What is the difference between Crypton.sh Blue Relay and Linq?

Crypton.sh Blue Relay supports 20 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63. Crypton.sh Blue Relay adds email. Linq adds mentions, tapbacks, threaded replies, typing indicators and edit and unsend.

How much do Crypton.sh Blue Relay and Linq cost?

Crypton.sh Blue Relay: Reply is €89, Full two-way €129 and Fleet (10 or more lines) €99 per line per month, with a €29 setup fee on monthly and 3-month terms and a 5% drop at each renewal down to 85% of the starting price. 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.

Crypton.sh Blue Relay vs Linq: Features, Pricing and Differences

Feature comparison

Feature	Crypton.sh Blue Relay	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	Supported	Supported
Group chats	SupportedReply plan answers groups that message you; Full two-way and Fleet can start new groups.	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	SupportedCreate with up to 32 participants, add or remove members, and leave. Starting groups needs Full or Fleet.	SupportedAdd and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.
Group name and photo	PartialSet a title at creation and rename groups by API; no group photo option 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	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	SupportedListed on the product page; the API reference only shows marking a conversation read.	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	SupportedPhotos and files, including attachment-only messages; up to 10 per API message.	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	PartialPoll a message's queue status by API; no delivered or read events documented.	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	SupportedCrypton runs a hosted iPhone and Apple ID per line in its EU and UK fleet; setup takes 3 to 5 business days.	Supported
Dedicated numbers	SupportedCzech, German and UK numbers, subject to device stock.	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	Not supportedEvery plan is a dedicated line, not a shared sender pool.	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	Not supportedCrypton hosts the iPhone and Apple ID; your own iPhone or Apple ID cannot be used.	Not listed
Line pooling	Not listed	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	Not listedThe line receives SMS, but Crypton says messages sent through it go out as iMessage.	Supported
RCS fallback	Not supportedNo RCS channel offered.	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	PartialFull two-way and Fleet only; the Reply plan can only answer people who text first.	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	SupportedSeparate Crypton SMS numbers use the same API; Blue Relay lines also receive SMS.	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	PartialEmail aliases with an inbox API on the same account; no sending endpoint documented.	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.
Phone calls	Not listedCrypton Mobile eSIMs include voice, but no calling API was found.	PartialAPI does not place or answer calls; it forwards inbound calls. Calling lives in the Linq Blue app.
Apple Messages for Business	Not supportedCrypton says Blue Relay is not Apple Messages for Business.	Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found.
Unified channel API	SupportedOne conversations API covers SMS numbers and iMessage lines.	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 homepage mentions SDK libraries, but none are named or linked.	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	Not listedThe homepage advertises webhooks for received messages; none are documented for Blue Relay lines.	Supported
Signed webhooks	Not listed	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 supportedBlue Relay is closed; public GitLab repos cover the Android app and SMS BYOD platform.	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not supportedCrypton hosts every Blue Relay iPhone; its self-host option covers the Android SMS BYOD platform only.	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	PartialAn incremental poll endpoint (after_id, since) lets you re-sync missed messages; no webhook replay.	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 supportedCrypton says there is no built-in AI toggle; you bring your own automation.	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	Not listed	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API	SupportedList conversations and read a conversation with its messages by API.	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	Not supportedPaid plans only; a €29 setup fee applies to monthly and 3-month terms.	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	Supported	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Supported	Supported
Uptime SLA	Not supportedTerms say Crypton does not guarantee continued availability of Blue Relay.	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure	SupportedA dedicated hosted iPhone is provisioned for every line.	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	SupportedUK GDPR privacy policy and ICO registration; lines are hosted in the EU and UK.	SupportedDPA covers GDPR and UK GDPR, with Standard Contractual Clauses.

Feature

Crypton.sh Blue Relay

Linq

iMessage messaging

iMessage

Group chats

Reply plan answers groups that message you; Full two-way and Fleet can start new groups.

Pro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.

Group management

Create with up to 32 participants, add or remove members, and leave. Starting groups needs Full or Fleet.

Add and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.

Group name and photo

PartialSet a title at creation and rename groups by API; no group photo option documented.

Set display_name and group_chat_icon on group chats.

Mentions

Not listed

Group chats only. Notifies iMessage recipients even in a muted chat.

Tapbacks

Not listed

Six classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.

Threaded replies

Not listed

reply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.

Typing indicators

Not listed

Send and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.

Read receipts

Listed on the product page; the API reference only shows marking a conversation read.

Mark 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

11 screen and 4 bubble effects.

Animated text effects

Not listed

text_decorations animations: big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, jitter.

Stickers

Not listed

Peel emoji or images onto messages, send stickers, or place them inline in text.

Formatted text

Not listed

Bold, italic, underline and strikethrough ranges, plus animated text. iMessage only.

