Softwr

Communication · head to head

Google Chat vs LINE WORKS

Google Chat logo

Google Chat

Communication

AI-powered team messaging and collaboration

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LINE WORKS logo

LINE WORKS

Communication

Business chat built on the LINE interface, aimed at Japanese firms whose staff and customers already use LINE

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LINE WORKS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Chat no separate Google Chat pricing available; included with Google Workspace subscriptions at no additional cost; 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 Google Chat and LINE WORKS actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Chat and LINE WORKS differ
AttributeGoogle ChatLINE WORKS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS

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 Google Chat

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.

Google Chat

  • Reducing email overload in healthcare operations for clinical decisionsnot LINE WORKS
  • Summarizing regulatory news rapidly for compliance teamsnot LINE WORKS
  • Consolidating messaging platforms to reduce software licensing costsnot LINE WORKS
  • Coordinating distributed global teams across time zones rapidlynot LINE WORKS
  • Collecting project references and decision history in searchable channelsnot LINE WORKS

LINE WORKS

  • A Japanese retail or service chain whose customers expect to book and enquire over LINE rather than emailnot Google Chat
  • A clinic, dealership or estate agency that needs customer conversations on LINE but under corporate retention and auditnot Google Chat
  • A Japanese SME under 30 staff that wants managed business chat at no licence cost on the free tiernot Google Chat
  • The Japanese subsidiary of a foreign group that needs a local tool for front-line staff alongside the group standardnot Google Chat

Where each one falls short

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

Google Chat

  • No separate Google Chat pricing available; included with Google Workspace subscriptions at no additional cost
  • Chat features are limited to Business and Enterprise Workspace plans

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

Google Chat

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Chat review.

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 Google Chat if

Nothing in the data separates Google Chat from LINE WORKS on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Google Chat review

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.
LINE WORKS review

Questions people ask

Is Google Chat or LINE WORKS better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Chat starts at On request and LINE WORKS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Chat or LINE WORKS?
LINE WORKS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Google Chat and Free for LINE WORKS.
Does Google Chat or LINE WORKS run on more platforms?
Google Chat runs on Web. LINE WORKS runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
Can I use LINE WORKS for free?
Yes. LINE WORKS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Google Chat starts at On request.
What is Google Chat best used for?
Google Chat is most often used for reducing email overload in healthcare operations for clinical decisions, summarizing regulatory news rapidly for compliance teams, consolidating messaging platforms to reduce software licensing costs, coordinating distributed global teams across time zones rapidly. Of those, reducing email overload in healthcare operations for clinical decisions and summarizing regulatory news rapidly for compliance teams are not what LINE WORKS is typically brought in for.
What can Google Chat 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

Google Chat: How much does Google Chat cost?

Google Chat is included in Google Workspace subscriptions at no additional cost. Pricing depends on your Workspace plan selection, not on Chat specifically.

Source
LINE WORKS: Can LINE WORKS really message ordinary LINE users?

Yes. That is its core differentiator and the reason Japanese customer-facing businesses buy it.

Google Chat: Which Google Workspace plans include Google Chat?

Google Chat is included with all Google Workspace subscriptions. Some features are available exclusively in Business and Enterprise plans.

Source
LINE WORKS: Is there a free plan?

Yes, up to 30 users with 5GB of total organisation storage.

LINE 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.

Share

Related pages

More on Google Chat

More on LINE WORKS

Keep looking

Other head to heads