Sendblue vs Linq

Sendblue supports 58 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.

Feature comparison

Feature	Sendblue	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	Supported	Supported
Group chats	BetaGroup API is in beta on select plans. AI Agent plan can only reply in existing groups.	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	BetaAdd and remove participants in iMessage groups via the beta groups API.	SupportedAdd and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.
Group name and photo	SupportedRename groups and set group photos on supported lines.	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	PartialSend classic tapbacks or any emoji. No inbound reaction events documented.	SupportedSix classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.
Threaded replies	Supportedreply_to on V2 iMessage lines, in direct and group chats.	Supportedreply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.
Typing indicators	SupportedSend and receive. iMessage 1:1 only, not in groups.	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts	PartialCan mark chats read (1:1). Outbound statuses stop at DELIVERED, with no read status.	SupportedMark chats read and receive message.read. One-to-one chats only.
Edit and unsend	Not supportedDocs say editing is not supported via API and delete does not unsend.	PartialEdit text up to 5 times within 15 minutes. Delete does not unsend from the recipient's device.
Message effects	Supported13 send_style values.	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	SupportedUp to 100MB on iMessage, 5MB on SMS.	SupportedUp to 10MB by URL, 100MB with pre-upload.
Live Photos	Not listed	Not listed
Rich link previews	PartialDocs say links expand only after the recipient saves your contact.	Supportedlink parts render as rich previews on iMessage and RCS.
Voice messages	SupportedSend .caf files to render as inline voice notes.	SupportedDedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.
Contact cards	SupportedSend .vcf files via media_url.	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	SupportedFind My request, read and live watch. Dedicated iMessage lines only.	SupportedRequest, read and stop Find My shares. Live location is a $79/mo add-on on Pro.
iMessage apps	SupportedApp Cards for your own Messages extension. V2 lines, not on the free plan.	SupportedPro plan. Cards from your own Messages extension, or Linq-hosted cards (Experiences).
Live app cards	PartialUpdates go out as new messages in the same App Card session; Sendblue says the original is not edited.	SupportedUpdate App Card replaces a delivered iMessage app or Experience card in place.
Sender name and photo	SupportedName and Photo Sharing profile per line, shared into direct iMessage chats.	SupportedContact card API sets name and photo, shared per chat via Name and Photo Sharing.
FaceTime calls	PartialOutbound FaceTime audio over WebRTC (Agora). Needs a purchased FaceTime line.	Not supportedDocs say the API does not place or answer calls.
Delivery status	SupportedStatus callbacks from REGISTERED through SENT or DELIVERED.	Supportedsent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.
iMessage availability check	SupportedLookup API checks a phone number or email for iMessage.	Supportedcheck_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.
Focus and Notify Anyway	Not listed	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	Supported	Supported
Dedicated numbers	Supported	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	SupportedFree sandbox uses a shared number with verified contacts only.	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	PartialOnly by porting the number in, which adds 3 to 5 days.	Not listed
Line pooling	SupportedNumber pooling with sticky sending. Automatic line selection needs account enablement.	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	Supported	Supported
RCS fallback	SupportediMessage, then RCS, then SMS. RCS on V2 lines.	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedFull outbound on Enterprise or Blue Ocean; Free and AI Agent plans are inbound-first	SupportedFree Hobby tier is inbound-first. Docs recommend inbound-first flows to avoid flagging.
Calls on the iMessage number	SupportedDashboard calls and FaceTime from the texting number; API calls via your Twilio caller ID.	PartialAPI forwards inbound calls on the line; outbound needs caller-ID masking via another provider.
Other channels
SMS	Supported	Supported
RCS	SupportedV2 lines.	Supported
WhatsApp	Not supportedNot offered	BetaSeparate WhatsApp API in beta. Access by request, no SLA.
Telegram	Not supported	Not supportedNot offered
Slack	Not listed	Not supported
Email	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email addresses.	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.
Phone calls	PartialNo native calling API. Dashboard calls, outbound via your Twilio caller ID, inbound forwarding.	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	SupportedOne API for iMessage, RCS and SMS, the only channels offered.	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	Supportedsendblue on npm.	Supported@linqapp/sdk
Python SDK	Supportedsendblue on PyPI.	Supportedlinq-python
Other SDKs	PartialGo, Rust and Ruby packages, listed as community packages.	SupportedOfficial Go SDK.
CLI	Supported@sendblue/cli: signup, messaging, contacts and webhooks.	Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.
Webhooks	Supported	Supported
Signed webhooks	PartialSends your shared secret in an sb-signing-secret header. No HMAC signature.	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.
MCP server	Supportedsendblue-api-mcp via npx.	Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.
Open source	PartialSDKs and CLI are MIT or Apache-2.0 on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not listedSold as a hosted service on Sendblue's Apple devices; self-hosting is not mentioned.	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	PartialNo replay. Docs say to repair gaps by listing messages updated since a timestamp.	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, Make and GoHighLevel. Docs FAQ says n8n resources are coming soon.	SupportedLinq Blue works as a GoHighLevel messaging provider. No n8n, Make or Zapier found for the API.
CRM integrations	SupportedGoHighLevel, HubSpot, Salesforce, Close and Monday.com.	SupportedVia Linq Blue: GoHighLevel, HubSpot and Salesforce.
Built for AI agents
Agent framework	PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter.	PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter and OpenClaw and Hermes plugins.
Agent framework integrations	SupportedSendblue-maintained Vercel Chat SDK adapter.	SupportedLinq-maintained Vercel Chat SDK adapter, plus OpenClaw and Hermes Agent plugins.
Streaming replies	Not supportedDocs say message editing is not supported via the API.	Not supportedDocs say the Chat SDK adapter buffers streams into one final message.
Agent group chats	BetaA line can add another of your own dedicated lines to a group, via the beta groups API.	Not listed
Human handoff	SupportedShared team inboxes with assignment, and agents that escalate to a rep.	Not listed
Audit logs	PartialSecurity page says all API requests are logged. No customer-facing audit log documented.	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API	Supported	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	SupportedFree sandbox: shared number, up to 10 verified contacts, no webhooks.	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	SupportedAI Agent plan at $100/mo per line. Enterprise is custom.	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Supported	Supported
Uptime SLA	Supported99.99% uptime SLA on the Enterprise plan	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure	SupportedA dedicated HIPAA instance for HIPAA customers	SupportedDedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line
SOC 2 Type II	SupportedSOC 2 Type II, report on request.	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR	SupportedPrivacy policy says Sendblue adheres to GDPR. DPAs 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 Sendblue if you need FaceTime calls, bring your own number, agent group chats and human handoff.

Choose Linq if you need mentions, edit and unsend, animated text effects and stickers.

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