Sendblue vs Linq Blue vs Blue Reacher: An Honest Comparison
Quick verdict
Update, 16 Oct 2026: Linq is closing sales, prospecting and outreach accounts and removing lines from Monday 19 October 2026 for accounts that have not replied, so Linq Blue is no longer an option for sales teams. Sendblue vs Linq Blue used to be a transparency contest. In 2026 both put outbound behind sales. Sendblue publishes $100 inbound-only and gates outbound at 50 new contacts per line per day. Linq lists no Linq Blue price. Blue Reacher publishes $249 per line.
Key takeaways
- Sendblue and Linq Blue send blue-bubble iMessages.
- Linq Blue is shaped like the job a sales team has.
- Outbound pricing is unpublished at both vendors.
- Sendblue vs Linq resolves on buying process and stack shape: Sendblue fits a developer-led build starting in the free sandbox, Linq Blue fits a CRM-shaped rollout bought through procurement.
- Blue Reacher sends blue-bubble texts across your funnel at 2-3x cold email reply rates, no A2P registration.
Reply rate by outbound channel
How do Sendblue and Linq Blue compare at a glance?
Sendblue and Linq Blue send blue-bubble iMessages. Sendblue courts developers with a free sandbox. Linq raised $27M including a $20M Series A in February 2026 and leads with AI-agent infrastructure.
- Everything below comes from each vendor's live pages and llms.txt files, unless dated otherwise. Where a number is not published, the table says so instead of repeating figures from someone else's blog.
Published pricing
- Sendblue
- $0 sandbox; $100/line/mo AI Agent plan, inbound-only (their llms.txt, 9 Aug 2026)
- Linq Blue
- Does not publish pricing. Free sandbox, then a sales quote
- Blue Reacher
- from $199/line/mo, $1,949/line/yr
Cold outbound
- Sendblue
- Blue Ocean plan, sales-gated: 50 new contacts/day/line, 200 follow-ups/day, 5 messages max without a reply (their llms.txt, 9 Aug 2026)
- Linq Blue
- Available through sales; no published terms or caps
- Blue Reacher
- Core use case, included, no hard daily contact caps
Setup
- Sendblue
- Self-serve sandbox, then sales for outbound
- Linq Blue
- Consultation and rep-led onboarding
- Blue Reacher
- White-glove, built for you
Target user
- Sendblue
- Developers, AI-agent builders, and sales teams on an API
- Linq Blue
- Sales orgs buying through procurement, plus a developer API that leads the roadmap
- Blue Reacher
- B2B sales teams that want the channel run for them
Security disclosures
- Sendblue
- Data incident disclosed 5 Aug 2026 in their own report
- Linq Blue
- None disclosed
- Blue Reacher
- None disclosed
Company backing
- Sendblue
- Y Combinator Summer 2023
- Linq Blue
- $27M raised, including a $20M Series A led by TQ Ventures, Feb 2026
- Blue Reacher
- Independent
Where does Sendblue beat Linq Blue?
Sendblue publishes more than Linq. The $100 inbound plan is a real number you can budget, the free sandbox needs no credit card, and outbound caps are in print. G2 4.8 across 65 reviews, plus HIPAA plans.
- One 2026 fact cuts the other way. Sendblue disclosed a security incident on 5 August 2026: unauthorized access to records including content and phone numbers on 7 and 10 July. Bring this to your security review.
- Published pricing and published caps, against a quote-only product
- The category's only real review base: G2 4.8 across 65 reviews (July 2026)
- HIPAA plans and enterprise BAAs available
- A free sandbox with full API access, so evaluation costs an afternoon
Where does Linq Blue beat Sendblue?
Linq Blue is shaped like the job a sales team has. The product sends from HubSpot, Salesforce, and GoHighLevel with an install-once path that keeps existing SMS workflows intact.
- The balance sheet is the other edge. $27M raised, a $20M Series A in February 2026, and around 1,000+ teams claimed. If procurement scores vendor stability, Linq scores best.
- The February 2026 raise came with a public shift toward AI-agent infrastructure, so ask what ships for sales teams next.
