Linq alternatives: where to move your number, calls, and texts (2026)
Linq is closing accounts used for sales, outreach, and customer service. Here's how to keep your number and the best Linq alternatives for calls, texting, iMessage, and APIs.
If Linq emailed you that your account is closing, you need a new home for your phone number and a replacement for whatever Linq did for your team. The right Linq alternative depends on what you used it for: answering customer calls, team calling and texting, iMessage outreach, or digital business cards.
Start porting your number today, before Linq releases the line.
What happened to Linq
Linq is moving its focus to messaging APIs that developers use to build AI agents into their own products. In October 2026, it emailed customers that it no longer supports accounts where team members send or reply to messages themselves. That covers sales, prospecting, outreach, CRM integrations, and customer service, inbound or outbound.
Affected accounts are being closed. Linq said it would begin cancelling subscriptions and removing lines on Friday, October 23, 2026, for anyone who hadn't responded. Numbers can be ported to another provider, but the port has to start before the account closes. Once a line is released, Linq can't get it back.
How to keep your number when you leave Linq
Reply to Linq's email or book the call they offered, and ask for what your new provider needs to port the number:
- Your name and business name, exactly as they appear on the Linq account
- The service address on the account
- The phone number or numbers you want to move
- A recent bill or invoice from Linq showing the number
- The account number and port-out PIN, if the line is protected
Mismatched details are the most common reason a port gets rejected. Our guide on how to port your business phone number to an AI answering service walks through the full process.
Sign up with your new provider before the port finishes. You'll get a temporary number to set things up and test with. When the port completes, your Linq number is assigned to the account and the temporary one can be deleted. A port usually takes less than a week.
Quick comparison of Linq alternatives
| Tool | Replaces this Linq use | Starting price (checked October 2026) | Keeps your number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfirst | Answering inbound calls and transferring to your team | $24.95/mo for 30 calls, 14-day free trial | Yes, by porting |
| Dialpad | Linq Phone: a full phone system for team calling and texting | $15/user/mo (annual) | Yes, by porting |
| Vapi | Calls your own software places through an API | $0.05/min platform fee plus model and phone costs | Yes, by importing it through a carrier like Twilio or Telnyx |
| Sendblue | Linq Blue: iMessage outreach | Varies by plan; outbound lines quoted | Confirm with vendor |
| Blinq | Digital business cards | $4.99/user/mo (annual, 5-card minimum) | Not a phone service |
Best Linq alternatives by what you used Linq for
Linq sold several products. Linq Phone (including the Linq Zero and Linq One plans) gave each person a work number with calling, texting, voicemail, and a shared admin view. Linq Blue added iMessage for sales teams with CRM sync. Linq also started as a digital business card company.
Before you choose, check how the number was used. If it's mostly customers calling in, you need something that answers and routes calls. If your team calls and texts from it all day, you need a full business phone system. If your own software placed calls through Linq's API, you need a voice API.
1. Upfirst: AI receptionist for inbound calls and call transfer to your team
Upfirst is an AI receptionist for small businesses. It answers every call to your business number, 24/7, answers common questions about your business, takes messages, and books appointments. After each call, you get call summaries by text and email with the caller's details, the transcript, and the recording.
Callers who ask for someone by name can go straight to that person's line with call transfers. That works with any phone number, including staff direct lines on Microsoft Teams or a cell phone. If nobody picks up, the call comes back and Upfirst takes a message.
Setup is self-serve and takes about half an hour in the dashboard. You can also connect Upfirst to ChatGPT or Claude and describe your routing in plain words, like "If someone asks for Alyssa, transfer them to her direct line." If you get stuck, the support team is available by chat or a scheduled call.
Pricing: Plans start at $24.95/month for 30 calls. The 300-call plan is $159.95/month. Upfirst bills per call, not per minute, and spam calls aren't billed. There's a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. See current plans on Upfirst pricing.
