Communication · head to head
Line vs Signal
Line
Communication
Messaging app that dominates Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, now run by LY Corporation under joint SoftBank and Naver ownership
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Line line has negligible market share outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, so it is the wrong choice for reaching contacts in most other regions.; Signal signal must be installed on a phone before the desktop app can be used, so there is no phone-free desktop-only account
- They diverge on capability: Line covers Line Pay, Signal covers End-to-end encryption.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Line and Signal actually diverge.
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 Line
- Line Pay
- Official Accounts
- Stickers and themes
- Line News
- Group and open chat
- Timeline
Only in Signal
- End-to-end encryption
- Disappearing messages
- Screen security
- Group chats
- Voice calls
- Video calls
- File sharing
- No data collection
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Line
- A business selling to consumers in Japan that needs an Official Account rather than email or SMS to reach customersnot Signal
- An individual keeping in touch with contacts in Japan, Taiwan or Thailand where Line, not WhatsApp, is the defaultnot Signal
- A brand running promotions through Line stickers or Timeline content aimed at a Japanese audiencenot Signal
- A company processing consumer payments in Japan through Line Pay integrationnot Signal
Signal
- Private messagingnot Line
- Secure group communicationnot Line
- Confidential conversationsnot Line
- Journalism communicationnot Line
- Family messagingnot Line
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Signal
- Signal must be installed on a phone before the desktop app can be used, so there is no phone-free desktop-only account
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Signal
Free- FreeFree
- End-to-end encrypted messaging
- Voice and video calls
- Group chats
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Signal if
- You need end-to-end encryption.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
- You also want disappearing messages.
Questions people ask
- Is Line or Signal better?
- Neither clearly leads. Line starts at Free and Signal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Line or Signal?
- Line starts at Free and Signal at Free.
- Does Line or Signal run on more platforms?
- Line runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web. Signal runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Line for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Line best used for?
- Line is most often used for a business selling to consumers in japan that needs an official account rather than email or sms to reach customers, an individual keeping in touch with contacts in japan, taiwan or thailand where line, not whatsapp, is the default, a brand running promotions through line stickers or timeline content aimed at a japanese audience, a company processing consumer payments in japan through line pay integration. Of those, a business selling to consumers in japan that needs an official account rather than email or sms to reach customers and an individual keeping in touch with contacts in japan, taiwan or thailand where line, not whatsapp, is the default are not what Signal is typically brought in for.
- What can Line do that Signal cannot?
- Line covers Line Pay, Official Accounts, Stickers and themes, Line News. Signal covers End-to-end encryption, Disappearing messages, Screen security, Group chats.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
Signal: How much does Signal cost?
Signal is free for everyone. The messaging app is supported by grants and donations, not user fees, and is maintained by an independent nonprofit that is not tied to any major tech companies.
SourceLine: 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.
Signal: Does Signal have ads?
No. Signal is ad-free and does not collect advertising revenue.
SourceLine: 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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