- Sales-first product shape: CRM install, not an endpoint to wrap
- iMessage, RCS, SMS, and voice with transcription under one contract
- The strongest funding position in the niche: $27M raised
The pricing question neither answers in public
Outbound pricing is unpublished at both vendors. Sendblue's Blue Ocean is quote-only; Linq Blue has no listed price either. Third-party reports put Linq Blue between $160 and $250 per line per month.
- Ask both vendors: per-line rate, setup fee, daily caps, contract term. Neither answers in print. At Sendblue the printed part is the ceiling: 50 new contacts per line per day.
Those are our assumptions. The Blue Funnel Map runs the same arithmetic on the funnel you actually have, and you keep the map either way.
Run these numbers on your funnelSendblue vs Linq: which one fits your team?
Sendblue vs Linq: which one fits your team?
Sendblue vs Linq resolves on buying process and stack shape: Sendblue fits a developer-led build starting in the free sandbox, Linq Blue fits a CRM-shaped rollout bought through procurement.
- Reply-rate claims will not settle it: both vendors publish performance numbers of their own, and a two-week pilot on your real list beats every marketing page, this one included.
- Building on an API or shipping an AI agent, with a developer free to own sequencing and reply handling? Sendblue, and start in the sandbox today.
- Blocked in procurement on a certificate, with a CRM-shaped rollout to run? Linq Blue fits that motion better out of the box, at a per-line rate you first see in the quote.
- Need HIPAA paperwork? Sendblue advertises it, Linq does not.
- Leaving Linq? Linq is closing sales accounts from 19 October 2026, so ask any replacement whether it ports your Linq number in, and ask Sendblue how Blue Ocean caps scale with your list. Get both in writing.
- Running cold outbound and need a price today without a call? Neither publishes one, and the only outbound number in print here is Sendblue's ceiling of 50 new contacts per line per day; that is what the third column is for.
Where does Blue Reacher fit, and who is each one for?
Where does Blue Reacher fit, and who is each one for?
Blue Reacher sends blue-bubble texts across your funnel at 2-3x cold email reply rates, no A2P registration. Pricing: $249/line/mo or $1,949/year with activation waived on annual.
- Setup is white-glove. Native on GoHighLevel, HubSpot, Close, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Follow Up Boss; webhooks for the rest. Unlimited iMessages (50 opted-in / 30 cold/day), RCS then SMS.
- Blue Reacher is the pick for a US B2B sales team whose job is starting conversations: one published per-line price, outbound included not capped or quoted, and sequences built with you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sendblue cheaper than Linq Blue?
Nobody can say from public numbers, because Linq publishes no Linq Blue pricing and Sendblue's outbound is quote-only. Sendblue's $100 per line per month covers inbound-only. Third-party reports place Linq Blue at $160 to $250 per line per month. Blue Reacher publishes $249 per line per month with outbound included.
Is Linq Blue discontinued?
For sales teams, yes. In October 2026 Linq began closing sales, prospecting and outreach accounts, removing lines from Monday 19 October 2026 if it has not heard back, to focus on messaging APIs for AI agents. Numbers can be ported out only before the account closes; Blue Reacher ports Linq numbers in.
Can Sendblue or Linq Blue send cold outbound?
Both gate it behind sales. Sendblue's llms.txt says the $100 plan cannot message contacts who have not texted first. Its Blue Ocean outbound caps 50 new contacts per line per day with 200 follow-ups. Linq publishes no Linq Blue terms. Neither provides published pricing and caps you can check before a call.
Do either of these require A2P 10DLC registration?
No. iMessage does not run on the carrier SMS routes that A2P 10DLC governs, so no A2P registration is required at Sendblue, Linq Blue, or Blue Reacher. TCPA and consent obligations still apply on every channel, so keep a lawful basis for contact and a working opt-out regardless of vendor.
Want a price you can read before any call?
Sendblue quotes outbound and Linq quotes Linq Blue; Blue Reacher publishes it. Book a demo and compare a blue bubble on your own phone against whatever the other two quote you.