Limits: Upfirst handles inbound calls only. It doesn't place outbound calls or replace a two-way team text inbox. It can text callers during or after a call, like a link or directions.
Best for: Offices whose Linq number was mainly for customers calling in, especially teams where callers need to reach a specific person.
2. Dialpad: a full business phone system for team calling and texting
Dialpad is a cloud phone system with calling, texting, meetings, and AI transcripts and call summaries. It's the closest Linq Phone alternative if your team made outbound calls and texted customers from their work numbers, and it adds admin controls, call routing, and analytics.
Pricing (October 2026): Standard is $15/user/month billed annually or $27/user/month monthly. Pro is $25/user/month annually.
Best for: Sales and support teams that need a full phone system and call and text customers every day.
3. Vapi: a voice API for calls your software places
Vapi is a developer platform for building voice AI agents. If your product or internal tools triggered calls through Linq's API, Vapi lets you place those calls programmatically and connect numbers from carriers like Twilio, Telnyx, and Vonage, or over SIP.
Pricing (October 2026): Vapi charges a $0.05/minute platform fee. Speech, AI model, and phone carrier costs are billed on top at cost. New accounts get $5 in free credits.
Best for: Teams with a developer who can build and maintain the call logic. It isn't a phone app for staff.
4. Sendblue: a Linq Blue alternative for iMessage outreach
If you used Linq Blue to text leads from a blue-bubble iMessage number, Sendblue is the most similar product. It offers iMessage, RCS, and SMS from dedicated numbers, a shared inbox, and integrations with GoHighLevel, HubSpot, Salesforce, Close, and Follow Up Boss.
Pricing: Sendblue's pricing varies by plan and message volume, and outbound sales lines are quoted. Blooio is another option in this category, with flat-rate plans starting at $39/month.
Best for: Sales teams whose follow-up depends on iMessage.
5. Blinq: for digital business cards
If you still use Linq cards, Blinq is a straightforward replacement. It offers team card management, lead capture, and native sync with 20+ CRMs, including HubSpot and Salesforce.
Pricing (October 2026): The Business plan is $4.99/user/month billed annually or $6.99 monthly, with a five-card minimum. There's also a free plan for individuals.
Best for: Teams that need shareable cards and lead capture at events, with no phone service.
How to switch to a Linq alternative without missing calls
- Request your account number, PIN, and latest bill from Linq today.
- List what the number handled: inbound customer calls, team calling and texting, calls placed by your software, or iMessage campaigns.
- Pick one tool for each job. A team might use Upfirst to answer and route inbound calls and keep texting in their CRM.
- Sign up and set up your call routing on the temporary number while the port goes through, so calls are covered the day the number moves.
FAQ
Is Linq shutting down?
Linq is still operating, but it's closing accounts that use it for sales, outreach, CRM integrations, or customer service. It now focuses on messaging APIs for companies building AI agents into their own products.
Can I keep my phone number when I leave Linq?
Yes, if you start the port before Linq closes your account. Once a line is released, Linq has said it can't get it back. Ask Linq for your account number, PIN, and a recent bill, then submit the port with your new provider.
How long does it take to port a number from Linq?
Most ports finish in less than a week. Sign up with your new provider first so you can set everything up on a temporary number while the port goes through.
What is the best Linq alternative for inbound calls?
For inbound calls, Upfirst answers your business number 24/7, transfers callers to the right person on your team, and sends you a summary after every call. Plans start at $24.95/month with a 14-day free trial.
What is the best Linq alternative for API calls?
If your software placed calls through Linq, Vapi is a voice API built for that. It charges $0.05/minute plus speech, model, and carrier costs, and it connects numbers from Twilio, Telnyx, Vonage, or SIP.
What is the best Linq Blue alternative?
Sendblue and Blooio are the closest Linq Blue alternatives for teams that text leads over iMessage. Both offer dedicated numbers and CRM integrations.
Will Linq charge me after my account closes?
Linq's email said customers won't be charged for time they can't use. Check your final invoice after the port completes.