Does LINE have a free plan?

Yes. LINE offers a free tier with limits; paid plans unlock higher usage or team features.

What are the main drawbacks of LINE?

The trade-offs we noted: Group calls, Meetings, Albums and Notes are not protected by Letter Sealing and use transport encryption instead.; Photo, video, voice-message and file encryption can depend on app version and specifications.; Account transfer can make older Letter-Sealed messages unavailable, making backup and recovery planning important..

When should you not use LINE?

Skip LINE if: Group calls, meetings, albums and notes must all be end-to-end encrypted; Enterprise SSO, managed retention, e-discovery and organization-owned identities are required; Cross-platform history recovery must be complete without a tested backup and transfer procedure.

Communication

LINE

Consumer messaging and calling platform with groups, stickers and region-dependent social or premium services protected in part by Letter Sealing.

What it is

LINE is a proprietary consumer communication service for mobile and PC, offering one-to-one and group chat, media, stickers and internet voice/video calls. Core communication is free aside from network data, while stickers, region-specific Premium Backup and other services may be paid. LINE's Letter Sealing end-to-end encryption is on by default and covers text, location, supported media/files and one-to-one voice/video calls. It does not cover group voice/video calls, LINE Meetings, Albums or Notes; media/file coverage can also depend on client version and specifications. A normal group currently supports up to 500 participants.

LINE pricing

LINE does not publish a plan ladder we could verify. Free tier available.

Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-08-24. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Price verification log.

Key features

Chats and media
Provides direct and group text, files, photos, video, voice and location sharing.
Voice and video
Supports individual and group internet calls with different encryption coverage.
Letter Sealing
Applies default end-to-end encryption to supported messages and one-to-one calls.
Consumer ecosystem
Adds stickers and region-dependent OpenChat, premium backup and related services.

Strengths and trade-offs

What works well

Letter Sealing is enabled by default and protects supported chat content plus one-to-one calls.
Text, media, location, stickers and free internet calling provide a complete consumer communication set.
Groups support up to 500 participants with familiar read-state and media workflows.
Key fingerprints let contacts verify the identity key for a protected conversation.

Where it falls short

Group calls, Meetings, Albums and Notes are not protected by Letter Sealing and use transport encryption instead.
Photo, video, voice-message and file encryption can depend on app version and specifications.
Account transfer can make older Letter-Sealed messages unavailable, making backup and recovery planning important.
Regional availability differs for OpenChat, premium backup, payments and related ecosystem services.

Who it is for

Consumers and informal groups in markets where LINE already has a strong contact network and regional features are available.

Pick it or skip it

Pick LINE if

Everyday chats and one-to-one calls among existing LINE users
Groups of up to 500 people that need simple media-rich coordination
Users willing to verify Letter Sealing fingerprints for sensitive one-to-one communication

Skip it if

Group calls, meetings, albums and notes must all be end-to-end encrypted
Enterprise SSO, managed retention, e-discovery and organization-owned identities are required
Cross-platform history recovery must be complete without a tested backup and transfer procedure

Our verdict

LINE is a capable consumer messenger with meaningful default E2EE, but Letter Sealing is not universal. Check the protection indicator and fingerprints for important chats, keep group calls and shared Albums/Notes outside sensitive workflows, and test account transfer before relying on history continuity.

Frequently asked questions

Does LINE have a free plan?: Yes. LINE offers a free tier with limits; paid plans unlock higher usage or team features.
Who is LINE best for?: Consumers and informal groups in markets where LINE already has a strong contact network and regional features are available.
What are the main drawbacks of LINE?: The trade-offs we noted: Group calls, Meetings, Albums and Notes are not protected by Letter Sealing and use transport encryption instead.; Photo, video, voice-message and file encryption can depend on app version and specifications.; Account transfer can make older Letter-Sealed messages unavailable, making backup and recovery planning important..
When should you not use LINE?: Skip LINE if: Group calls, meetings, albums and notes must all be end-to-end encrypted; Enterprise SSO, managed retention, e-discovery and organization-owned identities are required; Cross-platform history recovery must be complete without a tested backup and transfer procedure.

What we checked

Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.No
Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Yes
Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No

“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.

Evidence and freshness

Status: Official sources reviewedReviewed: 2026-08-24

LINE Help — Letter Sealing ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: default end-to-end encryption, protected text location media files and one-to-one calls, group-call Meeting Album and Note exclusions, version-dependent media coverage, fingerprint verification, account-transfer history risk
LINE Safety Center — Main features ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: chat group chat voice and video features, PC availability, 500-person group limit, internet-data cost boundary, read receipts and media sharing
LINE Guide — OpenChat ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: interest-based public conversation model, no friendship requirement, room-specific profile identity, discovery and moderation context, regional documentation
LINE Help — Premium Backup ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: paid region-specific backup, cross-operating-system transfer, history and media scope, 100 GB ceiling, new-media stop at capacity

Limit: Official LINE encryption, safety, OpenChat and Premium Backup sources were reviewed; ToolCompare did not register or transfer an account, send messages/media, compare key fingerprints, make individual/group calls, create a group/OpenChat/Meeting, use Albums/Notes, buy stickers or backup, inspect regional checkout, restore history, test desktop or contact support. Encryption was not independently audited; client versions, platform rules, availability and paid-service limits can change.

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