Clickatell vs ClickSend (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ClickSend grades higher than Clickatell: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ClickSend grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ClickSend
Prepaid SMS and MMS sending by app, API or email, with no monthly fee
Which one is for you
Pick Clickatell if
- Fits if you are a large brand that wants chat commerce and SMS in one platform
- Works for developers who want an SMS API with global reach
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a published price, as platform pricing goes through sales
- Too light for a quick start: the pricing page is an estimate tool, so a country's rate was not captured
- Not for you if you are a small team, since the site says it serves large global brands
- Watch out: only a web platform and APIs are listed, with no mobile or desktop apps
Pick ClickSend if
- Fits if you send occasional SMS and want no monthly fee
- Works for developers who want an SMS API on prepaid credit
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you send little: $20 buys about 48 US messages
- Skip it if you want one clear price, because the per-SMS rate depends on the size of each top-up
- Watch out: carrier fees apply on top of the per-message rates, and prices exclude taxes
- Watch out: a US toll-free number is $3.44 a month, and a dedicated shortcode $996.73 a month plus a setup fee
- Watch out: the page defaulted to Malaysia, so the figures here are the US view
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAClickatellWeak | 1.8GPAClickSendWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo plan price is published; platform pricing goes through sales and SMS rates come from a calculator, so it sits at the middle. | CNo subscription: a $20 minimum top-up and $0.0281 per US SMS, falling with bigger top-ups. The category's figures leave this pay-per-message price out, so it is graded at the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on the pages read. | DA free trial is offered but its terms are not stated on the pricing page. No free plan. |
| Features | CBroadcasts, automations, AI chatbots, a live agent inbox and in-chat payments. It is aimed at large brands, and the pages show little for small teams. | CIt does SMS and MMS, two-way texting, an API, email to SMS and contact segments, and does that job fully. It is a smaller job than a full chat marketing platform. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Platform and API setup with sales involvement. | CNo store rating on record. You top up credit, add numbers and wire the API. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb platform and APIs only; no separate mobile or desktop apps are listed. | CWeb only, plus an API and email to SMS. No integrations are listed. |
| Best for | large brands sending chat and SMS at scale | prepaid SMS with no monthly fee |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Clickatell and ClickSend. How we grade
Where they differ
- Clickatell also covers workflow automation, AI agents, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- ClickSend also covers business texting.
At a glance
| Clickatell | ClickSend | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $20 minimum top-up, then $0.0281 per SMS in the US |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered ('Start free trial'); its terms are not stated on the pricing page. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Clickatell | ClickSend |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | clicksend.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Clickatell
- No plan prices are published: platform pricing goes through the sales team, and SMS rates come from a country-by-country calculator.
- The pricing page we could read is an interactive estimate tool, so the rates for a given country were not captured.
- The site says it serves large global brands, so small teams may find it heavier than they need.
- Pages read list a web platform and APIs only, with no separate desktop or mobile apps.
ClickSend
- There is no subscription tier. The price per SMS depends on how much credit you add in one top-up.
- Additional carrier fees apply on top of the per-message rates, and prices exclude taxes.
- A US toll-free number costs $3.44 a month, and a dedicated shortcode $996.73 a month plus a $996.73 setup fee.
- The page redirects by country and showed Malaysia by default; the figures here are the United States view, shown in USD.
Key features
Clickatell
- Broadcasts
- Campaigns are defined, personalized and scheduled across countries and time zones, from a web interface or through the API, with sign-up and opt-out management.
- Automations
- A drag-and-drop workflow editor and integration hub build automated self-service journeys, with buttons, lists and catalogs inside chat.
- AI chatbots
- Chatbots can be trained on business-specific information, and Clickatell describes a private model kept in a secure environment.
- Live agent inbox
- A unified inbox lets agents take over chats, transfer them between agents and departments, and use tags, notes and chat history.
- In-chat payments
- Customers can pay inside the chat thread through a hosted checkout page or a one-tap tokenized flow.
ClickSend
- Bulk and two-way SMS
- Send one-off or scheduled texts to contact lists and read replies in the same account. Inbound messages are free.
- SMS API and email to SMS
- Trigger messages from a website or app through the API, or by emailing a gateway address.
- MMS and RCS
- Add pictures, animation or audio to messages. MMS in the US is listed at $0.0364 per message.
- Contact segmenting
- Split contact lists into segments before a send.
- Unlimited users
- The pricing page says there are no extra seat charges.
- Other channels on one balance
- The same credit also pays for voice calls, email, fax and postal letters.
Plans
Clickatell
Pricing could not be confirmed. See clickatell.com.
ClickSend
Boost$20
one-time top-up, used as you go
$0.0281 per US SMS when you top up from $20 (about 48 messages).
Growth$100
one-time top-up, used as you go
$0.0200 per US SMS when you top up from $100 (about 266 messages).
Scale$1,000
one-time top-up, used as you go
$0.0129 per US SMS when you top up from $1,000 (about 2,977 messages).
Enterprise$2,000
one-time top-up, used as you go
$0.0092 per US SMS when you top up from $2,000 (about 6,138 messages).
Ways to pay less
Clickatell
No public discounts listed.
ClickSend
- Other savings
25% bonus credit on the first top-up
The pricing page advertises a new-customer promotion of 25% extra credit on a first top-up; terms and conditions apply.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Clickatell or ClickSend?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Clickatell has no price we could confirm, and ClickSend starts at $20 minimum top-up, then $0.0281 per SMS in the US.
Which has a free plan, Clickatell or ClickSend?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Clickatell nor ClickSend has a free plan. ClickSend has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.