Linq vs Chert: trusted infrastructure vs new entrant
Chert is a new entrant to the space without a track record of reliability. Linq is the infrastructure 1,000+ teams scale on with a contractual 99.95% SLA.
Trusted by 1,000+ teams
Four differences that matter
Where Linq and Chert actually diverge.
Enterprise Compliance
The only SOC 2 Type II–certified iMessage API, with encrypted data by default, vs a platform with no published compliance certifications.
Linq: SOC 2 Type II
Chert: none published
Contractual Uptime
Industry-leading contractual SLA of 99.95% from dedicated data centers with redundant core elements. Chert publishes no uptime number or SLA.
Linq: contractual 99.95%
Chert: no uptime published
Build right now, not after a call
Self-serve sandbox with your first message sent in 30 seconds vs a book-a-call kickoff before you can send anything.
Linq: self-serve sandbox
Chert: book a call first
Production webhooks
44 distinct versioned event types, managed retries, and trace IDs on every response and error.
Linq: 44 versioned
Chert: no public event catalog
Feature by feature
How Linq and Chert stack up across the things teams ship on.
| Feature | Linq | Chert |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure and compliance | ||
| Uptime SLA | 99.95% contractual uptime SLA | No published uptime number or SLA |
| Compliance Certification | SOC 2 Type II certified | No published compliance certifications |
| Scale to Date | 200M+ messages processed, 1,000+ teams | No published volume or customer metrics |
| Sending Identity | Dedicated lines per customer | Not published |
| Data Deletion | Layered deletion: hardware + iCloud + server API | No published data deletion policy |
| Getting started | ||
| Self-Serve Access | Free Sandbox without a call | Book-a-call kickoff required to start |
| Pricing | Per line pricing | Not published |
| Setup Time | 5-minute setup via sandbox | Hands-on onboarding after kickoff call |
| Messaging richness | ||
| iMessage Effects | 11 screen + 4 bubble animations (confetti, fireworks, lasers, invisible, slam, sparkles...) | Not documented |
| Reactions | Custom emoji + sticker reactions | Standard tapback reactions |
| Per-Message Service Control | iMessage / RCS / SMS selectable per message & fallback | Automatic SMS/RCS fallback only |
| Group Chats | Add/remove participants, leave group, name + icon updates | Multi-recipient threads; management API not documented |
| FaceTime Call API | Audio + video calls live in beta, 7 call webhook events | Not offered |
| Webhooks and reliability | ||
| Event Types | 44 distinct event types | Delivery receipts + status webhooks; no public event catalog |
| Webhook Versioning | Versioned payloads, pin to a date, stable schema | Not documented |
| Where Chert has an edge | ||
| Listed Native Integrations | API + webhooks; CLI, wrappers, and SDKs in progress | Lists Salesforce, HubSpot, Attio, Close, GoHighLevel, Slack, and Vapi integrations |
| Done-For-You Builds | Build on the API with expert support | Founders offer to build the agent experience for early customers |
Uptime SLA
Compliance Certification
Scale to Date
Sending Identity
Data Deletion
Self-Serve Access
Pricing
Setup Time
iMessage Effects
Reactions
Per-Message Service Control
Group Chats
FaceTime Call API
Event Types
Webhook Versioning
Listed Native Integrations
Done-For-You Builds
