Linktree vs Carrd: Link List or Real One-Page Site
Linktree sells a hosted link list with a recurring subscription. Carrd sells a one-page website for $19 a year. They solve adjacent problems, and the right pick depends on how much control you want.
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 siteCarrd is a one-page website builder that predates the link-in-bio category and is often repurposed as one. It sells on simplicity, flat annual pricing, and the ability to run multiple tiny sites on a single plan.
Visit siteLinktree and Carrd come up in the same conversation because both answer the question 'where should I send my Instagram bio traffic?'. They answer it in completely different ways. Linktree gives you a templated link page you can ship in 90 seconds. Carrd gives you a one-page website builder that takes maybe 30 minutes to learn and can look like anything you want. Linktree is $0 to $35 per month. Carrd is $9 to $49 per year. The two tools don't really compete on features. They compete on paradigm: do you want a link list, or do you want a tiny website that happens to include links.
Pricing
The pricing gap between these two is comical. Linktree's paid tiers are $8 Starter, $15 Pro, and $35 Premium per month. Carrd's Pro Lite is $9 per year, Pro Standard is $19 per year, and Pro Plus is $49 per year. One year of Linktree Pro is $180. One year of Carrd Pro Standard is $19. Even if Carrd cost the same per year as Linktree per month, it would still be cheaper. Carrd's catch is that it bills annually only, and some features like forms and embeds are locked to the $49/year tier. Linktree's catch is that it's a subscription you pay forever.
Design and feel
Linktree pages all look like Linktree pages. The templates converge on a tall stack of buttons with a profile photo at the top. That uniformity is a feature if you want visitors to immediately recognize the format, and a bug if you want your page to feel like it belongs to your brand. Carrd pages can look like anything: a personal site, a startup landing page, a photography portfolio, a one-page resume. The editor is section-based and slightly technical, but it doesn't force any particular layout. The design ceiling on Carrd is much higher, and the floor is lower too.
Feature by feature
| Area | Linktree | Carrd |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing structure | $8-$35/mo subscription. Hits $180/year fast on Pro. | $9-$49 per year, annual only. No monthly option. |
| Design flexibility | Template-based, minor tweaks. Every page looks recognizably Linktree. | Free-form section builder. Pages can look like real websites. |
| Custom domain | Available on Pro ($15/mo) and above. | Available on Pro Standard ($19/year). |
| Commerce | Digital product sales built in, 9-12% fee except on Premium. | No native commerce. You embed Stripe, Gumroad, or similar. |
| Email capture | Available on paid tiers via integrations. | Forms locked to Pro Plus ($49/year). Integrates with external ESPs. |
| Setup time | Under two minutes. Paste URLs, publish. | 20-60 minutes for first page. Real editor with real learning curve. |
| Multi-site | One profile per account on free and lower paid tiers. | Up to 25 sites on Pro Plus. Good for portfolios and side projects. |
Verdict
Pick Linktree when
You want to publish a working bio page in two minutes and never think about it again. Linktree's templates and defaults remove every design decision, which is the entire point. Also pick it if you plan to sell digital products directly through the page and don't want to wire up Stripe or Gumroad yourself.
Pick Carrd when
You want a page that looks like yours, not like Linktree's. Carrd is also the right call if you have multiple projects, side businesses, or personal landing pages, since one $49/year subscription runs up to 25 sites. For developers, designers, and indie hackers, it's hard to beat on price or flexibility.
Which one for your situation
Linktree. Carrd's setup time is a blocker if you just want something live in minutes.
Carrd. The whole point of Carrd is that it doesn't force a specific aesthetic. $19/year for a custom-domain page you designed yourself.
Carrd Pro Plus. Three separate tiny sites on one $49/year plan beats three Linktree subscriptions or one crowded Linktree.
Linktree, probably. Carrd's lack of native commerce means extra setup with Gumroad or Stripe embeds. Linktree handles it out of the box.
FAQ
Pricing has been stable since launch, and Carrd's annual model is part of how they keep it cheap. No quarterly price hikes like Linktree did in late 2025.
You can edit in mobile browsers, but the experience is designed for desktop. If you need a phone-native editor, Milkshake is a better fit than either Carrd or Linktree.
Not natively. You embed Stripe, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, or PayPal buttons. This is more setup than Linktree but saves you from platform commissions.
Carrd, marginally. A Carrd site with a custom domain, real meta tags, and actual content can rank for niche terms. Linktree pages rarely rank for anything because they're thin by design.