Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Prelude | seven.io |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Developer platform for phone and email verification (OTP), authentication, number intelligence, and anti-fraud onboarding delivered across SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, voice and other channels. | German CPaaS platform (formerly sms77) providing SMS, RCS, WhatsApp and voice APIs with data processed on German-hosted infrastructure. |
| Founded | 2022 | 2003 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 51-200 | 2-10 |
| HQ city | Paris | Kiel |
| HQ country | France (EU) | Germany (EU) |
What's the differencePrelude edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (62 vs 42). Prelude is private and headquartered in Paris, France (EU); seven.io is private and based in Kiel, Germany (EU).
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Prelude | seven.io |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | No |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Viber | Yes | No |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | Yes | No |
| Apple Messages for Business | No | No |
| Voice | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | No |
What's the differenceThey share 4 channels. Prelude additionally offers Viber, Telegram, Email.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Prelude | seven.io |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | €0.50 free test credit |
| Docs quality | high | high |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Node.js, Python, Go, Java, Ruby, PHP, C# | PHP, JavaScript, Python, Go, Ruby, .NET, Rust, Kotlin, Elixir, Swift |
| Sandbox / test env | No | Yes |
| API types | REST | REST, SMPP, SMTP |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Prelude adds Node.js, Java, C#; seven.io adds JavaScript, .NET, Rust, Kotlin, Elixir, Swift; seven.io offers Sandbox / test env, while Prelude does not; on API types, seven.io adds SMPP, SMTP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Prelude | seven.io |
|---|---|---|
| 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 differencePrelude offers SOC 2, while seven.io does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Prelude | seven.io |
|---|---|---|
| Retention policy | Not publicly documented in detail. Prelude is a European (Paris-based) company that hosts and processes data in EU data centers under GDPR, with SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001:2022 controls including encryption of data in transit and at rest. It states that only essential data is stored for delivery tracking, but specific message-content and metadata retention periods are not published on the site or trust center. | Log files are stored only for the legally required period and subsequently anonymized, following a stated data-minimization principle; exact message-content retention periods are not publicly documented in detail. Processing runs on German/EU infrastructure ("Pure EU Routing") in ISO 27001-certified data centers, with an online-signable DPA available. |
What's the differencePrelude: Not publicly documented in detail. Prelude is a European (Paris-based) company that hosts and processes data in EU data centers under GDPR, with SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001:2022 controls including encryption of data in transit and at rest. It states that only essential data is stored for delivery tracking, but specific message-content and metadata retention periods are not published on the site or trust center. seven.io: Log files are stored only for the legally required period and subsequently anonymized, following a stated data-minimization principle; exact message-content retention periods are not publicly documented in detail. Processing runs on German/EU infrastructure ("Pure EU Routing") in ISO 27001-certified data centers, with an online-signable DPA available.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Prelude | seven.io |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go per-verification pricing plus at-cost (zero-markup) per-message charges, with optional Startup subscription and custom Enterprise tiers. | Prepaid pay-as-you-go: top up account balance and pay per message sent, with no monthly fee or subscription required for API access. |
| SMS starting price | €0.0043 per SMS (US, at-cost); verification fee from €0.032 | €0.075 per SMS (base rate incl. Germany and most EU countries); non-EU rates vary by country |
| Free developer credit | No | €0.50 free test credit |
What's the differencePrelude and seven.io are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Prelude | seven.io |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 230 | 0 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | No |
| Published uptime SLA | No published SLA | No published SLA |
What's the differencePrelude leads on Countries covered (230 vs 0 for seven.io); Prelude offers Direct operator connections, while seven.io does not.
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Prelude | seven.io |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.9 | 0.0 |
| G2 reviews | 13 | 0 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 51-200 | 2-10 |
What's the differencePrelude leads on G2 rating (4.9 vs 0 for seven.io); Prelude leads on G2 reviews (13 vs 0 for seven.io).
Still deciding? Read the quickstart guides: