Softwr

Communication · head to head

Grasshopper vs Line

Grasshopper logo

Grasshopper

Communication

The entrepreneur's phone system

From
$14/month
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

  • Only Line has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Grasshopper available only in the USA and Canada; the site returns a not available in your region error outside those countries; 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 Grasshopper and Line actually diverge.

Attributes where Grasshopper and Line differ
AttributeGrasshopperLine
Starting price$14/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree to download, paid stickers and business messaging tiers
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web

Identical on both: 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 Grasshopper

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.

Grasshopper

  • Mobile app development and programming educationnot Line

Line

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

Where each one falls short

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

Grasshopper

  • Available only in the USA and Canada; the site returns a not available in your region error outside those countries
  • Plans start at $14/month only under a promotional discount of up to $75 off select plans, meaning the advertised entry price is not the standing rate

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

Grasshopper

$14/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Grasshopper review.

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 Grasshopper if

Nothing in the data separates Grasshopper from Line on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Grasshopper 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 Grasshopper or Line better?
Neither clearly leads. Grasshopper starts at $14/month and Line at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grasshopper or Line?
Line has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14/month for Grasshopper and Free for Line.
Does Grasshopper or Line run on more platforms?
Grasshopper runs on Web. Line runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
Can I use Line for free?
Yes. Line has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Grasshopper starts at $14/month.
What is Grasshopper best used for?
Grasshopper is most often used for mobile app development and programming education. Of those, mobile app development and programming education is not what Line is typically brought in for.
What can Grasshopper do that Line cannot?
Line covers Line Pay, Official Accounts, Stickers and themes, Line News.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Grasshopper: How much does Grasshopper cost?

Grasshopper pricing starts at $14/month. The site does not disclose complete pricing details or feature breakdowns for different tiers.

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.

Grasshopper: Is Grasshopper available outside the USA and Canada?

Grasshopper currently operates only in the USA and Canada, with regional availability restrictions mentioned on the pricing page.

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.

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.

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