Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Prelude | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Omnichannel business messaging platform and API from Cyprus-based Intergo Telecom for sending SMS, Viber, WhatsApp, RCS and Telegram messages worldwide. |
| Founded | 2022 | 2016 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 51-200 | 51-200 |
| HQ city | Paris | Paphos |
| HQ country | France (EU) | Cyprus (EU) |
What's the differencePrelude edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (62 vs 49). Prelude is private and headquartered in Paris, France (EU); SMS.to is private and based in Paphos, Cyprus (EU).
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Prelude | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | No |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Viber | Yes | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Messages for Business | No | No |
| Voice | Yes | No |
| Yes | No |
What's the differenceThey share 5 channels. Prelude additionally offers Voice, Email.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Prelude | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | Free trial credits on sign-up |
| Docs quality | high | med |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Node.js, Python, Go, Java, Ruby, PHP, C# | PHP |
| Sandbox / test env | No | No |
| API types | REST | REST, SMPP |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Prelude adds Node.js, Python, Go, Java, Ruby, C#; on API types, SMS.to adds SMPP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Prelude | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | Yes |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 | Yes | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceSMS.to offers US data residency, while Prelude does not; SMS.to offers Choose region, while Prelude does not; Prelude offers SOC 2, while SMS.to does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Prelude | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Customer data is retained only while the account remains open; on an account deletion request all data is deleted within 30 days. Customers can choose to have data processed only within the EU, in which case it is not transferred outside the EU; per-message content retention periods are not publicly documented in detail. |
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. SMS.to: Customer data is retained only while the account remains open; on an account deletion request all data is deleted within 30 days. Customers can choose to have data processed only within the EU, in which case it is not transferred outside the EU; per-message content retention periods are not publicly documented in detail.
Pricing & Credits
Pricing model and the cost of a first message.
| Field | Prelude | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| 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 credit with no contracts or commitments; per-SMS rates vary by destination and volume discounts are negotiated with sales. |
| SMS starting price | €0.0043 per SMS (US, at-cost); verification fee from €0.032 | From $0.023 per SMS (advertised base rate; per-country rates via downloadable price list) |
| Free developer credit | No | Free trial credits on sign-up |
What's the differencePrelude and SMS.to are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Prelude | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 230 | 0 |
| Direct operator connections | Yes | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | No published SLA | No published SLA (public status page at status.sms.to) |
What's the differencePrelude leads on Countries covered (230 vs 0 for SMS.to).
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Prelude | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.9 | 4.4 |
| G2 reviews | 13 | 4 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 51-200 | 51-200 |
What's the differencePrelude leads on G2 rating (4.9 vs 4.4 for SMS.to); Prelude leads on G2 reviews (13 vs 4 for SMS.to).
Still deciding? Read the quickstart guides: