autoMessage vs Linq

autoMessage supports 37 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.

Feature comparison

Feature	autoMessage	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	SupportedSends from your own Apple ID through Messages on your Mac.	Supported
Group chats	PartialSend into groups that already exist on your Mac; groups cannot be created by API.	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	Not supportedDocs: creating a new group through the API is not supported.	SupportedAdd and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.
Group name and photo	Not listedGroup names sync in; setting them is not documented.	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	PartialAll six sync in, including removals; sending tapbacks is not supported.	SupportedSix classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.
Threaded replies	PartialReplies sync in linked to the original; sending replies is not supported.	Supportedreply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.
Typing indicators	Not listed	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts	SupportedDelivered and read timestamps sync; mark-as-read can send a receipt (best effort, 1:1).	SupportedMark chats read and receive message.read. One-to-one chats only.
Edit and unsend	PartialEdits and unsends sync in; you cannot edit or unsend by API.	PartialEdit text up to 5 times within 15 minutes. Delete does not unsend from the recipient's device.
Message effects	PartialEffects sync in; sending them is not supported.	Supported11 screen and 4 bubble effects.
Animated text effects	Not listed	Supportedtext_decorations animations: big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, jitter.
Stickers	PartialInbound stickers are flagged; sending them is not supported.	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	PartialInbound only, with a fetchable URL; outbound sending is text only.	SupportedUp to 10MB by URL, 100MB with pre-upload.
Live Photos	Not supportedOutbound sending is text only.	Not listed
Rich link previews	Not listed	Supportedlink parts render as rich previews on iMessage and RCS.
Voice messages	PartialInbound only, with played state; sending them is not supported.	SupportedDedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.
Contact cards	Not supportedOutbound sending is text only.	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	SupportedDraft status (queued, held, sent, failed) plus delivered and read fields per message.	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	PartialRuns on your own Mac; managed Mac hosting only on Enterprise, on request.	Supported
Dedicated numbers	Not supportedUses your own number and Apple ID; no numbers are provisioned.	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	Not supportedautoMessage says it never provisions, holds or shares Apple IDs.	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	SupportedYour own Apple ID and number, on your own Mac.	Not listed
Line pooling	PartialEnterprise spreads sending across several numbers; Solo is one Apple ID.	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	PartialSends to non-iMessage numbers go as SMS only with Text Message Forwarding from your iPhone.	Supported
RCS fallback	PartialRCS sends work only with Text Message Forwarding from your iPhone.	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedDefault cap of 50 new conversations per 24 hours, adjustable or removable in Settings.	SupportedFree Hobby tier is inbound-first. Docs recommend inbound-first flows to avoid flagging.
Calls on the iMessage number	Not listed	PartialAPI forwards inbound calls on the line; outbound needs caller-ID masking via another provider.
Other channels
SMS	PartialNeeds an iPhone forwarding texts to the Mac (Text Message Forwarding).	Supported
RCS	Partial	Supported
WhatsApp	Not supportedNot offered	BetaSeparate WhatsApp API in beta. Access by request, no SLA.
Telegram	Not supported	Not supportedNot offered
Slack	Not supported	Not supported
Email	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.
Phone calls	Not supportedNot offered	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	PartialiMessage, SMS and RCS from your Mac share one API; no other channels.	PartialiMessage, RCS and SMS share one API. WhatsApp is a separate API with its own keys and SDKs.
Developer tools
REST API	SupportedREST API with an OpenAPI 3.1 spec.	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	SupportedAccount and per-thread webhooks; the spec lists only message.received events.	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedHMAC-SHA256 over timestamp and raw body, per-subscription secret.	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.
MCP server	SupportedHosted Streamable HTTP endpoint and an npm stdio package, 13 tools.	Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.
Open source	PartialThe MCP server is MIT on GitHub; the Mac app and service are closed.	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not supportedThe Mac app runs locally, but the API, sync and dashboard are hosted by autoMessage.	Not supportedLinq describes itself as fully managed, in contrast to self-hosted options.
Local testing	Not listed	Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone.
Custom channel providers	Not listed	Not listed
Event replay	PartialNo replay; catch up by listing messages with since and cursor filters.	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	SupportedOfficial n8n community node; Zapier and Make connect through the API and webhooks.	SupportedLinq Blue works as a GoHighLevel messaging provider. No n8n, Make or Zapier found for the API.
CRM integrations	SupportedPlan lists HubSpot and GoHighLevel connectors; no setup docs for them were found.	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	PartialThe n8n node can be used as a tool by n8n AI agents; no other framework integrations.	SupportedLinq-maintained Vercel Chat SDK adapter, plus OpenClaw and Hermes Agent plugins.
Streaming replies	Not supportedSends are queued drafts and sent messages cannot be edited by API.	Not supportedDocs say the Chat SDK adapter buffers streams into one final message.
Agent group chats	Not listed	Not listed
Human handoff	PartialYou can reply by hand from your iPhone or the dashboard in the same thread; no handoff controls.	Not listed
Audit logs	Not listed	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API	SupportedPaginated history per conversation, with search by participant and date.	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	Partial14-day free trial, no card needed to start.	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	Supported	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	SupportedFlat $59 a month per account.	Supported
Uptime SLA	PartialEnterprise only: contract-backed SLA with a 99.9% connector uptime target.	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure	SupportedRuns on your own Mac and Apple ID; cloud data is isolated per account.	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	SupportedTerms include a DPA with GDPR controller and processor roles.	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 autoMessage if you need bring your own number and human handoff.

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

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