Linq Alternatives with Self-hosting

Providers with self-hosting

Photon

Open-source agent framework with managed iMessage

Starting price

$25/month (Pro)

Free plan

Free: shared iMessage lines, up to 10 users (2.0 beta: 25 shared iMessage assignments and $100 credit)

SupportedRun the open-source core on your own Mac and number, no Spectrum Cloud

Visit PhotonRead more

BlueBubbles

Free, open-source iMessage bridge you host on a Mac

Starting price

Free

Free plan

Free and open source (Apache-2.0)

SupportedSelf-hosted only

Visit BlueBubblesRead more

MessageBlue

iMessage API for agents, with bring-your-own-number

Starting price

$100/month per line

Free plan

$0 with your own number and Mac, all features, limited seats

SupportedEnterprise plan: your cloud (BYOC), VPC or on-prem

Visit MessageBlueRead more

Bird

Email, SMS, WhatsApp and Apple Messages APIs

Starting price

$0.0035 per US outbound SMS segment plus carrier fees

Free plan

Free email tier of 1,000 emails a month; free shared Inbox

PartialOnly the PowerMTA email software is licensed for your own servers

Visit BirdRead more

Not supported or not listed

• Linq
  Not supportedLinq describes itself as fully managed, in contrast to self-hosted options.
• Sendblue
  Not listedSold as a hosted service on Sendblue's Apple devices; self-hosting is not mentioned.
• Blooio
  Not supportedBlooio says it is not a self-hosted iMessage relay.
• LoopMessage
  Not listed
• Chert
  Not listedOnly the open-source FaceTime link connector runs on your own machine.
• messages.dev
  Not listed
• Claw Messenger
  Not supportedProvider lists itself as hosted
• Texting Blue
  Not listedHosted dashboard and API; only the widget script can be self-hosted
• Apple Messages for Business
  Not supportedBots must connect through an Apple-approved MSP, not directly
• Twilio
  Not listed
• Sinch
  Not listed
• Telnyx
  Not listed
• Vonage
  Not listed
• Infobip
  Not listed

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