LINE
Japan's everyday messenger app, with free calls, stickers, OpenChat and built-in services.
- Verified facts
- 3 of 3
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About LINE
LINE is the dominant messenger in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, run by LY Corporation, the company formed when LINE merged with Yahoo Japan. It offers free messages and voice and video calls, group chats, OpenChat communities, a Timeline-style feed, and a huge sticker and theme shop that is part of its culture. Around the chat app sits an ecosystem of services such as payments, news, shopping and official business accounts, which is why many people in those countries use it daily for far more than talking to friends. Messages are end-to-end encrypted by default with LINE's Letter Sealing, though group calls, albums and notes are not. The core app is free, with paid stickers, emoji and a LYP Premium subscription for extras. It runs on Android and iPhone with desktop apps for Windows and Mac. Outside its home markets few people use it, and its services and data policies are shaped around Japanese law, so it mainly matters if your contacts or work are in those regions.
Best for: Anyone living in or keeping in touch with people in Japan, Taiwan or Thailand.
Pros and cons
What works
- Ubiquitous in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand
- Free calls plus a huge sticker culture
- Payments, news and business accounts in one app
Why people leave
- Little used outside its core markets
- App is crowded with services and promotions
- Desktop use depends on linking your phone account
Top LINE alternatives
See all 5- 1
KakaoTalk66.5The Korean counterpart with a similar sticker culture and built-in services.
- 2
WhatsApp62.6Far more widely used internationally for personal chats and calls.
- 3
Telegram59.6Large communities and channels with cloud sync, used across many more countries.
- 4
WeChat57.2The Chinese super-app if your contacts are in mainland China.
- 5
Signal55.3Encrypted by default with no services, ads or stickers shop attached.
Why people left LINE
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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LINE: common questions
Is LINE free?
LINE has a free plan and paid plans.
Is LINE open source?
No, LINE is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Signal.
What platforms does LINE run on?
LINE is available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to LINE?
The highest-ranked LINE alternatives right now are KakaoTalk, WhatsApp and Telegram. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.