Pinnacle vs Linq

Pinnacle supports 26 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.

Feature comparison

Feature	Pinnacle	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	BetaOnboarded per account by emailing Pinnacle; sent through the MMS endpoint; not in the API docs	Supported
Group chats	Not listed	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	Not listed	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	Not listedA reactions endpoint exists for SMS, MMS and RCS; iMessage support is not documented	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 listedTyping indicators are documented for RCS only	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts	Not listed	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	Not listediMessage uses the MMS endpoint, which takes media URLs; iMessage media is not documented	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 listedvCards can be sent over MMS; not documented for iMessage	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	Not listed	Supportedsent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.
iMessage availability check	Not listedRCS capability lookup is documented; an iMessage check is not	Supportedcheck_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.
Focus and Notify Anyway	Not listed	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	Not listedHow iMessage lines are run is not documented	Supported
Dedicated numbers	SupportedSearch and buy local and toll-free numbers by API	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	SupportedTest numbers and RCS test agents for development	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	Not listed	Not listed
Line pooling	PartialBlasts spread sends across several sender numbers	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	PartialFAQ says RCS, then iMessage, then MMS, then SMS; the API documents RCS to SMS/MMS fallback	Supported
RCS fallback	Not listedThe FAQ fallback order puts RCS before iMessage	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedBusiness-initiated sends and audience blasts on registered campaigns	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 and MMS; the pricing page lists group MMS at the MMS rate	Supported
RCS	SupportedCards, carousels, quick replies, media, typing indicators, read receipts and SMS/MMS fallback	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	SupportedInbound and outbound calls with live audio WebSockets, recording and conferences	PartialAPI does not place or answer calls; it forwards inbound calls. Calling lives in the Linq Blue app.
Apple Messages for Business	Not supportedNot offered	Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found.
Unified channel API	PartialOne API and SDK, but each channel has its own send endpoint; iMessage rides the MMS one	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 OpenAPI 3.1 specs	Supported
TypeScript SDK	Supportedrcs-js	Supported@linqapp/sdk
Python SDK	Supportedrcs on PyPI	Supportedlinq-python
Other SDKs	SupportedRuby gem rcs	SupportedOfficial Go SDK.
CLI	Not listed	Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.
Webhooks	SupportedMessage, user, form, campaign, call and fax events	Supported
Signed webhooks	PartialSends your signing secret in a PINNACLE-SIGNING-SECRET header to compare; no HMAC	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.
MCP server	Supported95 tools; remote at mcp.pinnacle.sh or npx @pinnacle-rcs/mcp	Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.
Open source	Not supportedHosted platform; sample RCS chatbot projects are public on GitHub	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	SupportedSimulate endpoint triggers inbound messages, button taps and location events without a device	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	Partialn8n through its MCP node, per the Pinnacle for AI page	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	PartialGroup MMS is supported at the MMS rate	Not listed
Human handoff	Not listedDashboard and embeddable inbox let people reply; no agent handoff API found	Not listed
Audit logs	PartialAudit logs listed with SSO under the Enterprise section of the plan page	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API	SupportedConversations API lists threads and their messages; List Messages filters by date and status	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	Not listedA self-serve sandbox is mentioned; no free tier is stated	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	PartialPer-message rates published; the monthly base is quoted (llms.txt lists $50 and $500 plans)	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Not supportedPer-segment rates, SMS from $0.015 with carrier fees included	Supported
Uptime SLA	PartialCustom SLA guarantees listed under Enterprise; the homepage cites 99.99% uptime	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure	PartialBAA customers get a separate HIPAA environment	SupportedDedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line
SOC 2 Type II	PartialFooter shows a SOC 2 Type II badge; the security page (March 2026) says it is working toward it	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR	Not listed	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 Pinnacle if you need local testing and agent group chats.

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

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