Softwr

Communication · head to head

Line vs Webex by Cisco

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
Webex by Cisco logo

Webex by Cisco

Communication

A simpler, smarter way to work

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Webex by Cisco listed on UK G-Cloud at £6 per user per month for Cisco Webex, via reseller Conscia Group UK Ltd (ITGL)
  • They diverge on capability: Line covers Line Pay, Webex by Cisco covers Video and audio conferencing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Line and Webex by Cisco actually diverge.

Attributes where Line and Webex by Cisco differ
AttributeLineWebex by Cisco
Pricing modelFree to download, paid stickers and business messaging tierssubscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, WebWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown1984

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 Webex by Cisco

  • Video and audio conferencing
  • Screen sharing and annotation
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Recording and playback
  • Meeting transcription
  • Chat and messaging
  • Calendar integration
  • Breakout sessions

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 Webex by Cisco
  • An individual keeping in touch with contacts in Japan, Taiwan or Thailand where Line, not WhatsApp, is the defaultnot Webex by Cisco
  • A brand running promotions through Line stickers or Timeline content aimed at a Japanese audiencenot Webex by Cisco
  • A company processing consumer payments in Japan through Line Pay integrationnot Webex by Cisco

Webex by Cisco

  • Video conferencingnot Line
  • Webinarsnot Line
  • Virtual eventsnot Line
  • Trainingnot Line
  • Enterprise communicationnot 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.

Webex by Cisco

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £6 per user per month for Cisco Webex, via reseller Conscia Group UK Ltd (ITGL)

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

Webex by Cisco

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited 1:1 meetings
    • Group meetings (40 min limit, 100 participants)
    • HD video
  • Pro$13.5/month
    • Unlimited meetings (500 participants)
    • Cloud recording and storage
    • Advanced scheduling
  • Business$18/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Custom branding
    • Advanced security
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Custom deployment

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.
Line review

Choose Webex by Cisco if

  • You need video and audio conferencing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want screen sharing and annotation.
Webex by Cisco review

Questions people ask

Is Line or Webex by Cisco better?
Neither clearly leads. Line starts at Free and Webex by Cisco at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Line or Webex by Cisco?
Line starts at Free and Webex by Cisco at Free.
Does Line or Webex by Cisco run on more platforms?
Line runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web. Webex by Cisco runs on Web, 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 Webex by Cisco is typically brought in for.
What can Line do that Webex by Cisco cannot?
Line covers Line Pay, Official Accounts, Stickers and themes, Line News. Webex by Cisco covers Video and audio conferencing, Screen sharing and annotation, Virtual backgrounds, Recording and playback.

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.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Line

More on Webex by Cisco

Keep looking

Other head to heads