Attachments

Photos and files, including attachment-only messages; up to 10 per API message.

Up to 10MB by URL, 100MB with pre-upload.

Live Photos

Not listed

Rich link previews

Not listed

link parts render as rich previews on iMessage and RCS.

Voice messages

Not listed

Dedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.

Contact cards

Not listed

Send .vcf files as media parts.

Polls

Not listed

Create, add options, vote and read tallies, with poll webhooks. Not as a chat's first message.

Chat backgrounds

Not listed

Color, animated or photo backgrounds, in direct and group chats.

Location sharing

Not listed

Request, read and stop Find My shares. Live location is a $79/mo add-on on Pro.

iMessage apps

Not listed

Pro plan. Cards from your own Messages extension, or Linq-hosted cards (Experiences).

Live app cards

Not listed

Update App Card replaces a delivered iMessage app or Experience card in place.

Sender name and photo

Not listed

Contact 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

PartialPoll a message's queue status by API; no delivered or read events documented.

sent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.

iMessage availability check

Not listed

check_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.

Focus and Notify Anyway

Not listed

Numbers and delivery

Managed lines

Crypton runs a hosted iPhone and Apple ID per line in its EU and UK fleet; setup takes 3 to 5 business days.

Dedicated numbers

Czech, German and UK numbers, subject to device stock.

Paid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.

Shared numbers

Not supportedEvery plan is a dedicated line, not a shared sender pool.

Free Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.

Bring your own number

Not supportedCrypton hosts the iPhone and Apple ID; your own iPhone or Apple ID cannot be used.

Not listed

Line pooling

Not listed

Managed load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.

SMS fallback

Not listedThe line receives SMS, but Crypton says messages sent through it go out as iMessage.

RCS fallback

Not supportedNo RCS channel offered.

Order is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.

Outbound-first messaging

PartialFull two-way and Fleet only; the Reply plan can only answer people who text first.

Free 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

Separate Crypton SMS numbers use the same API; Blue Relay lines also receive SMS.

RCS

Not supportedNot offered

Not supported

BetaSeparate WhatsApp API in beta. Access by request, no SLA.

Not supported

Not supportedNot offered

Slack

Not supported

PartialEmail aliases with an inbox API on the same account; no sending endpoint documented.

Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.

Phone calls

Not listedCrypton Mobile eSIMs include voice, but no calling API was found.

PartialAPI does not place or answer calls; it forwards inbound calls. Calling lives in the Linq Blue app.

Apple Messages for Business

Not supportedCrypton says Blue Relay is not Apple Messages for Business.

Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found.

Unified channel API

One conversations API covers SMS numbers and iMessage lines.

PartialiMessage, RCS and SMS share one API. WhatsApp is a separate API with its own keys and SDKs.

Developer tools

REST API

TypeScript SDK

Not listedThe homepage mentions SDK libraries, but none are named or linked.

@linqapp/sdk

Python SDK

Not listed

linq-python

Other SDKs

Not listed

Official Go SDK.

CLI

Not listed

@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.

Webhooks

Not listedThe homepage advertises webhooks for received messages; none are documented for Blue Relay lines.

Signed webhooks

Not listed

HMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.

MCP server

Not listed

@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.

Open source

Not supportedBlue Relay is closed; public GitLab repos cover the Android app and SMS BYOD platform.

PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.

Self-hosting

Not supportedCrypton hosts every Blue Relay iPhone; its self-host option covers the Android SMS BYOD platform only.

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

Event replay

PartialAn incremental poll endpoint (after_id, since) lets you re-sync missed messages; no webhook replay.

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

Linq Blue works as a GoHighLevel messaging provider. No n8n, Make or Zapier found for the API.

CRM integrations

Not listed

Via Linq Blue: GoHighLevel, HubSpot and Salesforce.

Built for AI agents

Agent framework

Not supportedCrypton says there is no built-in AI toggle; you bring your own automation.

PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter and OpenClaw and Hermes plugins.

Agent framework integrations

Not listed

Linq-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

Human handoff

Not listed

Audit logs

Not listed

Dashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.

Message history API

List conversations and read a conversation with its messages by API.

Plans and compliance

Free plan

Not supportedPaid plans only; a €29 setup fee applies to monthly and 3-month terms.

Hobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.

Public pricing

Pro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.

No per-message fees

Uptime SLA

Not supportedTerms say Crypton does not guarantee continued availability of Blue Relay.

Contractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%

Isolated infrastructure

A dedicated hosted iPhone is provisioned for every line.

Dedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line

SOC 2 Type II

Not listed

Type I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.

GDPR

UK GDPR privacy policy and ICO registration; lines are hosted in the EU and UK.

DPA 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.

Crypton.sh Blue Relay vs Linq

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