AgentMessage vs Linq

Compare AgentMessage and Linq side by side: iMessage features, channels, developer tools, pricing and compliance, checked on each provider's own site.

AgentMessage

SMS and iMessage API for AI agents with 10DLC tooling
Starting price
$0.94/month per number plus $0.0078 per SMS segment
Free plan
$5 starting credit on new accounts (new signups currently paused)

Linq

iMessage, RCS and SMS API with flat monthly pricing
Starting price
$260/month (Pro)
Free plan
Hobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, used through the CLI

AgentMessage supports 19 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.

Feature comparison

FeatureAgentMessageLinq
iMessage messaging
iMessage
SupportedAdd-on at $150 per line a month. Not covered in the API reference.
Supported
Group chats
Not listed
SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management
Not listed
SupportedAdd and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.
Group name and photo
Not listed
SupportedSet display_name and group_chat_icon on group chats.
Mentions
Not listed
SupportedGroup chats only. Notifies iMessage recipients even in a muted chat.
Tapbacks
Not listed
SupportedSix classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.
Threaded replies
Not listed
Supportedreply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.
Typing indicators
Not listed
SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts
Not listed
SupportedMark chats read and receive message.read. One-to-one chats only.
Edit and unsend
Not listed
PartialEdit text up to 5 times within 15 minutes. Delete does not unsend from the recipient's device.
Message effects
Not listed
Supported11 screen and 4 bubble effects.
Animated text effects
Not listed
Supportedtext_decorations animations: big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, jitter.
Stickers
Not listed
SupportedPeel emoji or images onto messages, send stickers, or place them inline in text.
Formatted text
Not listed
SupportedBold, italic, underline and strikethrough ranges, plus animated text. iMessage only.
Attachments
Not listed
SupportedUp to 10MB by URL, 100MB with pre-upload.
Live Photos
Not listed
Not listed
Rich link previews
Not listed
Supportedlink parts render as rich previews on iMessage and RCS.
Voice messages
Not listed
SupportedDedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.
Contact cards
Not listed
SupportedSend .vcf files as media parts.
Polls
Not listed
SupportedCreate, add options, vote and read tallies, with poll webhooks. Not as a chat's first message.
Chat backgrounds
Not listed
SupportedColor, animated or photo backgrounds, in direct and group chats.
Location sharing
Not listed
SupportedRequest, read and stop Find My shares. Live location is a $79/mo add-on on Pro.
iMessage apps
Not listed
SupportedPro plan. Cards from your own Messages extension, or Linq-hosted cards (Experiences).
Live app cards
Not listed
SupportedUpdate App Card replaces a delivered iMessage app or Experience card in place.
Sender name and photo
Not listed
SupportedContact card API sets name and photo, shared per chat via Name and Photo Sharing.
FaceTime calls
Not listed
Not supportedDocs say the API does not place or answer calls.
Delivery status
SupportedStatus moves from queued to delivered, failed or undelivered as carrier receipts arrive.
Supportedsent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.
iMessage availability check
Not listed
Supportedcheck_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.
Focus and Notify Anyway
Not listed
Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines
SupportediMessage lines are provisioned by AgentMessage, typically same day, no EIN needed.
Supported
Dedicated numbers
SupportedLocal, toll-free and short code numbers; $0.94 per number a month.
SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers
Not listed
SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number
SupportedThe FAQ says phone number port-ins are supported.
Not listed
Line pooling
Not listed
SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback
SupportedFalls back to SMS when iMessage is unavailable for the recipient.
Supported
RCS fallback
Not supportedRCS not offered
SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging
PartialSMS needs an approved 10DLC campaign and consent; iMessage lines only reply to people who texted first.
SupportedFree Hobby tier is inbound-first. Docs recommend inbound-first flows to avoid flagging.
Calls on the iMessage number
Not supportedVoice not offered
PartialAPI forwards inbound calls on the line; outbound needs caller-ID masking via another provider.
Other channels
SMS
SupportedSMS and MMS ($0.02 per MMS).
Supported
RCS
Not supportedNot offered
