Apple Messages for Business vs Linq

Apple Messages for Business supports 19 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.

Feature comparison

Feature	Apple Messages for Business	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	PartialBusiness chats inside Apple Messages, not person-to-person iMessage from a number	Supported
Group chats	Not supportedGroup chat with a business is not supported	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	Not supported	SupportedAdd and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.
Group name and photo	Not supported	SupportedSet display_name and group_chat_icon on group chats.
Mentions	Not supported	SupportedGroup chats only. Notifies iMessage recipients even in a muted chat.
Tapbacks	PartialCustomer tapbacks arrive as text; business-sent tapbacks not documented	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	SupportedBoth directions	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts	Not supportedNot among the message types Apple sends to MSPs	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	PartialReceive only: customer sticker reactions arrive as text plus an image	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	SupportedFiles up to 100MB, encrypted before upload	SupportedUp to 10MB by URL, 100MB with pre-upload.
Live Photos	Not listed	Not listed
Rich link previews	SupportedRich Link messages with image, title and inline video; required for MSPs	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 listedNot documented; List Pickers, Quick Replies and Forms handle choices	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	SupportedCustom iMessage app and App Extension messages	SupportedPro plan. Cards from your own Messages extension, or Linq-hosted cards (Experiences).
Live app cards	Not listediMessage app messages take a session ID and Live Layout flag; in-place updates not described	SupportedUpdate App Card replaces a delivered iMessage app or Experience card in place.
Sender name and photo	SupportedVerified brand name and square logo set in Apple Business Register	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	PartialSends return HTTP status codes; no delivered or read events	Supportedsent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.
iMessage availability check	Not listedMSPs get a device capability list, but no iMessage reachability check	Supportedcheck_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.
Focus and Notify Anyway	Not listed	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	Not supportedNo phone lines; brands get an Apple-assigned Business ID	Supported
Dedicated numbers	Not supportedBusiness accounts don't use phone numbers	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	Not supported	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	Not supportedRegistered business numbers only power Message Suggest; nothing is sent from them	Not listed
Line pooling	Not supportedBusiness accounts don't use phone numbers	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	PartialApple expects MSPs to fall back to SMS when an invitation can't be delivered	Supported
RCS fallback	Not listed	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	PartialApple-approved template invitations to opted-in numbers only; iOS 18+	SupportedFree Hobby tier is inbound-first. Docs recommend inbound-first flows to avoid flagging.
Calls on the iMessage number	Not supportedBusiness accounts don't use phone numbers	PartialAPI forwards inbound calls on the line; outbound needs caller-ID masking via another provider.
Other channels
SMS	Not supportedNot offered by Apple; MSPs may add other channels	Supported
RCS	Not supported	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 supportedNot offered; Message Suggest offers a chat instead of a call	PartialAPI does not place or answer calls; it forwards inbound calls. Calling lives in the Linq Blue app.
Apple Messages for Business	SupportedThis is Apple's channel itself	Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found.
Unified channel API	Not supportedSingle channel	PartialiMessage, RCS and SMS share one API. WhatsApp is a separate API with its own keys and SDKs.
Developer tools
REST API	PartialREST API for Apple-approved MSPs only; brands connect through an MSP	Supported
TypeScript SDK	Not listed	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	PartialApple posts inbound messages to the MSP's endpoint; MSPs only	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedEvery request carries an HS256-signed JWT	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 supportedApple-run proprietary service	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not supportedBots must connect through an Apple-approved MSP, not directly	Not supportedLinq describes itself as fully managed, in contrast to self-hosted options.
Local testing	Not listedTesting uses internal test accounts on real Apple devices	Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone.
Custom channel providers	Not listed	Not listed
Event replay	PartialApple retries only 5xx deliveries, 4 times with backoff from 100ms	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	PartialThrough MSPs, which integrate CRMs and other back-end systems	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 supportedBots must connect through an Apple-approved MSP	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 supportedGroup chat with a business is not supported	Not listed
Human handoff	SupportedA live agent path is mandatory; bot-only deployments are not approved	Not listed
Audit logs	Not listed	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API	Not listed	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	PartialApple charges nothing; MSPs charge for their platforms	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	Not supportedCost depends on the MSP; Apple's part is free	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Not listedApple charges nothing; MSP pricing models vary	Supported
Uptime SLA	Not listed	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure	Not listed	SupportedDedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line
SOC 2 Type II	Not listed	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR	Not listed	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

Which should you choose?

Choose Apple Messages for Business if you need Apple Messages for Business and human handoff.

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

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