Linktree vs Milkshake: Link List or Mobile-Native Mini Site
Linktree runs anywhere. Milkshake runs only on your phone. For creators who live inside Instagram, that constraint is a feature. For anyone else, it's a dealbreaker.
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 siteMilkshake is a phone-only link-in-bio tool built around card-based templates, more like a tiny magazine than a list of links. Every page is designed and published from iOS or Android. There is no desktop or web editor.
Visit siteLinktree and Milkshake are both aimed at Instagram creators, but they take different views of what that creator actually needs. Linktree is a cross-platform tool with a web editor, a browser dashboard, and apps on every operating system. Milkshake is phone-only. The editor lives in an iOS or Android app and there is no desktop equivalent. For creators who shoot, edit, and post entirely from their phone, that constraint matches the workflow. For anyone running a business from a laptop, it's a non-starter. The design philosophies also diverge: Linktree stacks links vertically, Milkshake arranges content into swipeable cards that feel closer to a small magazine than a link page.
Pricing
Linktree runs $0 free, $8 Starter, $15 Pro, and $35 Premium per month. Milkshake's pricing is harder to pin down because it varies by region and App Store listing. Reported tiers are roughly $2.99/mo Lite, $6.99/mo Pro, and $29.99 per three months for Pro+. Some regions appear to get most features free. Where Milkshake wins clearly is the entry point: the free tier covers most features, including card-based templates and email capture. Linktree's free tier is usable but more visibly limited than Milkshake's, which was designed to look polished out of the box. Premium features on Milkshake cost roughly half of Linktree equivalents.
Design and feel
This is where the tools separate. Linktree's design is a stack of link buttons with a profile photo on top, dressed up with theme colors. Every Linktree looks like a Linktree. Milkshake arranges content into discrete cards that users swipe through, more like Instagram Stories than a link page. Each card can be a shop, a blog post, a contact form, or a video embed. For visual creators, fashion accounts, travel content, and lifestyle brands, the card format feels editorial rather than transactional. The cost is that Milkshake's aesthetic is opinionated, so if you want something different, the tool fights you.
Feature by feature
| Area | Linktree | Milkshake |
|---|---|---|
| Where you edit | Web dashboard, desktop, and mobile apps. Full cross-platform. | Phone only. iOS and Android apps. No web editor, full stop. |
| Layout paradigm | Vertical stack of link buttons with a profile photo on top. | Swipeable card-based layout, each card a different content type. |
| Design flexibility | Template-based, color and font tweaks. Uniform look. | Card templates with drag and drop. Pages look editorial by default. |
| Commerce | Digital product sales with 9-12% platform fee on most tiers. | Shop cards and product showcases. Less direct checkout than Linktree. |
| Pricing | $0-$35/mo. Pro hit $15/mo after late-2025 hike. | Free tier is generous. Paid tiers roughly $3-$7/mo depending on region. |
| Analytics | Basic on free, deeper on Pro and Premium. | Weaker than Linktree. Click tracking only, less visitor insight. |
| Integration ecosystem | Largest in the category. Hundreds of partners. | Smaller, more curated set. Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, the usual. |
Verdict
Pick Linktree when
You work across devices, care about analytics, or use Linktree's deep integration ecosystem. Linktree also wins if you need direct digital product sales built in, since Milkshake's commerce is more showcase than checkout. It's the safer pick for anyone running their bio link as part of a broader business.
Pick Milkshake when
You run your business from your phone and you want a page that feels visually designed out of the box. Milkshake's card format suits fashion, travel, photography, and lifestyle creators whose content already looks editorial. If you've never once wanted to edit your Linktree from a desktop, Milkshake likely fits better.
Which one for your situation
Milkshake. The phone-only editor is the workflow you're already in, and the card format showcases trip content nicely.
Linktree. Milkshake's phone-only constraint makes this basically impossible.
Milkshake. The card-based layout and product showcase cards line up with the visual workflow better than Linktree's button stack.
Neither. Look at Stan Store or Beacons. Linktree's fees eat into revenue and Milkshake's commerce is too light for real selling.
FAQ
No. Milkshake is iOS and Android only. If you need desktop access, Linktree is the default alternative.
Because it's sold through App Store and Play Store, regional pricing and currency conversions vary. Some markets also report free access to features that are paid elsewhere.
Yes, through a dedicated contact card. It's simpler than Linktree's integrations but works for basic list building.
Linktree, clearly. Milkshake's click tracking is basic, while Linktree Pro includes referrer data, device breakdowns, and deeper click analytics.