Communication · head to head
Chatwork vs LINE WORKS
Chatwork
Communication
Group chat for global teams, built to replace email with real-time communication
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
LINE WORKS
Communication
Business chat built on the LINE interface, aimed at Japanese firms whose staff and customers already use LINE
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Chatwork free plan limited to 100 users; LINE WORKS the external LINE bridge, which is the main reason to choose it, only matters where LINE has consumer penetration, so buyers outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand are paying for a feature they cannot use.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Chatwork and LINE WORKS actually diverge.
| Attribute | Chatwork | LINE WORKS |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Per user per month |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS |
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 Chatwork
Nothing recorded that LINE WORKS does not also cover.
Only in LINE WORKS
- External LINE messaging
- Chat and channels
- Voice and video calls
- Shared address book
- Calendar and bulletin board
- Drive
- Business email
- Admin controls
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Chatwork
- Team communication and collaborationnot LINE WORKS
LINE WORKS
- A Japanese retail or service chain whose customers expect to book and enquire over LINE rather than emailnot Chatwork
- A clinic, dealership or estate agency that needs customer conversations on LINE but under corporate retention and auditnot Chatwork
- A Japanese SME under 30 staff that wants managed business chat at no licence cost on the free tiernot Chatwork
- The Japanese subsidiary of a foreign group that needs a local tool for front-line staff alongside the group standardnot Chatwork
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Chatwork
- Free plan limited to 100 users
- Free plan message history limited to last 40 days
- Standard plan pricing: $7/month annual or $8.40/month monthly
LINE WORKS
- The external LINE bridge, which is the main reason to choose it, only matters where LINE has consumer penetration, so buyers outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand are paying for a feature they cannot use.
- The free tier caps total storage at 5GB across the whole organisation, not per user, so a team sharing photos or documents exhausts it within weeks and is pushed onto a paid plan.
- Business email is only on the Advanced plan at 800 yen per user, so an organisation wanting both chat and mail pays nearly double the Standard rate for every seat including staff who only chat.
- Developer documentation, support and the integration catalogue are strongest in Japanese, which makes it awkward to administer from a non-Japanese IT function.
- It has no serious developer or engineering workflow story, so organisations that also run Slack or Teams for technical teams end up maintaining two chat systems and two directories.
Pricing, plan by plan
Chatwork
Free- FreeFree
- Secure messaging
- Unlimited group chats
- 1:1 video calls
- Standard$7/month
- All Free features
- Unlimited message history
- Group video calls
LINE WORKS
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 30 users
- 5GB total storage
- Chat, calls, calendar and address book
- Standard$450/month
- Unlimited users
- 1TB shared storage
- Annual contract price, 540 yen monthly
- Advanced$800/month
- Everything in Standard
- Business email
- 100TB shared storage
Which should you pick?
Choose LINE WORKS if
- You need external line messaging.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- You also want chat and channels.
Questions people ask
- Is Chatwork or LINE WORKS better?
- Neither clearly leads. Chatwork starts at Free and LINE WORKS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Chatwork or LINE WORKS?
- Chatwork starts at Free and LINE WORKS at Free.
- Does Chatwork or LINE WORKS run on more platforms?
- Chatwork runs on Web. LINE WORKS runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- Can I use Chatwork for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Chatwork best used for?
- Chatwork is most often used for team communication and collaboration. Of those, team communication and collaboration is not what LINE WORKS is typically brought in for.
- What can Chatwork do that LINE WORKS cannot?
- LINE WORKS covers External LINE messaging, Chat and channels, Voice and video calls, Shared address book.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Chatwork: How much does Chatwork cost?
Chatwork is free for up to 100 users. The Standard plan costs $7 per month with annual subscription or $8.40 per month with monthly subscription for unlimited users.
SourceLINE WORKS: Can LINE WORKS really message ordinary LINE users?
Yes. That is its core differentiator and the reason Japanese customer-facing businesses buy it.
Chatwork: What is the limit on the Chatwork free plan?
The free plan supports up to 100 users and limits message history to the last 40 days. It includes secure messaging, unlimited group chats, 1:1 video calls, 10GB storage per organization, and task management.
SourceLINE WORKS: Is there a free plan?
Yes, up to 30 users with 5GB of total organisation storage.
Chatwork: What does the Chatwork Standard plan add?
The Standard plan ($7-8.40/month) adds unlimited message history, group video calls, 10GB storage per user instead of per organization, advanced search, dedicated support, user management controls, and CSV contact import.
SourceLINE WORKS: Does the Standard plan include email?
No. Business email is Advanced only, at 800 yen per user per month on an annual contract.
LINE WORKS: Is it worth buying outside Japan?
Generally no. Without the consumer LINE bridge it competes poorly against Slack, Teams or Lark on features and ecosystem.
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