Why Tambua. Arkesel provides bulk SMS, voice, USSD and phone-number verification (OTP). Tambua is an OTP API with fallback journeys and M-PESA.
Why teams choose Tambua over Arkesel
- No Sender ID, shortcode or phone number to buy: you share Tambua's, so you can send on day one
- You want a purpose-built OTP API with ordered fallback
- You serve Kenya and want M-PESA verification
Pricing: Tambua vs Arkesel
| Topic | Tambua | Arkesel |
|---|---|---|
| How you are charged | KES 0.50 per SMS OTP in Kenya, with no separate verification fee | Per-message pricing by destination. |
| Failed attempts | Free | See Arkesel's pricing page |
| Sender ID and numbers | Shared Tambua sender included, nothing to buy | Arkesel typically requires you to register your own Sender ID before sending branded SMS. |
| Fallback to another channel | A setting, not an add-on fee | See Arkesel's pricing page |
See Tambua's full per-country rates, or check Arkesel's own pricing for your destination before you compare.
Tambua at a glance
| Topic | Tambua |
|---|---|
| Focus | OTP generation, delivery and verification API for Africa |
| Channels | SMS, WhatsApp, voice, email, M-PESA, Reverse OTP (Telegram, USSD and shortcode are coming soon) |
| Sender ID and numbers | Shared Tambua sender ID and numbers included. Nothing to buy, lease or register |
| Channel fallback | Ordered journey of up to three channels per app, on failure or after a timer; one code across attempts |
| Failed attempts | Not billed; only carrier-accepted attempts are charged |
| Pricing | Public per-country rates on the pricing page |
| Free testing | Test keys return the code in the API response, no messages sent |
| Webhooks | Signed webhooks for sent, delivered, verified and fallback events |
What Arkesel publishes
| Topic | Arkesel |
|---|---|
| Products | Bulk SMS, voice, USSD, email, WhatsApp Business API and phone number verification (OTP) source |
| Sender ID | Arkesel typically requires you to register your own Sender ID before sending branded SMS. |
Frequently asked questions
Why choose Tambua over Arkesel for OTP?
You want a purpose-built OTP API with ordered fallback. You serve Kenya and want M-PESA verification. Tambua is built only for sending and verifying one-time codes across Africa, so you integrate in two calls and start free with test keys.
Do I need to buy a Sender ID or phone number with Tambua?
No. Tambua sends from its own shared sender ID and numbers, so there is nothing to buy, lease or register. Arkesel typically requires you to register your own Sender ID before sending branded SMS, which adds cost and waiting time before your first message.
How do I switch from Arkesel to Tambua?
Create a free test key, call send to deliver a code and verify to check it. Most teams replace their existing send and check logic in an afternoon, then swap to a live key.