Beacons vs Linktree
A feature-by-feature comparison based on our hands-on evaluation. 16 features differ between these tools.
Data verified
Which is better for creators, Beacons or Linktree?
Beacons and Linktree are built on opposite bets. Beacons bets you want one platform for everything (links, email marketing, a store, a media kit, invoicing and courses) and prices the bundle aggressively. Linktree bets the link page itself is the product and should be the fastest, most reliable and most deeply customizable version of it, with commerce and marketing layered on top. Choose Beacons if consolidating three or four subscriptions into one is worth a learning curve. Choose Linktree if your link page is the front door to a business whose email, store and analytics already live elsewhere.
Beacons
An all-in-one creator toolkit that goes well beyond links.
Linktree
The original link-in-bio tool, used by 70M+ creators worldwide.
Scores
Scores are based on our evaluation methodology. Each criterion is scored 0-10 based on hands-on testing.
Core Features
| Feature | Beacons | Linktree |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited links | ||
| Custom domain | Creator · $10/mo | |
| Remove branding | Creator Plus · $30/mo | Pro · $15/mo |
| Link scheduling | Creator Plus · $30/mo | Starter · $8/mo |
| Sensitive content warning | Starter · $8/mo | |
| Password protection | Pro · $15/mo |
Monetization
| Feature | Beacons | Linktree |
|---|---|---|
| Digital products | ||
| Tip jar / donations | ||
| Paid links | ||
| Affiliate link support | ||
| Shopify integration | ||
| Built-in payments |
Analytics
| Feature | Beacons | Linktree |
|---|---|---|
| Basic analytics | ||
| Click tracking | Starter · $8/mo | |
| Visitor demographics | Creator Plus · $30/mo | Pro · $15/mo |
| Conversion tracking | Pro · $15/mo | |
| Google Analytics | Pro · $15/mo | |
| UTM parameters | Pro · $15/mo |
Customization
| Feature | Beacons | Linktree |
|---|---|---|
| Custom themes | Pro · $15/mo | |
| Custom CSS | ||
| Custom fonts | Pro · $15/mo | |
| Animated backgrounds | Pro · $15/mo | |
| Button styles | Pro · $15/mo | |
| Thumbnail images |
Integrations
| Feature | Beacons | Linktree |
|---|---|---|
| Email collection | ||
| Built-in email marketing | ||
| Social icons | ||
| Music embeds | ||
| Video embeds | ||
| Zapier integration |
Pricing
Beacons
Linktree
The reputation gap is the most out-of-date thing in this comparison
Linktree is still widely described as "just a list of links". That stopped being true some time ago, and it is worth correcting before any fair comparison is possible.
Linktree's free plan sells digital products and courses, embeds music and video, captures email addresses and phone numbers, includes a QR code, and carries roughly two dozen link apps. Pro ($15/mo) adds a genuine design suite (advanced themes, advanced button and font styles, custom or stock wallpaper images and video, hero and video profile images, header layouts, logo titles) alongside Google Analytics, the Facebook Conversion API, global UTM parameters, SEO settings, email platform sync and AI-driven analytics. Premium ($35/mo) adds dynamic links with smart routing, social media scheduling, unlimited Instagram auto-replies and CSV export.
Beacons matches very little of that marketing stack. It has no Google Analytics integration, no UTM parameter support and no Zapier. If you attribute traffic properly or run paid campaigns, that gap is the whole comparison.
Where Beacons wins outright
A custom domain from $10/mo. Linktree does not offer one on any plan at any price, and this is its clearest functional limitation.
Native email marketing. Beacons composes and sends from inside the platform on every tier; Linktree only syncs contacts out to Mailchimp, Kit, Klaviyo or Google Sheets, and only from Pro.
Free-tier design control. Themes, custom fonts, button styles and animated backgrounds are all available on Beacons' free plan. Linktree keeps its equivalent suite on Pro. So the cheapest route to a page that doesn't look stock is Beacons, even though Linktree's suite is the deeper one once you're paying.
A daily-updating media kit, invoicing, and multi-currency support, none of which Linktree has in any form.
Where Linktree wins outright
The marketing and analytics stack: Google Analytics, Facebook Conversion API, global UTMs and SEO settings on Pro, against none of the above on Beacons.
Breadth of integrations and link apps, which is the widest in the category.
Setup speed and the learning curve. Beacons' all-in-one surface is genuinely more to learn, and that shows up as abandoned setups rather than as a line on a feature table.
