Sent vs Linq

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

Feature comparison

Feature	Sent	Linq
iMessage messaging
iMessage	Not supportedNo iMessage support	Supported
Group chats	Not supported	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.
Group management	Not supported	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	Not supported	SupportedSix classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.
Threaded replies	Not supported	Supportedreply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.
Typing indicators	Not supported	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.
Read receipts	Not supported	SupportedMark chats read and receive message.read. One-to-one chats only.
Edit and unsend	Not supported	PartialEdit text up to 5 times within 15 minutes. Delete does not unsend from the recipient's device.
Message effects	Not supported	Supported11 screen and 4 bubble effects.
Animated text effects	Not supported	Supportedtext_decorations animations: big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, jitter.
Stickers	Not supported	SupportedPeel emoji or images onto messages, send stickers, or place them inline in text.
Formatted text	Not supported	SupportedBold, italic, underline and strikethrough ranges, plus animated text. iMessage only.
Attachments	Not supported	SupportedUp to 10MB by URL, 100MB with pre-upload.
Live Photos	Not supported	Not listed
Rich link previews	Not supported	Supportedlink parts render as rich previews on iMessage and RCS.
Voice messages	Not supported	SupportedDedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.
Contact cards	Not supported	SupportedSend .vcf files as media parts.
Polls	Not supported	SupportedCreate, add options, vote and read tallies, with poll webhooks. Not as a chat's first message.
Chat backgrounds	Not supported	SupportedColor, animated or photo backgrounds, in direct and group chats.
Location sharing	Not supported	SupportedRequest, read and stop Find My shares. Live location is a $79/mo add-on on Pro.
iMessage apps	Not supported	SupportedPro plan. Cards from your own Messages extension, or Linq-hosted cards (Experiences).
Live app cards	Not supported	SupportedUpdate App Card replaces a delivered iMessage app or Experience card in place.
Sender name and photo	Not supported	SupportedContact card API sets name and photo, shared per chat via Name and Photo Sharing.
FaceTime calls	Not supported	Not supportedDocs say the API does not place or answer calls.
Delivery status	Not supported	Supportedsent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.
iMessage availability check	Not supported	Supportedcheck_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.
Focus and Notify Anyway	Not supported	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	Not supportedNo iMessage support	Supported
Dedicated numbers	SupportedLocal, 10DLC, toll-free, short code and alphanumeric senders by API; setup and lease fees vary.	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	SupportedLight onboarding sends pre-built templates without your own number; profiles with no sender use shared routes.	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	Not listedDocs mention registering a number you already own as a sender value, but no hosting or porting guide.	Not listed
Line pooling	Not listed	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.
SMS fallback	Not supportedNo iMessage support; WhatsApp and RCS can fall back to SMS	Supported
RCS fallback	Not supportedNo iMessage support	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedBusiness-initiated template sends; free-form text needs a prior reply or a template in the last 7 days.	SupportedFree Hobby tier is inbound-first. Docs recommend inbound-first flows to avoid flagging.
Calls on the iMessage number	Not supportedNo iMessage support	PartialAPI forwards inbound calls on the line; outbound needs caller-ID masking via another provider.
Other channels
SMS	SupportedSMS and MMS.	Supported
RCS	SupportedSends from a branded RCS agent that Sent reviews and carriers vet, not a phone number.	Supported
WhatsApp	SupportedConnect your WhatsApp Business Account through Meta's signup window.	BetaSeparate WhatsApp API in beta. Access by request, no SLA.
Telegram	Not supportedNot offered	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	SupportedCalls per number with IVR, recording, conferencing and browser calling; enabled by Sent on request.	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 send call and message model for SMS, MMS, RCS and WhatsApp; voice has its own 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@sentdm/sentdm	Supported@linqapp/sdk
Python SDK	Supportedsentdm	Supportedlinq-python
Other SDKs	SupportedGo, Java, C#/.NET, PHP and Ruby, plus a browser voice SDK.	SupportedOfficial Go SDK.
CLI	Not listed	Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.
Webhooks	Supported	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedSvix-style HMAC-SHA256 over id, timestamp and body, with a replay window.	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.
MCP server	SupportedHosted at mcp.sent.dm with OAuth 2.1; 27 tools for sends, contacts, templates, analytics and profiles.	Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.
Open source	Not supportedClosed platform; SDKs are Apache-2.0, the agent plugin and n8n node are MIT.	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not supportedHosted cloud service only	Not supportedLinq describes itself as fully managed, in contrast to self-hosted options.
Local testing	PartialSandbox mode validates sends and returns simulated responses; no simulated inbound replies.	Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone.
Custom channel providers	Not listed	Not listed
Event replay	SupportedWebhook delivery log by API; failed events can be replayed from the dashboard.	PartialRetries for 30 minutes; after that, re-fetch chats or ask Linq for a manual replay.
OpenTelemetry	Not listedDocs suggest OpenTelemetry for your own integration; no export of Sent's traces found.	PartialW3C trace IDs on every response and webhook for OTel backends. No export of Linq spans by default.
No-code integrations	SupportedOfficial n8n community node and Node-RED nodes. No Zapier or Make found.	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	BetaVoice Agents protocol (preview, v0.2.0) for AI agents on phone calls; nothing similar for text.	PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter and OpenClaw and Hermes plugins.
Agent framework integrations	Not listedSite lists Anthropic, OpenAI and Vercel as partners, but no framework package or guide found.	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	BetaVoice Agents protocol (preview) has a transfer tool to pass a call to an app user or phone number.	Not listed
Audit logs	Not listed	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API	SupportedGET /v3/conversations lists messages across or within conversations.	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	SupportedLight onboarding: 6 pre-built OTP templates, 500 sends a day, no card. Sandbox mode is free.	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	Supported	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Not supported$0.015 per active contact a month plus per-message carrier rates at cost.	Supported
Uptime SLA	PartialAbout page cites a 99.9% uptime SLA; pricing FAQ ties a formal SLA to Enterprise agreements.	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	SupportedSOC 2 Type II; documentation on request.	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR	SupportedDPA covers EU, UK and Swiss data 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 Sent if you need local testing and human handoff.

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

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