There are as many as 21 million users in Taiwan using Line, and it is the most important communication software for private or corporate users. Line Taiwan officials recently announced that they will launch LINE Premium at the end of March, which will require a monthly payment of 165 yuan compared to Japan and Thailand. This has caused many Line friends to talk and worry that they will be cheated by Line.
What is the difference between the free version of LINE and the paid version of LINE Premium? Should I pay? Is there any way to deal with it for free prostitutes? Here is an analysis and explanation:
LINE leverages its rich ecosystem and its advantages as a pioneer, with a communication software usage rate of nearly 100% in Taiwan. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Different from relying on LINE stickers to make money in the past, “Line Premium” adopts a subscription payment system, which has caused many LINE users to face the dilemma of whether to pay or not. The following is a summary video and detailed explanation of the differences between LINE free version and LINE Premium paid version and whether to pay or not:
1. Differences between LINE free version and LINE Premium paid version:
Taiwan LINE officially confirmed that it plans to launch the $165 monthly “Line Premium” in Japan and Thailand before the end of March 2026. According to current official information, the Taiwan version of “Line Premium” will have five more advanced features than the free version of LINE, including 100GB large-capacity backup (supports cross-system), permanent storage of images/files and high-definition photo albums, up to 3 sets of multiple personal files, exclusive application icons, and personalized fonts. In order to reduce LINE users’ resistance to charging, in addition to offering a first-month free discount for new subscribers, LINE Taiwan is expected to also provide additional discounts on four commonly used LINE family member benefits, including LINE shopping, LINE travel, LINE gifts, and LINE Music. (For details, see [This article】)
However, what Taiwanese LINE friends are criticizing is that in conjunction with the launch of “Line Premium”, LINE has canceled several of LINE’s original functions, including the general chat room notepad that will completely stop supporting video uploads from April 27, and the cross-system (iOS and Android systems) mutual transfer function, and the advertising part that LINE users are most looking forward to has not been deleted.
The following are the differences between the old and new free versions of LINE and the paid version of LINE Premium:
2. Should I pay to subscribe to LINE Premium?
The core value of the paid version of LINE Premium is mainly to solve the following pain points:
A. Anxiety about switching devices across systems:
LINE Premium supports painless transfer of chat records across systems, solving the long-standing problem of chat records being broken when switching between Android and iPhone.
B. Cloud space bonus:
LINE Premium provides 100GB cloud space to meet the needs of users to back up large amounts of data, and is no longer subject to the restriction of expired files that cannot be downloaded. In addition, the photo album supports direct access to videos, and is no longer subject to the restriction of expired files that cannot be downloaded, nor is it subject to the restriction of canceling the notepad to upload videos.
C.Clone application:
LINE Premium can create up to three personal profiles to meet users’ needs for separation in work, life or social circles.
D. Additional membership benefits:
LINE Premium subscription members will receive additional red envelopes or discount coupons for LINE shopping, travel and other points, which is more beneficial to heavy users of the LINE ecosystem.
Therefore, users who are suitable for subscribing to LINE Premium are mainly users who need to change phones frequently, need to back up a large number of photos and videos, need to exchange lossless pictures or videos, need multiple personal file identities, and are heavily dependent on the LINE ecosystem (shopping/travel).
3. Is there any way to deal with people who engage in prostitution for free?
Although LINE Premium subscription members enjoy five major advanced functions, these benefits are not of high urgent need for the general public. In the face of modern digital society, multiple paid digital services cannot be purchased and can only be paid on a monthly basis. People’s wallets are slowly drained like a frog boiled in warm water, which is also overwhelming. What’s more troublesome is that compared to the past, the free version of LINE will reduce the size of the general chat room notepad, completely stop supporting video uploading, and completely stop cross-system (iOS and Android systems) mutual transfer functions. Users who want to enjoy LINE for free must take countermeasures:
A. Chat room notepad completely stops supporting video upload:
Since the chat room of the free version of LINE will not be able to upload videos, if you need to store videos for a long time, it is recommended to store the videos in a cloud drive (such as Google Drive) or put the videos in your personal “LINE Keep” notes.
B. Stop the cross-system (iOS and Android system) mutual transfer function:
Since LINE provides a first-month free discount for new LINE Premium subscribers, if people happen to need to switch to another operating system, they can take advantage of the first-month free discount for cross-system switching. After the first month’s free quota is used up, you have to subscribe for $165 a month (cancel the next month) to get complete painless data conversion across systems.
As for 3C bloggers or Internet celebrities like me who often jump between iPhone and Android operating systems, they can only be used as tools to make money, “leave money for shopping”, and become the denominator of free prostitution users! XD
If it’s not free, which free messaging software should I use instead?
At present, young netizens recommend switching to Whatsapp, Telegram, and Discord. However, the biggest fatal flaw of these three communication software is that it is not a mainstream communication software in Taiwan. The usage rate is too low, it is difficult to become popular, and it is only suitable for niche groups. Although the usage rate of Meta Messenger is as high as 82.8% in Taiwan, it is mostly regarded as a “auxiliary communication function of Facebook”. It is mostly used for temporary conversations with Facebook friends and lacks the LINE ecosystem (payment, shopping, work, stickers), so it is not the first choice for daily use. In other words, LINE has penetrated deeply into daily life in Taiwan, and other communication software may not be able to replace LINE in a short time.
Source: KOCPC Chinese