Tiered support response times, from 48 hours on Free down to 4 hours on Premium. Beacons publishes a sub-6-hour target only on Creator Max at $90/mo.
Read the transaction fees carefully, because the ranking flips
On the free plans, Beacons is cheaper to sell on: 9% per sale against Linktree's 12%. Linktree's free-tier fee is now published and is the highest in the category.
At the top of each ladder they converge: Linktree Premium ($35/mo) and Beacons Creator Plus ($30/mo) both charge 0%. Beacons gets you to 0% for $5 less per month and throws in unlimited email sends and course hosting; Linktree gets you there with a materially better analytics and attribution stack.
Standard payment processor fees apply on top in both cases.
Who should choose what
Choose Linktree if
- Your link page is a front door, not a business platform: email, store and analytics live elsewhere
- You need Google Analytics, UTM parameters or conversion tracking. Beacons supports none of them
- You want the deepest design control available and will pay $15/mo for Pro to get it
- You sell at volume and want 0% fees plus proper attribution on the same plan
- You value setup speed and page reliability over feature count
Choose Beacons if
- You want to replace three or four subscriptions with one and will absorb the learning curve
- You need a custom domain and don't want to leave the category to get one
- You want to send email from the same place you collect it
- You want a page that looks custom without paying: Beacons' design controls are free
- You pitch brands often and want a media kit that updates itself daily
Frequently asked questions
Is Beacons better than Linktree?
Neither is better outright; they optimize for different things. Beacons bundles email marketing, a store, a media kit and invoicing into one platform and offers a custom domain from $10/mo, which Linktree does not offer at any price. Linktree offers a deeper design suite, a far stronger marketing stack (Google Analytics, Facebook Conversion API, UTM parameters and SEO settings on Pro, none of which Beacons supports), broader integrations, faster setup and tiered support down to 4 hours. Pick Beacons to consolidate tools; pick Linktree for the better link page.
Does Linktree offer a custom domain?
No. Linktree does not support custom domains on any plan, free or paid. Your URL is always linktr.ee/yourname. Beacons includes a free custom domain from its Creator plan at $10/mo, and Campsite.bio offers one from $7/mo, so if a custom domain is essential, Linktree is not the tool.
Which is cheaper, Beacons or Linktree?
Both have free plans. Beacons' paid tiers start at $10/mo (Creator) against Linktree's $8/mo (Starter), but the tiers aren't equivalent: Beacons Creator includes a custom domain while Linktree Starter does not, and Linktree's design suite sits a tier higher on Pro at $15/mo. On selling fees Beacons is cheaper on the free plan (9% against Linktree's 12%) and reaches 0% at $30/mo (Creator Plus) against Linktree's $35/mo (Premium).
Can Beacons do everything Linktree does?
No. Beacons has no Google Analytics integration, no UTM parameter support and no Zapier integration, all of which Linktree provides on its Pro plan at $15/mo. Beacons also lacks password protection and sensitive-content warnings. Conversely Linktree has no custom domain, no native email sending and no media kit, all of which Beacons has.
Is Linktree still just a link list?
No. Linktree's free plan sells digital products and courses, embeds music and video, captures emails and phone numbers, and includes a QR code and around two dozen link apps. Paid plans add a full design suite, Google Analytics, conversion tracking, UTM parameters, SEO settings, AI-driven analytics, Instagram auto-replies, social media scheduling and dynamic links with smart routing. The "just links" description reflects the product as it was several years ago.
Can you sell products directly on a Linktree page, or does it only link out to an external store?
Both tools take payment on the page itself. Linktree's free plan sells digital products and Kajabi-powered courses with checkout built in, at a 12% seller fee. Beacons' free plan does the same at 9% and adds tipping, which Linktree has retired. Either can also point at Shopify, Spring or Bonfire if you already run a store elsewhere, but neither requires it. The widely repeated claim that Linktree simply routes visitors to an external checkout is out of date. Where Beacons genuinely wins is the economics and the breadth: a lower fee on every free-plan sale, 0% from $30/mo against Linktree's $35/mo, and memberships and physical products that Linktree does not match.
What are the catches on each free plan?
Linktree's free plan charges a 12% seller fee, limits analytics to a rolling 28-day window, and is currently part of a beta that shows interstitial ads to visitors on some free pages after they click an external link. Beacons' free plan charges 9% on sales, caps email sends at 50 per month, and limits you to one course with no video hosting. Neither free plan includes a custom domain.
Editorial note: All tools are evaluated using the same methodology. Feature and pricing data was verified against each vendor's own documentation on , and the written analysis above was last reviewed on .