Webex Connect vs Linq

Webex Connect supports 28 of the 77 features compared here, and Linq supports 63.

Feature comparison

Feature	Webex Connect	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	SupportedBuy long codes, toll-free numbers, short codes and sender IDs in the platform	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.
Shared numbers	SupportedShared numbers exist alongside dedicated ones; the sandbox pre-provisions test numbers	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.
Bring your own number	Not listed	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; RCS can fall back to SMS	Supported
RCS fallback	Not supportedNo iMessage support	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedOutbound SMS in 200+ countries; batch sends to up to 1,000 destinations per call	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 (MMS in the US and Canada only)	Supported
RCS	SupportedRCS messages, a capability lookup API and SMS fallback	Supported
WhatsApp	SupportedText, media, template, list, button and location messages	BetaSeparate WhatsApp API in beta. Access by request, no SLA.
Telegram	Not supportedNot offered	Not supportedNot offered
Slack	Not supported	Not supported
Email	SupportedEmail API from a verified domain	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.
Phone calls	SupportedOutbound calls, interactive call flows, recordings and call status webhooks	PartialAPI does not place or answer calls; it forwards inbound calls. Calling lives in the Linq Blue app.
Apple Messages for Business	SupportedText, list and time pickers, forms, rich links, iMessage apps and Apple Pay	Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found.
Unified channel API	PartialSend Message API v2 covers SMS, email and RCS; other channels have their own APIs	PartialiMessage, RCS and SMS share one API. WhatsApp is a separate API with its own keys and SDKs.
Developer tools
REST API	SupportedRegional REST endpoints with service key or JWT auth	Supported
TypeScript SDK	PartialThe JavaScript SDK is for web push, in-app and live chat; a 2022 Node SDK covers sandbox SMS	Supported@linqapp/sdk
Python SDK	Not listed	Supportedlinq-python
Other SDKs	PartialAndroid and iOS SDKs for push and in-app messaging only	SupportedOfficial Go SDK.
CLI	Not listed	Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.
Webhooks	SupportedDelivery receipts and incoming messages and events per number or app	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedOptional hub secret adds an HMAC SHA-256 or SHA-512 x-hub-signature header; mTLS option	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.
MCP server	PartialWebex MCP Server tools send SMS and email only, enabled per tenant and sender	Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.
Open source	Not supportedClosed Cisco platform; the sandbox Node SDK is MIT-licensed	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	Not listedThe sandbox sends real messages to up to 5 verified phones; no simulator found	Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone.
Custom channel providers	Not listed	Not listed
Event replay	PartialWebhooks retry 3 times at 60-second intervals; Data Streams can copy all events to your Kafka	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	PartialOwn visual flow builder with prebuilt nodes; no Zapier, Make or n8n connector found	SupportedLinq Blue works as a GoHighLevel messaging provider. No n8n, Make or Zapier found for the API.
CRM integrations	SupportedPrebuilt Salesforce, Zendesk, Zoho CRM, Freshdesk, ServiceNow and Epic nodes	SupportedVia Linq Blue: GoHighLevel, HubSpot and Salesforce.
Built for AI agents
Agent framework	SupportedWebex AI Agent Studio agents (scripted or autonomous) run inside flows through an AI Agent node	PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter and OpenClaw and Hermes plugins.
Agent framework integrations	PartialDialogflow CX and ES nodes and third-party bots over webhooks; no LangChain or similar	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	SupportedBots escalate to live agents in Webex Contact Center with conversation context	Not listed
Audit logs	SupportedUser audit trail for tenant owners (subscription feature) and an Audit Logs API	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.
Message history API	PartialGet Message v2 is a beta for select clients; transaction logs export; thread APIs for in-app	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	SupportedFree sandbox: 10,000 SMS and WhatsApp API requests within 365 days, to 5 verified numbers	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.
Public pricing	Not listedNo prices in the docs; webex.com pages could not be read	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Not listed	Supported
Uptime SLA	Supported99.5% monthly availability on Standard, 99.95% on Gold	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%
Isolated infrastructure	PartialPrivate customer, consent and transaction data stores set up case by case	SupportedDedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line
SOC 2 Type II	Not listedTrust Portal lists a Webex CPaaS SOC 2 report behind login; its type is not shown	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
GDPR	SupportedCisco GDPR program with EU Binding Corporate Rules and the Data Privacy Framework	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 Webex Connect if you need email, Apple Messages for Business and human handoff.

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

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