Softwr

Telecommunications · head to head

46elks vs Whereby

46elks logo

46elks

Telecommunications

Small Swedish SMS and voice API with Nordic depth and fully published prices

From
€0.02/per SMS part
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Whereby logo

Whereby

Telecommunications

No downloads, no logins - just video meetings that work

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Whereby has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 46elks it is a small company, so global route depth, redundancy and round-the-clock support do not match the large aggregators.; Whereby no breakout rooms, polls, or whiteboard tools
  • They diverge on capability: 46elks covers Nordic numbering and coverage, Whereby covers Browser-based meetings.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 46elks and Whereby actually diverge.

Attributes where 46elks and Whereby differ
Attribute46elksWhereby
Starting price€0.02/per SMS partFree
Pricing modelPer message and per minute, priced by destination countrysubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIs, Python, JavaScript, PHP, RubyWeb
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Telecommunications).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 46elks

  • Nordic numbering and coverage
  • Regulated Swedish operator
  • Fully published rate card
  • Simple HTTP API
  • Programmable voice

Only in Whereby

  • Browser-based meetings
  • No downloads required
  • Personal room URLs
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • Slack

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

46elks

  • Swedish and Nordic products needing local numbers and compliant sender identitiesnot Whereby
  • Organisations that must contract and invoice with a regulated supplier inside the EUnot Whereby
  • Small teams wanting a minimal SMS API without an enterprise onboarding processnot Whereby
  • Internal alerting and two-factor systems with modest message volumenot Whereby

Whereby

  • Client meetingsnot 46elks
  • Remote consultationsnot 46elks
  • Team standupsnot 46elks
  • Webinarsnot 46elks

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

46elks

  • It is a small company, so global route depth, redundancy and round-the-clock support do not match the large aggregators.
  • Its advantages are Nordic and regulatory, so an organisation sending mainly to other regions gains nothing and pays more per message than it would at scale elsewhere.
  • The feature set covers SMS, voice and numbers only, with no WhatsApp, RCS, email or fraud products, so multi-channel needs a second vendor.
  • Sending to the United States requires purchasing a number first, and US inbound messaging and mobile numbers are not available self-serve at all.
  • US A2P traffic also requires 10DLC registration with its own fees and carrier surcharges, making a small European vendor a poor fit for a US-focused business.

Whereby

  • No breakout rooms, polls, or whiteboard tools
  • Hard cap of 200 participants and performance drops with groups of 12+
  • No phone dial-in option for participants without internet
  • Occasional connectivity issues and laggy screen sharing reported

Pricing, plan by plan

46elks

€0.02/per SMS part
  • Pay as you go$0.02/per SMS part
    • Swedish SMS about 0.047 EUR per part, US SMS about 0.02 EUR per part
    • Swedish landline calls about 0.013 EUR per minute
    • Phone numbers from about 3 EUR per month

Whereby

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 meeting room
    • 100 participants
    • Screen sharing
  • Pro$6.99/month
    • 3 meeting rooms
    • Custom branding
    • Recording
  • Business$11.99/month
    • Unlimited rooms
    • SSO
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose 46elks if

  • You need nordic numbering and coverage.
  • You work on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby.
  • You also want regulated swedish operator.
46elks review

Choose Whereby if

  • You need browser-based meetings.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want no downloads required.
Whereby review

Questions people ask

Is 46elks or Whereby better?
Neither clearly leads. 46elks starts at €0.02/per SMS part and Whereby at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 46elks or Whereby?
Whereby has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €0.02/per SMS part for 46elks and Free for Whereby.
Does 46elks or Whereby run on more platforms?
46elks runs on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby. Whereby runs on Web.
Can I use Whereby for free?
Yes. Whereby has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 46elks starts at €0.02/per SMS part.
What is 46elks best used for?
46elks is most often used for swedish and nordic products needing local numbers and compliant sender identities, organisations that must contract and invoice with a regulated supplier inside the eu, small teams wanting a minimal sms api without an enterprise onboarding process, internal alerting and two-factor systems with modest message volume. Of those, swedish and nordic products needing local numbers and compliant sender identities and organisations that must contract and invoice with a regulated supplier inside the eu are not what Whereby is typically brought in for.
What can 46elks do that Whereby cannot?
46elks covers Nordic numbering and coverage, Regulated Swedish operator, Fully published rate card, Simple HTTP API. Whereby covers Browser-based meetings, No downloads required, Personal room URLs, Screen sharing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

46elks: Why choose 46elks over Twilio?

Only for Nordic and regulatory reasons: local numbers, sender identity handling, a supplier regulated under Swedish electronic communications law, EU contracting, and support in your own time zone. On global reach and price at volume the large vendors win.

Whereby: Does Whereby require software downloads?

No. Whereby is browser-based and requires no downloads or complex configuration. Participants join via a simple link without needing to install software.

Source
46elks: Does 46elks publish its prices?

Yes, all of them, without a login, in Swedish kronor and euros. Swedish messages run about 0.047 euros per part and Swedish landline calls about 0.013 euros a minute.

Whereby: What is Whereby's pricing model?

Whereby offers a free-forever plan and paid plans starting at $5.82/month when billed annually. Whereby does not offer a free trial.

Source
46elks: Is it suitable for sending to the United States?

Poorly. You must buy a number before you can send there, US inbound messaging and mobile numbers are not self-serve, and US A2P traffic requires 10DLC registration with its own fees and carrier surcharges.

Share

Related pages

More on 46elks

More on Whereby

Keep looking

Other head to heads