SMS starting price | Not published | From €0.025 per SMS to the USA (rates vary by destination country and volume) |
| Free developer credit | No | Free test credit on sign-up |
What's the differenceGMS and Smstools are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | GMS | Smstools |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 0 | 200 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | 99.99% network availability (claimed; no formal SLA published) | 99.99% (uptime SLA) |
What's the differenceSmstools leads on Countries covered (200 vs 0 for GMS).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | GMS | Smstools |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| G2 reviews | 0 | 0 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 500-1,000 | 1-10 |
What's the differenceGMS and Smstools are closely matched on company & trust — no material differences in the tracked fields.
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