When comparing IM+ vs Line, the Slant community recommends Line for most people. In the question“What are the best messaging apps for iOS?” Line is ranked 9th while IM+ is ranked 24th. The most important reason people chose Line is:
The caveat is that they are in Japan, but the app is commonly used to 'follow' public figures.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Can send encrypted messages
IM+ has the most extensive client support out of any of its competition and is the only app with the ability to send secure, off-the-record messages.
Pro Simple user interface
IM+ does the core IM experience incredibly well. The layout is intuitive to use and the very high app store reviews indicate how stable and user friendly the app is.
Pro Advanced chat history
Access your messaging history in the app or on the web
Pro View Twitter feed
Pro Off-the-Record Messaging (As a paid upgrade)
Pro Group Chats
Skype, MSN, AIM, and ICQ only
Pro Photo, voice, video and IM messaging
Pro Web application to chat from your desktop or laptop
Pro Extensive client support
IM+ has the most extensive client support out of any of its competition:
- Skype
- MSN/Live Messenger
- GTalk
- Yahoo!
- AIM/iChat
- ICQ
- Jabber
- Renren
- VKontakte
- Odnoklassniki.Ru
- Mail.Ru Agent
- Gadu-Gadu
- MeinVZ
- SINA Weibo
- mig33
- Fetion
- Mamba
- Yandex IM.
Pro Large celebrity and public figure usage rate
The caveat is that they are in Japan, but the app is commonly used to 'follow' public figures.
Pro Enormous, constantly updated stamp collection
Since many brands use stamps for promotional purposes, everything from movies to food brands to Taylor Swift have released stamp collections.
Pro Photo filter and editing capabilities
Users have in-app editing tools, as well as Line's separate camera application, which has additional tools.
Pro Integrated social network
Similar to Facebook's timeline.
Cons
Con Account is locked to the Phone Number & Device
The entire account is locked to the phone number, which cannot be changed. If the application is installed on a new device with the same phone number, the previous account data will be wiped.
Con Users have been concentrated in Japan
Of the 360+ million registered users, the top country is Japan (50 million). Thailand and Indonesia are 2nd and 3rd with 33 and 30 million, respectively, with very small market penetration in the US (10 million, 11th place).