Dial vs Linq

Dial supports 44 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.

Feature comparison

Feature	Dial	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	SupportedNeeds an iMessage number, provisioned through the API. Pay-as-you-go accounts only.	Supported
Group chats	SupportedSend to and read iMessage groups the number was added to. Polls work in groups; replies and reactions do not.	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	Not supportedDocs say Dial cannot create a group, join one or accept an invite link.	SupportedAdd and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.
Group name and photo	Not listedGroup names are read live from the line; no way to set a name or photo is 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	SupportedSix tapback names or any single emoji. Sent only on inbound messages; received on message.received.	SupportedSix classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.
Threaded replies	SupportedNative threaded replies to inbound iMessage or RCS messages, one-to-one only.	Supportedreply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.
Typing indicators	PartialSend only, one-to-one and in groups. No inbound typing events are documented.	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts	PartialReports when recipients read your iMessages. No way to mark inbound messages 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	SupportedOne attachment per iMessage, 5 MB. Images, audio, video, PDF, vCard and iCalendar. No HEIC.	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	SupportedA single audio file on an iMessage number is sent as a native voice message.	SupportedDedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.
Contact cards	SupportedSend .vcf files as media. Inbound cards arrive as text/vcard media (since October 2026).	SupportedSend .vcf files as media parts.
Polls	Supported2 to 10 options, one-to-one or in iMessage groups. Votes arrive as events with a live tally.	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	SupportedSet the first name, last name and photo shown beside the number's iMessages.	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	PartialiMessage sends report no delivery receipts; delivery is inferred once a read arrives.	Supportedsent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.
iMessage availability check	SupportedLookup endpoint checks whether any number can receive iMessage or WhatsApp.	Supportedcheck_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.
Focus and Notify Anyway	Not listed	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	SupportediMessage numbers are provisioned through the API, with asynchronous setup. No Mac or device needed.	Supported
Dedicated numbers	SupportedEach number belongs to your account. Docs say only US numbers can be provisioned now.	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	Not listed	Not listed
Line pooling	Not listedDocs suggest splitting recipients across several iMessage numbers by hand; no automatic pooling found.	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	SupportediMessage numbers fall back to RCS or SMS automatically, at no message charge.	Supported
RCS fallback	Supported	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedCold outbound allowed. Each iMessage number can start up to 50 new conversations a day.	SupportedFree Hobby tier is inbound-first. Docs recommend inbound-first flows to avoid flagging.
Calls on the iMessage number	SupportediMessage numbers also place and receive AI voice calls, or forward inbound calls.	PartialAPI forwards inbound calls on the line; outbound needs caller-ID masking via another provider.
Other channels
SMS	SupportedTwo-way SMS; MMS to US and Canada. Subscription accounts can text US numbers only.	Supported
RCS	PartialOnly as automatic fallback from iMessage numbers; not a channel you can pick.	Supported
WhatsApp	BetaBeta, enabled per account. Runs on an iMessage number, one attachment per message.	BetaSeparate WhatsApp API in beta. Access by request, no SLA.
Telegram	Not supportedNot offered	Not supportedNot offered
Slack	Not supportedNot offered as a channel. A Zapier app can forward messages to Slack.	Not supported
Email	Not supportedNot offered	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.
Phone calls	SupportedInbound and outbound AI voice calls with transcripts.	PartialAPI does not place or answer calls; it forwards inbound calls. Calling lives in the Linq Blue app.
Apple Messages for Business	Not listedDocs say iMessage numbers send over Apple Messages for Business, but no business chat product is documented.	Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found.
Unified channel API	SupportedOne messages endpoint and event format for SMS, iMessage and WhatsApp, plus calls.	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	Supported@getdial/sdk	Supported@linqapp/sdk
Python SDK	Supporteddial-sdk	Supportedlinq-python
Other SDKs	Not supportedSDK overview lists only Node and Python clients, plus agent framework packages.	SupportedOfficial Go SDK.
CLI	Supporteddial CLI, installed with a shell script or npx. Needs Node 22 or later.	Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.
Webhooks	Supported	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedHMAC-SHA256 over timestamp and body, X-Dial-Signature header.	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.
MCP server	SupportedRemote server with OAuth at getdial.ai/mcp, or local stdio through the CLI.	Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.
Open source	PartialThe Chat SDK adapter is MIT on GitHub. The platform is closed.	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not listedSelf-Hosted mode only means calls are driven by your own agent server; the platform itself is hosted.	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	PartialWebhooks retry up to 6 attempts. The live stream replays only about 2 minutes of missed events.	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	SupportedZapier app with message and call triggers, and send, call and provision actions.	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	PartialHosted AI voice agent runs calls from a prompt. Messaging is send and receive only.	PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter and OpenClaw and Hermes plugins.
Agent framework integrations	SupportedLangChain, Vercel AI SDK, CrewAI, AutoGen, Microsoft Agent Framework and a Vercel Chat SDK adapter.	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	PartialThe voice agent can transfer a call to a person. No handoff for messaging.	Not listed
Audit logs	Not listed	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API	SupportedList and search messages, up to the 100 most recent per request.	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	Supported$5 of free credit, no card. Free accounts are capped at 5-minute calls and 2 concurrent calls.	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	Supported	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	PartialMessages from a $250/month iMessage number are free. SMS on standard numbers is billed per message.	Supported
Uptime SLA	PartialUptime SLA listed for Enterprise only.	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	PartialSite says SOC 2 certified. Report type and a report are not published.	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR	SupportedDPA covers GDPR and UK GDPR, with Standard Contractual Clauses.	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 Dial if you need human handoff.

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

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