Linktree vs Beacons: Which Bio Link Tool Wins in 2026
Linktree is the default and Beacons is the upstart. We compare pricing, design, commerce fees, and the specific tradeoffs you'll actually notice.
Linktree is the most recognizable bio link platform, offering a simple single-page site you can paste into any social media bio. It prioritizes stability and a large integration ecosystem over deep customization or distinct design.
Visit siteBeacons is a creator business suite that starts with a customizable bio page and expands into a media kit, digital product store, email tools, and brand outreach. It's aimed at creators who want to sell and get sponsored, not just link out.
Visit siteLinktree and Beacons are the two names that come up whenever anyone asks for a bio link recommendation. Linktree has been the default since 2016 and has the brand recognition to match. Beacons launched in 2020 with a creator-first pitch and has spent the last few years eating into Linktree's territory, especially among people who actually sell things through their bio page. The two products look similar on the surface, but the differences show up fast once you're past the first five minutes of setup.
Pricing
Both tools have a free tier and three paid tiers, but the economics diverge quickly. Linktree raised prices in late 2025, with Pro jumping to $15/mo and Premium reaching $35/mo. Beacons' paid plans start lower and its commerce fees are meaningfully better for creators. On Linktree, digital product sales cost 12% on free, 9% on Starter and Pro, and 0% only on the $35/mo Premium tier. Beacons charges no commission on sales at any paid tier and lower fees on free. If you sell anything through your bio page, this alone can be a hundred-dollar-a-year difference.
Design and feel
Linktree's design philosophy is uniformity. Templates are safe and recognizable, which is the intended effect: viewers see a Linktree and know what it is. The cost is that every Linktree page looks like every other one. Beacons leans in the opposite direction, giving you block-based layouts, drag-and-drop sections, custom fonts, and enough flexibility that pages can feel genuinely unique. The tradeoff is more decisions to make and more ways to build something that looks bad. For creators who care about visual identity, Beacons pays off; for everyone else, Linktree is faster.
Feature by feature
| Area | Linktree | Beacons |
|---|---|---|
| Design flexibility | Theme-based, minor color and font tweaks. All Linktrees look like Linktrees. | Block-based builder, custom fonts, and template marketplace. Pages can look distinct. |
| Digital product sales | Sell on every tier, but pay 9-12% commission except on $35/mo Premium. | Sell on every paid tier with 0% platform commission. Lower fees on free tier. |
| Email capture | Paid tiers only. Export to Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and other ESPs. | Free tier includes basic capture. Paid unlocks advanced forms and integrations. |
| Analytics | Basic on free, meaningful analytics on Pro and above. | More granular by default; paid unlocks cohort and retention views. |
| Integrations | The largest marketplace in the category. Hundreds of partners. | Smaller marketplace, but covers the essentials (Stripe, Calendly, Shopify, etc.). |
| Support | Email support on all tiers, priority on higher tiers. | Email and chat; response times are reportedly faster than Linktree's. |
Verdict
Pick Linktree when
You want the most recognized name in the category, the largest integration ecosystem, and zero surprises. Linktree is boring in the good way: it works, it's fast, and it rarely has an outage. Also pick it if you're on a free plan and truly never plan to upgrade, since the Linktree brand is more familiar to visitors than the Beacons watermark.
Pick Beacons when
You're a creator who cares about how the page looks, or you sell anything through your bio. The commerce fee difference alone justifies Beacons for anyone doing even occasional digital product sales. Also pick it if you want email list building on a free tier, since Linktree gates that behind a paid plan.
Which one for your situation
Either free tier works. Linktree has better brand recognition; Beacons' page looks more like it belongs to you. Flip a coin.
Beacons. You'll save roughly $45/mo in platform fees compared to Linktree Pro, which more than covers the cost of Beacons' paid plan.
Beacons. Its custom fonts, block layouts, and template flexibility make brand-matching realistic. Linktree's uniformity works against you here.
Neither, really. Both tools bolt payments onto a link-list paradigm. Something built specifically for getting paid (and charging no commission) is a better fit.
FAQ
Yes, but there's no automatic import. You'll need to recreate your links in Beacons manually. The process takes about 10 minutes for a typical page.
Neither, really. Both let search engines crawl your bio page, but bio pages rarely rank for anything useful. If SEO matters, put the content on your actual website and link to it from the bio page.
Both pass through standard Stripe or PayPal fees. Linktree charges an additional platform commission on digital product sales (9-12% depending on tier). Beacons charges no additional platform commission on paid tiers.
Yes, more than Linktree's. You get unlimited links, basic email capture, and a page that doesn't scream free user. Linktree's free is also usable but more visibly restricted.