iSnap vs Linq

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

Feature comparison

Feature	iSnap	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	Supported	Supported
Group chats	PartialGroup messages are received into one chat; iSnap does not send to groups.	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	Not supportediSnap does not send to groups.	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	SupportedSend the six tapbacks; contacts' tapbacks and custom emoji reactions arrive by webhook. iMessage only.	SupportedSix classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.
Threaded replies	Supportedreply_to_message_id; shown threaded when the device supports it, as every rented line does.	Supportedreply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.
Typing indicators	PartialSend only; iMessage lines never report that a contact is typing.	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts	SupportedSend read receipts by marking a chat read; outbound iMessages report read when the contact shares it.	SupportedMark chats read and receive message.read. One-to-one chats only.
Edit and unsend	Not supportedNo edit or unsend call, and edits or unsends by contacts are not reported.	PartialEdit text up to 5 times within 15 minutes. Delete does not unsend from the recipient's device.
Message effects	Supported4 bubble and 9 screen effects, on text-only iMessages.	Supported11 screen and 4 bubble effects.
Animated text effects	Not listed	Supportedtext_decorations animations: big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, jitter.
Stickers	PartialStickers that contacts place arrive as received files; sending stickers is not documented.	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	SupportedThe API takes up to 10 files, but the device sends only the first; files expire after 72 hours.	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	SupportedAn audio-only send becomes a voice note; received voice messages arrive as audio files.	SupportedDedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.
Contact cards	SupportedBuilds and sends a vCard 3.0 from the fields you pass.	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	Supportedqueued, sent, delivered, read and failed events; SMS and RCS report no delivered or read.	Supportedsent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.
iMessage availability check	SupportedLookup for a phone number or email; answers are cached 24 hours and shared across accounts.	Supportedcheck_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.
Focus and Notify Anyway	Not listed	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	SupportedRented lines are iPhones with eSIM numbers, bridged by Mac minis that iSnap runs.	Supported
Dedicated numbers	SupportedUS numbers only; take a listed line or pre-order one of 83 area codes.	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	SupportedShared plan at $77/month and a free Starter test line; shared lines have no number of their own.	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	SupportedBYOP: pair your own iPhone with a Mac running the iSnap bridge app, $15/month per line.	Not listed
Line pooling	Not listed	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	SupportedWhen the device knows the recipient is not on iMessage; no fallback after a failed iMessage.	Supported
RCS fallback	PartialFallback can go out as SMS or RCS; Apple and the carrier choose which, not iSnap.	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedBusiness, Shared and BYOP lines; Inbound lines reply only. 50 new contacts a day by default.	SupportedFree Hobby tier is inbound-first. Docs recommend inbound-first flows to avoid flagging.
Calls on the iMessage number	Not supportedNot offered	PartialAPI forwards inbound calls on the line; outbound needs caller-ID masking via another provider.
Other channels
SMS	SupportedSent by the line's device to recipients not on iMessage; you cannot force SMS per message.	Supported
RCS	PartialDocs define Android lines with SMS and RCS, but the site sells iPhone lines and the Android bridge is unavailable.	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 supportediSnap does not send to email addresses.	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	SupportedRented and BYOD lines share one API, webhooks and message objects for iMessage, SMS and RCS.	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@isnap/sdk, MIT, for Node.js 20+ and Bun.	Supported@linqapp/sdk
Python SDK	Not supportedNo Python SDK; the docs show Python with requests.	Supportedlinq-python
Other SDKs	Not supportediSnap says the TypeScript SDK is the only one.	SupportedOfficial Go SDK.
CLI	Not listed	Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.
Webhooks	Supported37 event types, delivered at least once.	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedStandard Webhooks HMAC-SHA256, with secret rotation.	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.
MCP server	Not supportediSnap says it has no MCP server.	Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.
Open source	PartialThe TypeScript SDK is MIT on npm; the platform is closed.	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not supportedBYOP runs the bridge on your own Mac, but iSnap provides the API and dashboard.	Not supportedLinq describes itself as fully managed, in contrast to self-hosted options.
Local testing	Not supportedNo sandbox; test keys act on real lines and every send is a real message.	Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone.
Custom channel providers	Not listed	Not listed
Event replay	SupportedReplay finished deliveries while their records exist, and read a 72-hour events feed.	PartialRetries for 30 minutes; after that, re-fetch chats or ask Linq for a manual replay.
OpenTelemetry	PartialAccepts a W3C traceparent header and returns its trace id; no trace export documented.	PartialW3C trace IDs on every response and webhook for OTel backends. No export of Linq spans by default.
No-code integrations	PartialPricing lists a native GoHighLevel integration on the BYOP plan only; no docs found for it.	SupportedLinq Blue works as a GoHighLevel messaging provider. No n8n, Make or Zapier found for the API.
CRM integrations	PartialOnly GoHighLevel is named, on the BYOP plan; other CRMs connect through webhooks and the API.	SupportedVia Linq Blue: GoHighLevel, HubSpot and Salesforce.
Built for AI agents
Agent framework	Not supportediSnap says it does not build agents; it gives yours a phone line.	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 supportediSnap does not send to groups.	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	PartialList messages and chats, but iSnap deletes every message at least 72 hours after recording it.	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	SupportedStarter: $0, no card, one contact on a shared test line.	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 supportediSnap says it does not publish an uptime SLA.	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure	PartialEach rented line is its own iPhone; Shared and Starter plans use iSnap's pooled numbers.	SupportedDedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line
SOC 2 Type II	Not supportediSnap says it does not claim SOC 2 certification.	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR	Not supportediSnap says it does not claim GDPR certification.	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 iSnap if you need bring your own number.

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

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