LINE vs Rakuten Link
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LINE
Connect with friends and family through free voice and video calls, messages, and a wide array of stickers and themes. This communication platform offers a seamless experience across mobile, desktop, and smartwatches, with enhanced privacy features and content discovery options.
- Free voice and video calls
- Messaging
- Stickers and emojis
- Customizable themes
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Encrypted messages
- Keep Memo for storage
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LINE is transforming the way people communicate, closing the distance between family, friends, and loved ones—for free. With voice and video calls, messages, and a limitless variety of exciting stickers, you’ll be able to express yourself in ways that you never thought possible. Available all around the world on mobile, desktop, and Apple Watch, the LINE platform continues to grow, always offering new services and features that make your life more fun and convenient. ◆ Messages, Voice calls, Video calls. Enjoy voice and video calls and exchanging messages with your LINE friends. ◆ LINE stickers, emojis, and themes Express yourself just the way you want with stickers and emojis. Also, find your favorite themes to customize your LINE app. ◆ Home Gives you easy access to your friends list, birthdays, the sticker shop and various services and contents offered by LINE. ◆ Seamless connection on mobile, Apple Watch, and desktop Chat anytime and anywhere. Whether you’re on the go or working at the office or remotely, use LINE via your iPhone, Apple Watch, or desktop. ◆ Store your personal information with Keep Memo My own chatroom to temporarily store messages, photos, and videos. ◆ Messages protected with Letter Sealing Letter Sealing encrypts your messages, call history and location information. Always be assured of your privacy when using LINE. *We recommend using a data plan or connecting to Wi-Fi as you may incur data usage fees otherwise. *Please check the recommended specifications from LINE settings > “Help center” > “LINE usage environment/Settings” > "System requirements for LINE” when installing/updating the LINE app. In addition, if you're using an old version of iOS, we recommend updating it to the latest version. ▼Click here to see how to update your iOS version. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204204 ********** If your network speed is too slow or you don't have enough device storage, LINE may not install properly. If this happens, please check your connection and try again. **********
Rakuten Link
This app offers unlimited domestic calling and messaging for subscribers. It also provides access to Rakuten Group services, point rewards, news, and weather updates. Manage your Rakuten points and payments easily within the app.
- Unlimited domestic calls
- Group messaging up to 100 people
- Access to Rakuten Group services
- Earn Rakuten points by viewing ads
- Participate in campaigns for points
- News and weather updates
- Rakuten Cash and Point Card integration
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Rakuten Link's basic features ■Calls: Unlimited domestic calling Rakuten Mobile subscribers can make unlimited calls and send Link message to Rakuten Link users, as well as to other mobile networks and landline numbers in Japan and in 66 designated countries and regions through Rakuten Link. Calls to mobile phones and landlines including other carriers in Japan are free when calling to a Japanese number (some numbers not included). ■Messages: Fun group messages You can create chat groups with other Rakuten Link users for up to 100 people, and share photos, videos, and documents, as well as messages. ■Home: Your gateway to all of Rakuten Group’s exciting offers and services! As a Rakuten Mobile user, you can now enjoy easier, one-stop access to not only your favorite services in Rakuten Link but also exclusive deals across Rakuten Group services! Call, message, Check data usage and billing, earn points by using the Rakuten Link‘s Super Point Screen, chat with AI, access key Rakuten Group services and do much more - all from one screen! ■my Rakuten Mobile: Manage Account, Check Data Usage & Billing, and Get Customer Support As a Rakuten Mobile user, you can check your data usage, billing information, payment status, and service details anytime. You can also apply for or modify optional services directly in the app. In Customer Support, you can find answers by browsing categories, searching by keyword, or using chat support. *Chat response times may vary depending on inquiry volume. ■Wallet : Check Rakuten point status and access payment services easily Using Rakuten Link's Wallet, you can send Rakuten Cash to anyone, pay and collect Rakuten Points through Rakuten Point Card, quickly check your Point balances such as "Available Points", "Term limited Points", etc., and conveniently access the Rakuten Pay app! ■Rakuten Link Super Point Screen : Earn Rakuten points easily just by looking at ads. This is the Rakuten official “Point Reward” App. You can earn point quickly and effortlessly without any hassle. It’s not just about earning points; you can also discover promotional information and discounts. ■Missions: Earn points by using the app and participating in campaigns! Earn Rakuten points by using the app and participating in exciting campaigns. You can also check Start 1000, SPU (Super Point Up program), and the completion status of Start Bonus. Additionally, follow the Mission Official Account and never miss out on current Point Campaigns and other promotions. Look out for updates from your favorite Official Accounts! ■News: Get news and weather info. You can get the latest news every day and clip news for reading later. You can also check the weather forecast for the area you live in. * Certain numbers may not be supported. A 30-second call costs 22 yen when not using the app. * Certain numbers may not qualify for free calls. For more detail information, please refer below links (Japanese). https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/service/rakuten-link/index.html How to use https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/guide/rakuten-link/index.html FAQ https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/cms/faq/service/link [Applicable device models/OS] -Compatible with iPhone only (Not compatible with iPad, iPod touch) Please see details from: https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/service/rakuten-link/ --- If a problem occurs, please uninstall the application and try install it again. QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Rakuten Link at 4.4 against LINE's 3.2. Rakuten Link also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 14) and review sentiment (32% vs 24%). LINE's advantage is ratings volume (19K vs 282) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). On price, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. LINE sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Rakuten Link asks for nothing beyond the download.
Rakuten Link holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LINE has 19K ratings behind it against 282, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of LINE's written reviews are positive against 32% of Rakuten Link's.
LINE ships an update every 9 days, Rakuten Link monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LINE | Rakuten Link |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (19K ratings) | 4.4 (282 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 23.8% of reviews | 32.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19K — better | 282 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #31 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 401 MB | 369 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LINE Corporation | Rakuten Group, Inc. |
Customer experience
LINE
Rakuten Link
Bugs and requests
LINE
Reported bugs
5 issues- Unable to log in or sign up
- Messages not sending or receiving
- Notifications not working properly
- App crashing after updates
- Incompatibility with new devices and OS versions
Requested features
5 requests- See who is online and typing
- Ability to translate messages
- Automatic chat history backup and sync
- Easier sticker management and organization
- More ways to earn free stickers and points
Rakuten Link
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LINE
- スタンダード1 Month trial$3.991 Month
- Monthly Plan1 Month trial2 variants$4.991 Month
- 50 LINE Coin$0.99
- 70 LINE Coin$1.39
- LINE Characters: All the Love$1.99
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- Brown & Cony's Secret Date!$1.99
- Brown & Cony's Lovey Dovey Date$1.99
- 100 LINE Coin$1.99
- 150 LINE Coin$2.99
- 200 LINE Coin$3.99
- 500 LINE Coin$7.99
- 800 LINE Coin$11.99
- 1600 LINE Coin$22.99
Rakuten Link
No in-app purchases









