LINE Is Now Charging! 2026 New Plans & Pricing, Plus a Survival Guide for Free Users
Your social media feed has probably been flooded since yesterday with the news: "LINE is going to start charging!" Honestly, this rumour has been circulating online for nearly six months, but the company finally unveiled the complete details on March 17. This isn't just a simple price hike; it represents a major shift in LINE's entire business model. Today, we're here to clear things up: exactly which features will cost you, how much, and most importantly – how we, the habitual "free users," can navigate this.
Let's get straight to the point: This isn't about locking down free access entirely. It's about introducing a subscription plan for specific "premium features." Officially named "LINE Premium," the current plan is priced at S$3.90 per month or S$39 annually. Word has it there might be first-year discounts for long-time users or those who link specific credit cards. Here’s a quick rundown of the main features moving behind the paywall:
- AI Stickers & Effects: Those customisable, animated AI-generated stickers? They'll soon be exclusive to Premium members.
- Message Backup & Cloud Restore: Free users will only be able to back up the last 30 days of chat history. Restoring anything older will require a subscription.
- HD Photo Transfer: Sending photos in their original quality becomes a paid feature; free versions will be compressed by default.
- Call Noise Cancellation & Recording: LINE's built-in call recording and advanced noise cancellation features are also moving behind the paywall.
Seeing this list, many might be ready to sound off. But let's be fair, LINE hasn't gone all in. The basics – sending messages, voice calls, and video calls – remain untouched. The sticker shop, a firm favourite here, and official account notifications stay free too. So, if your daily usage is just sending a quick "How's it going?" or "Had dinner yet?", your LINE experience will feel exactly the same as yesterday.
However, for heavy users or freelancers who rely on LINE for work, this cost might be unavoidable. I know several freelancers who regularly use LINE to send contract drafts or design files. If photos get compressed or chat history disappears, it would be a real headache. In that case, you need to figure out if a subscription makes sense for you. My advice: Don't rush to subscribe just yet. The app offers a free "feature check-up." You can go to "LINE Premium" in your settings, and the system will analyse your usage over the last 30 days to show you exactly which paid features you'd actually benefit from.
If, like me, you're still on the fence, checking out what others are saying about the LINE subscription, the online reviews are currently pretty polarised. Some feel that S$3.90 is cheaper than a bubble tea and worth paying for a cleaner, more feature-rich experience. Others argue that LINE already makes plenty from ads and sticker commissions, so charging loyal users now feels like a bit of a cash grab. Personally, I'm leaning towards being a "free user observer" for the first three months. Since the core functions aren't locked, I can always subscribe later when I genuinely need to restore an old conversation.
Don't Want to Pay? Here Are Some "Legitimately Free" Workarounds
If you're really not keen on paying, it's not a total dead end. First, you can manually back up your chat history – a bit tedious, but free. Second, when sending photos, you can share a Google Photos or iCloud link instead. As for AI stickers... for now, there are other third-party apps you can use to generate them, though it requires a bit of a detour. If you're set on sticking with the native LINE experience, one final tip from this guide is to team up with family or friends for the family plan. The official announcement mentioned that Premium can be shared among up to six people, bringing the cost down to around S$0.65 per person per month – practically negligible.
Why Is LINE Making This Move Now?
It's pretty clear to most observers that LINE's parent company, LY Corporation, is under financial pressure. With the market in Singapore (and regionally) reaching saturation, they need to extract more value from their existing user base. This move feels less like a cash grab and more like testing the waters, gauging user willingness to pay for a messaging app. If the response is positive, who knows if basic messaging features might eventually be phased into tiers? So, this "LINE Premium" launch isn't just a new plan; it's a bellwether for the future of the LINE ecosystem over the next decade.
In short, after March 17, LINE has officially moved on from its "completely free" era. Whether you choose to upgrade or continue being a savvy free user is your call. For now, as long as messages get through and you can reach people, that's probably enough.