messages.dev vs Linq

messages.dev supports 30 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.

Feature comparison

Feature	messages.dev	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	Supported	Supported
Group chats	SupportedSend into existing groups once someone in them has messaged; receive group messages.	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	Not supportedDocs say Apple does not let third-party software create groups; no member endpoints.	SupportedAdd and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.
Group name and photo	Not listed	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 tapbacks; reaction.added and reaction.removed webhooks.	SupportedSix classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.
Threaded replies	Supportedreply_to with a message ID or GUID.	Supportedreply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.
Typing indicators	SupportedSending works; inbound typing events are not delivered yet.	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts	PartialYou can mark chats read; inbound read receipts are not delivered yet.	SupportedMark chats read and receive message.read. One-to-one chats only.
Edit and unsend	Not listedNot in the endpoint list in llms.txt.	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 uploaded file per 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	SupportedNative waveform voice messages; inbound memos include Apple's transcription.	SupportedDedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.
Contact cards	SupportedSDK helper builds the vCard, photo included.	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	PartialOutbox status pending, claimed, sent or failed; no separate delivered or read state.	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	SupportedTerms say messages.dev runs the Mac hardware, Apple IDs and carrier links for each line.	Supported
Dedicated numbers	Supported$99/mo per line with a dedicated number.	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	SupportedShared sandbox line, 50 messages a day, only to your own paired phone.	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	Not listed	Not listed
Line pooling	PartialMultiple lines supported, but you choose the line per user in your own code.	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	Not listedLines can be iMessage, SMS or auto; fallback behaviour is not documented.	Supported
RCS fallback	Not listed	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	Not supportedContact-first: the recipient must message your line before you can send.	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	SupportedSMS lines use the same endpoints; audio messages are iMessage only.	Supported
RCS	Not listedHomepage and terms mention RCS; the API docs do not document it.	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 supported	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.
Phone calls	Not supported	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	SupportediMessage and SMS lines share the same endpoints.	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@messages-dev/sdk, MIT.	Supported@linqapp/sdk
Python SDK	Not supportedOnly a TypeScript SDK; docs point other languages to the REST API.	Supportedlinq-python
Other SDKs	Not supported	SupportedOfficial Go SDK.
CLI	Supportedmessages-dev CLI: send, list, manage webhooks and stream events.	Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.
Webhooks	Supportedmessage.received, message.sent, reaction.added and reaction.removed.	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedHMAC-SHA256 over timestamp and raw body, 5-minute replay window.	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	PartialTypeScript SDK and CLI are MIT on GitHub; the service is closed.	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not listed	Not supportedLinq describes itself as fully managed, in contrast to self-hosted options.
Local testing	PartialSDK builds signed test webhook deliveries; real messaging still needs your phone.	Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone.
Custom channel providers	Not listed	Not listed
Event replay	Not listed	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 listed	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	SupportedCursor-paginated chats and messages per line.	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	SupportedSandbox: 50 messages a day to your own paired phone.	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	Supported	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Supported$99/mo per line with unlimited messages.	Supported
Uptime SLA	PartialCustom SLAs on Enterprise only; terms say no formal uptime SLA at launch.	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure	SupportedDedicated infrastructure on the Enterprise plan	SupportedDedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line
SOC 2 Type II	Not supportedSite footer lists SOC 2 as in progress.	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR	SupportedSite says GDPR compliant; a DPA is available on request.	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 messages.dev if you need local testing.

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

Frequently asked questions

• Photon vs messages.dev

• Photon vs Linq
• Blooio vs Linq
• Sendblue vs Linq
• Zernio vs Linq
• LoopMessage vs Linq
• Blue Reacher vs Linq
• Chert vs Linq
• Miss Blue vs Linq
• Bland vs Linq
• BlueBubbles vs Linq