Comparison
Overview
Company snapshot and where each provider is based.
| Field | Rule | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Swedish marketing automation platform (Rule Communication Nordic AB) for email, SMS and RCS campaigns, with a REST API for transactional message sending. | Omnichannel business messaging platform and API from Cyprus-based Intergo Telecom for sending SMS, Viber, WhatsApp, RCS and Telegram messages worldwide. |
| Founded | 2007 | 2016 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 10-50 | 51-200 |
| HQ city | Stockholm | Paphos |
| HQ country | Sweden (EU) | Cyprus (EU) |
What's the differenceSMS.to edges ahead on the overall messaging.dev Score (49 vs 28). Rule is private and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden (EU); SMS.to is private and based in Paphos, Cyprus (EU).
Channels
Which messaging channels each provider can send and receive on.
| Field | Rule | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | No |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| No | Yes | |
| Viber | No | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | No | No |
| Telegram | No | Yes |
| Apple Messages for Business | No | No |
| Voice | No | No |
| Yes | No |
What's the differenceThey share 2 channels. Rule additionally offers Email, while SMS.to additionally offers WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram.
Developer Experience
How quickly a developer can sign up and send a first message.
| Field | Rule | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service onboarding | Yes | Yes |
| Free developer credit | No | Free trial credits on sign-up |
| Docs quality | med | med |
| Documentation | Open ↗ | Open ↗ |
| SDKs | Node.js, PHP | PHP |
| Sandbox / test env | No | No |
| API types | REST | REST, SMPP |
What's the differenceOn SDKs, Rule adds Node.js; on API types, SMS.to adds SMPP.
Data & Compliance
Data residency options and enterprise compliance certifications.
| Field | Rule | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| US data residency | No | Yes |
| Choose region | No | Yes |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | No | Yes |
| SOC 2 | No | No |
| HIPAA | No | No |
What's the differenceSMS.to offers US data residency, while Rule does not; SMS.to offers Choose region, while Rule does not; SMS.to offers ISO 27001, while Rule does not.
Data Retention
How long message content and metadata are stored, and whether that is configurable.
| Field | Rule | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| Retention policy | Privacy policy states Rule only works with partners that process personal data within the EU/EEA (or that maintain an equivalent level of protection), keeps data only as long as a customer relationship exists or it remains relevant, and does not use marketing data older than 3 years. No specific retention period for message content or logs is publicly documented. | 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 differenceRule: Privacy policy states Rule only works with partners that process personal data within the EU/EEA (or that maintain an equivalent level of protection), keeps data only as long as a customer relationship exists or it remains relevant, and does not use marketing data older than 3 years. No specific retention period for message content or logs is publicly documented. 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 | Rule | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription tiers by contact-list size (free 250-contact plan without SMS, Professional from €595/month for 2,500 contacts, custom Enterprise) plus per-message SMS/RCS fees; a standalone SMS/RCS plan with unlimited contacts costs €100/month plus per-message rates. | 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 | From €0.04 per SMS (0.40 SEK per SMS in Sweden), on top of the monthly plan | 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 differenceRule and SMS.to are closely matched on pricing & credits — no material differences in the tracked fields.
Reach & Reliability
Global coverage and delivery dependability.
| Field | Rule | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 0 | 0 |
| Direct operator connections | No | Yes |
| Published uptime SLA | No published SLA | No published SLA (public status page at status.sms.to) |
What's the differenceSMS.to offers Direct operator connections, while Rule does not.
Company & Trust
Independent reviews and company profile.
| Field | Rule | SMS.to |
|---|---|---|
| G2 rating | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| G2 reviews | 9 | 4 |
| Ownership | private | private |
| Employees | 10-50 | 51-200 |
What's the differenceRule leads on G2 rating (4.5 vs 4.4 for SMS.to); Rule leads on G2 reviews (9 vs 4 for SMS.to).
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