Chatwork vs LINE WORKS (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Chatwork if

• Fits if you chat with clients and partners at other companies as much as with your own team
• Works for teams that assign tasks right inside the conversation

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need to look up old messages without paying, as Free only shows the last 40 days
• Tight if your team meets on video and isn't paying, because Free is 1:1 calls only
• Not for you if you want a lot of apps plugged in, since Zapier and IFTTT are all that's listed
• Watch out: the free 10GB is shared by the whole organization, with 20 outside contacts per user
• Watch out: the trial and a Professional plan appear only on the Japanese pricing page, in yen, and there's no Linux app

Pick LINE WORKS if

• Fits if your customers or partners are on LINE
• Makes sense if you want chat and groupware in one app for a team in Japan

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you add Drive at ¥100 or archiving at ¥300 per person a month on top of the plan
• Tight if you stay free, with 30 members, 5 GB and 4-person group calls
• Watch out: prices are in yen, exclude tax and the paid plans are bought through a contact step
• Watch out: the pricing page mentions plans applying from April 2022, so check the current figures
• Skip it if you want third-party integrations, as none are listed

Chatwork

• Free plan members can only view messages from the last 40 days, and its 10GB of storage is shared by the whole organization.
• Group video calls need the Standard plan; the Free plan is limited to 1:1 video calls.
• No Linux desktop app is listed: the download page covers Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and web browsers.
• The English pricing page lists only Free and Standard; the Japanese page adds a Professional plan with security controls, priced in yen.

LINE WORKS

• Prices are listed in Japanese yen and exclude tax; the pricing page notes the Standard and Advanced plans are bought through a contact-us step.
• Drive is a paid option on the Standard plan at ¥100 per person a month billed annually; Mail is only on Advanced.
• Message archiving costs ¥300 per person a month billed annually, and email archiving needs Advanced.
• The pricing page carries a notice about plans applying from April 2022, so confirm current prices with the vendor.

Chatwork

Group, direct and personal chats

A group chat is set up for each team or project, direct chats reach anyone in your contact list, and My Chat is a private space for your own notes and files.

Tasks inside chats

Assign tasks to yourself or to colleagues from the chat screen and review them by due date. The person who assigned a task is notified when it is completed.

File sharing and management

Upload Word, Excel and image files to a chat, preview them in the browser, and see every file shared in a group in one list.

Voice and video calls

Start a call with screen sharing from a chat, on desktop or phone. The Free plan covers 1:1 video calls; group video calls need Standard.

Contacts outside your organization

Add people at other companies by email address or Chatwork ID. The Free plan allows 20 outside contacts per user; Standard removes the limit.

Admin and security controls

Admins add, remove and edit users from a management screen. Two-factor authentication is on both plans, and uploaded files are encrypted with AES-256.

LINE WORKS

Chat with LINE users

Messaging works like the LINE app, with stickers, and members can exchange messages with people on LINE outside the company.

Groupware in one app

Message, Board for notices, Calendar, Task, Form for surveys, and Contacts are included, with Drive and Mail on higher plans.

Video calls and screen sharing

Free plan calls hold up to 4 people for 60 minutes; Standard and Advanced allow up to 200 people.

Admin and security controls

A central admin console manages permissions and usage. The vendor lists SOC 2 and 3 and ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 and 27018 certifications.

Archiving options

Paid add-ons store message data or email data for up to 10 years.

Chatwork

• Free$0

  Up to 100 users, unlimited group chats, the last 40 days of messages, 10GB of storage per organization and 1:1 video calls.

• Standard$7

  per user / month, annual subscription ($8.40 billed monthly)

  Unlimited users, outside contacts and message history, group video calls, 10GB of storage per user, bulk user import from CSV and dedicated support.

LINE WORKS

• Free¥0

  Up to 30 members, 5 GB shared storage, messaging, board, calendar, task, form and contacts, limited admin features.

• Standard¥450

  per user / month, billed annually (¥540 billed monthly)

  Unlimited members, 1 TB shared storage, calls and screen sharing for up to 200 people, full admin features and SLA support.

• Advanced¥800

  per user / month, billed annually (¥960 billed monthly)

  Standard plus Drive and Mail, with 100 TB of shared storage and unlimited members.

Chatwork

• Annual discount

  About 17% less on an annual subscription

  Standard costs $7 per user / month on an annual subscription against $8.40 on a monthly one, a saving of about 17%.

LINE WORKS

• Annual discount

  20% off with annual contract

  The pricing page shows an annual contract at ¥450 versus ¥540 monthly for Standard, and ¥800 versus ¥960 for Advanced, per person per month.