Supported
WhatsApp
Not supported
BetaSeparate WhatsApp API in beta. Access by request, no SLA.
Telegram
Not supported
Not supportedNot offered
Slack
Not supported
Not supported
Email
Not supported
Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.
Phone calls
Not supported
PartialAPI does not place or answer calls; it forwards inbound calls. Calling lives in the Linq Blue app.
Apple Messages for Business
Not supported
Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found.
Unified channel API
SupportedSMS, MMS and iMessage share one endpoint and response shape.
PartialiMessage, RCS and SMS share one API. WhatsApp is a separate API with its own keys and SDKs.
Developer tools
REST API
Supported
Supported
TypeScript SDK
Not listedThe footer lists SDKs without a link; docs show raw HTTP examples.
Supported@linqapp/sdk
Python SDK
Not listed
Supportedlinq-python
Other SDKs
Not listed
SupportedOfficial Go SDK.
CLI
Not listed
Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.
Webhooks
Supported
Supported
Signed webhooks
SupportedHMAC-signed with per-endpoint secrets (X-AmCore-Signature header).
SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.
MCP server
Not listed
Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.
Open source
Not supportedClosed platform
PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting
Not supportedHosted cloud service only
Not supportedLinq describes itself as fully managed, in contrast to self-hosted options.
Local testing
Not listedA sandbox environment is listed; whether it simulates messages is not documented.
Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone.
Custom channel providers
Not listed
Not listed
Event replay
SupportedWebhook delivery log with a replay endpoint, automatic retries and a dead-letter queue.
PartialRetries for 30 minutes; after that, re-fetch chats or ask Linq for a manual replay.
OpenTelemetry
Not listed
PartialW3C trace IDs on every response and webhook for OTel backends. No export of Linq spans by default.
No-code integrations
Not listed
SupportedLinq Blue works as a GoHighLevel messaging provider. No n8n, Make or Zapier found for the API.
CRM integrations
Not listed
SupportedVia Linq Blue: GoHighLevel, HubSpot and Salesforce.
Built for AI agents
Agent framework
Not listed
PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter and OpenClaw and Hermes plugins.
Agent framework integrations
Not listed
SupportedLinq-maintained Vercel Chat SDK adapter, plus OpenClaw and Hermes Agent plugins.
Streaming replies
Not listed
Not supportedDocs say the Chat SDK adapter buffers streams into one final message.
Agent group chats
Not listed
Not listed
Human handoff
Not listed
Not listed
Audit logs
SupportedAPI-key, plan, retention and erasure events, plus staff access to message content.
SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API
SupportedConversations, outbound and inbound message lists by API; content follows your retention window.
Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan
Partial$5 starting credit, no platform fee; new signups are paused behind a waitlist.
SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing
Supported
SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees
PartialiMessage add-on is a flat $150 per line a month; SMS is billed per segment ($0.0078).
Supported
Uptime SLA
Not supportedBeta terms say there is no uptime SLA during the beta, even if one appears elsewhere.
SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure
Not supportedDPA: data is logically separated by tenant; no single-tenant setup unless agreed in writing.
SupportedDedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line
SOC 2 Type II
Not supportedDPA says AgentMessage has not completed a SOC 2 examination.
SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR
SupportedDPA covers GDPR, UK GDPR and CCPA/CPRA.
SupportedDPA covers GDPR and UK GDPR, with Standard Contractual Clauses.

Checked on each provider's own site and docs on 2026-10-25. “Not listed” means the provider does not mention it.

Pricing

AgentMessage

Pay as you go with a $5 starting credit: $0.94 per number a month, $0.0078 per SMS segment and $0.02 per MMS plus carrier and registry fees at cost, with iMessage at $150 per line a month.

Pricing model: per segment for SMS, flat per line for iMessage

Source

Linq

Hobby is free with up to 20 contacts through the CLI, Pro starts at $260 a month with a 7-day free trial, and Enterprise is custom.

Pricing model: flat monthly, no per-message fees

Source

Which should you choose?

Choose AgentMessage if you need bring your own number.

Choose Linq if you need group chats, group management, group name and photo and mentions.

Frequently asked questions