Softwr

Communication · head to head

Chanty vs Line

Chanty logo

Chanty

Communication

Simple, easy to use, all-in-one team collaboration tool

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Line logo

Line

Communication

Messaging app that dominates Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, now run by LY Corporation under joint SoftBank and Naver ownership

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chanty free plan caps at 5 team members; Line line has negligible market share outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, so it is the wrong choice for reaching contacts in most other regions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chanty and Line actually diverge.

Attributes where Chanty and Line differ
AttributeChantyLine
Pricing modelfreemiumFree to download, paid stickers and business messaging tiers
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Communication).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Chanty

Nothing recorded that Line does not also cover.

Only in Line

  • Line Pay
  • Official Accounts
  • Stickers and themes
  • Line News
  • Group and open chat
  • Timeline

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Chanty

  • Team communication and collaborationnot Line

Line

  • A business selling to consumers in Japan that needs an Official Account rather than email or SMS to reach customersnot Chanty
  • An individual keeping in touch with contacts in Japan, Taiwan or Thailand where Line, not WhatsApp, is the defaultnot Chanty
  • A brand running promotions through Line stickers or Timeline content aimed at a Japanese audiencenot Chanty
  • A company processing consumer payments in Japan through Line Pay integrationnot Chanty

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Chanty

  • Free plan caps at 5 team members
  • Enterprise tier publishes no price and requires contacting sales
  • Monthly billing costs roughly 33% more per seat than annual billing on the Business plan, based on the vendor's own comparison of monthly versus annual per-user rates

Line

  • Line has negligible market share outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, so it is the wrong choice for reaching contacts in most other regions.
  • A 2021 incident exposed that some user data had been accessible from servers operated in China, which led to a formal restructuring of data governance and remains a reference point for privacy sensitive users.
  • Standard chats are not end to end encrypted by default in the way Signal is; Letter Sealing, an opt-in encryption feature, has to be manually enabled per chat.
  • Business messaging through Official Accounts becomes expensive quickly once a company exceeds the free monthly message allowance and moves to a metered plan.
  • Ownership sits inside a SoftBank and Naver joint venture with a history of governance disputes between the two partners, which creates strategic uncertainty for enterprise customers relying on the platform long term.

Pricing, plan by plan

Chanty

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited public and private chats
    • Voice messages and searchable history
    • One-on-one calls
  • Business$12/month
    • Everything in Free plan
    • Unlimited group calls and screen sharing
    • Employee onboarding
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • All Business features
    • White-labeling
    • Directory sync and SCIM provisioning

Line

Free
  • LineFree
    • Free messaging, voice and video calling
    • Individual sticker sets typically cost a few hundred yen each
    • Line Official Account has a free tier with message volume limits, then paid tiers by monthly message count

Which should you pick?

Choose Chanty if

  • You want to start without paying.
Chanty review

Choose Line if

  • You need line pay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want official accounts.
Line review

Questions people ask

Is Chanty or Line better?
Neither clearly leads. Chanty starts at Free and Line at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chanty or Line?
Chanty starts at Free and Line at Free.
Does Chanty or Line run on more platforms?
Chanty runs on Web. Line runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
Can I use Chanty for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Chanty best used for?
Chanty is most often used for team communication and collaboration. Of those, team communication and collaboration is not what Line is typically brought in for.
What can Chanty do that Line cannot?
Line covers Line Pay, Official Accounts, Stickers and themes, Line News.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chanty: How much does Chanty cost?

Chanty is free with up to 5 team members. The Business plan costs $12 per user per month with annual billing or $16 per user per month with monthly billing. Enterprise plan pricing requires contacting sales. Nonprofits and educational institutions receive a 50% discount.

Source
Line: Is Line encrypted by default?

Chats use standard transport encryption, but full end to end Letter Sealing encryption must be turned on manually per conversation, it is not the default.

Chanty: Is there a free version of Chanty?

Yes, Chanty's free plan includes unlimited public and private chats, voice messages, searchable history, one-on-one calls, task management, and 20GB storage. It supports up to 5 team members plus 1 guest user.

Source
Line: Does Line work well outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand?

Technically yes, but almost nobody uses it as their primary messenger outside those markets, so it is the wrong choice to reach most other audiences.

Chanty: What does the Chanty Business plan add?

The Business plan ($12-16/user/month) adds unlimited group calls, screen sharing, employee onboarding, per-user storage at 20GB, calendar, polls, forms, customizable permissions, HIPAA compliance, SSO/2FA, IP allowlist, 99.9% uptime SLA, 24/7 support, and 3 free guest seats per member.

Source
Line: Who owns Line now?

LY Corporation, formed from a merger of Line and Yahoo Japan businesses, controlled by A Holdings, a joint venture between SoftBank and Naver.

Share

Related pages

More on Chanty

More on Line

Keep looking

Other head to heads