Texting Blue vs Linq
Compare Texting Blue and Linq side by side: iMessage features, channels, developer tools, pricing and compliance, checked on each provider's own site.
Texting Blue
Shared team iMessage inbox on your own iPhone number
- Starting price
- $19/month per number
- Free plan
- 3-day free trial
Linq
iMessage, RCS and SMS API with flat monthly pricing
- Starting price
- $260/month (Pro)
- Free plan
- Hobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, used through the CLI
Texting Blue supports 20 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.
Where Texting Blue is ahead
Where Linq is ahead
- Group chats
- Group management
- Group name and photo
- Mentions
- Tapbacks
- Threaded replies
- Typing indicators
- Read receipts
and 37 more in the table below.
Feature comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| iMessage messaging | ||
| iMessage | ||
| Group chats | Not listedAPI only documents one-to-one sends | |
| Group management | Not listed | |
| Group name and photo | Not listed | |
| Mentions | Not listedGroup chats are not documented | |
| Tapbacks | Not listed | |
| Threaded replies | Not listed | |
| Typing indicators | Not listed | |
| Read receipts | Not listedMarketing mentions read receipts, but the API has no read status | |
| Edit and unsend | Not listed | |
| Message effects | Not listed | |
| Animated text effects | Not listed | |
| Stickers | ||
| Formatted text | Not listed | |
| Attachments | ||
| Live Photos | Not listed | |
| Rich link previews | Not listed | |
| Voice messages | ||
| Contact cards | ||
| Polls | ||
| Chat backgrounds | Not listed | |
| Location sharing | ||
| iMessage apps | ||
| Live app cards | ||
| Sender name and photo | Not listed | |
| FaceTime calls | ||
| Delivery status | ||
| iMessage availability check | Not listed | |
| Focus and Notify Anyway | Not listed | Not listed |
| Numbers and delivery | ||
| Managed lines | ||
| Dedicated numbers | ||
| Shared numbers | ||
| Bring your own number | Not listed | |
| Line pooling | Not listed | |
| SMS fallback | ||
| RCS fallback | Not listed | |
| Outbound-first messaging | ||
| Calls on the iMessage number | ||
| Other channels | ||
| SMS | ||
| RCS | Not listed | |
| Telegram | Not supportedNot offered | Not supportedNot offered |
| Slack | Not supported | Not supported |
Not supported | Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles. | |
| Phone calls | ||
| Apple Messages for Business | Not supportedNot offered | Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found. |
| Unified channel API | ||
| Developer tools | ||
| REST API | ||
| TypeScript SDK | Not listedSite mentions SDKs, but docs show only raw HTTP examples | |
| Python SDK | Not listed | |
| Other SDKs | Not listed | |
| CLI | Not listed | |
| Webhooks | ||
| Signed webhooks | ||
| MCP server | Not listed | |
| Open source | Not listedOnly the free website contact widget is described as open source | |
| Self-hosting | Not listedHosted dashboard and API; only the widget script can be self-hosted | |
| Local testing | Not listedtb_test_ sandbox keys are listed as coming soon | Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone. |
| Custom channel providers | Not listed | Not listed |
| Event replay | ||
| OpenTelemetry | Not listed | |
| No-code integrations | ||
| CRM integrations | ||
| Built for AI agents | ||
| Agent framework | Not listed | |
| Agent framework integrations | Not listed | |
| Streaming replies | Not listed | |
| Agent group chats | Not listed | Not listed |
| Human handoff | Not listed | |
| Audit logs | ||
| Message history API | ||
| Plans and compliance | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Public pricing | ||
| No per-message fees | ||
| Uptime SLA | ||
| Isolated infrastructure | ||
| SOC 2 Type II | Not listedAbout page mentions 'SOC 2 practices'; no report or certification stated | |
| GDPR |
Checked on each provider's own site and docs on 2026-10-25. “Not listed” means the provider does not mention it.
Pricing
Texting Blue
One plan on sale: Lite at $19 per number per month for text-only messaging up to 100 messages a day; Standard and Business are listed as coming soon.
Pricing model: flat per number, with a daily message cap
SourceLinq
Hobby is free with up to 20 contacts through the CLI, Pro starts at $260 a month with a 7-day free trial, and Enterprise is custom.
Pricing model: flat monthly, no per-message fees
SourceWhich should you choose?
Choose Texting Blue if you need bring your own number and human handoff.
Choose Linq if you need group chats, group management, group name and photo and mentions.
Frequently asked questions
Texting Blue supports 20 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63. Texting Blue adds bring your own number and human handoff. Linq adds group chats, group management, group name and photo, mentions and tapbacks.
Texting Blue: One plan on sale: Lite at $19 per number per month for text-only messaging up to 100 messages a day; Standard and Business are listed as coming soon. Linq: Hobby is free with up to 20 contacts through the CLI, Pro starts at $260 a month with a 7-day free trial, and Enterprise is custom.
Linq does not list bring your own number on its site or in its docs.
Linq does not list human handoff on its site or in its docs.