Beacons vs. Linktree: Which Link-in-Bio Tool Is Better? (2024)

On most social media platforms, a single link in bio is all you get to promote yourself. And for many creators, that simply isn’t enough. That’s where link-in-bio tools come in.

A link-in-bio tool can help you turn a single bio link into a landing page populated with all your important links, from your website and online store, to your newsletter, affiliate links, different social media channels, and more.

Beacons and Linktree are two of the most popular link-in-bio tools on the market. So what are the differences between them? And, more importantly, which one should you use? Let’s find out.

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Beacons vs. Linktree: Key differences

Platform	Beacons	Linktree
What can it do?	Build a link-in-bio page, run email marketing, create a media kit, and even help you file your taxes.	List links (or embeds) for just about anything you can think of.
Pricing	Free plan available. Paid plans start at $10/month.	Free plan available. Paid plans from $5 – $24.
Pick this one if…	A link-in-bio tool sounds nice, but a platform for running your creator business sounds even better.	You want a dedicated, straightforward link-in-bio tool.

The single biggest difference between Beacons and Linktree is their functionality.

Beacons isn’t just a link-in-bio tool — it’s a full-fledged creator toolkit that helps you manage different aspects of your content creation business. Sure, you could just use its link-in-bio tool, but Beacons also offer other tools you might need, such as an invoice generator and an auto-updating media kit.

Linktree, meanwhile, is a dedicated link-in-bio tool. So if all you’re really looking to do is to build that page of links for your social platforms, it’ll probably be faster and easier with Linktree.

Both Beacons and Linktree offer a free plan, so it’s not a bad idea to try one for a bit and see how you like it.

What is Beacons?

With a mission to help creators make a living as they pursue their dreams, Beacons is part link-in-bio tool and part jumping-off point for a full content creation toolset.

With Beacons, you can create a page with all the links your heart desires, but the platform really shines when you use all its tools, from its sponsored content pricing calculator to its pitch email generator. Thanks to its easy-to-use interface, you don’t need to have any technical or design skills to benefit from the features Beacons has to offer.

You can use Beacons’ link-in-bio tool for free, with the ability to share unlimited links and schedule links. Its Creator plan ($10/month) comes with additional features like custom domain and the option to remove Beacons branding from your page.

What is Linktree?

Linktree is the original link-in-bio tool and trades the frills of its competitors for a single-minded focus on helping users build the best landing pages. It comes with advanced analytics and tracking that some other link-in-bio tools don’t.

Linktree’s genius is its simplicity: the platform focuses on helping creators efficiently and effectively direct their followers to all their most important links. Whether you’re embedding YouTube videos, Tweets, RSS feeds, or your SoundCloud, Linktree is the place to do it.

Linktree offers a Free plan with basic features, including unlimited links and a tip jar. For more advanced features, users can opt for the Starter plan ($5/month), Pro plan($9/month), or Premium plan ($24/month). A 7-day free trial is available for Linktree’s Pro plan, so you can explore its premium features before making a commitment.

Beacons vs. Linktree: Comparison

So, who wins the Beacons vs. Linktree matchup? While the two platforms might seem similar at first glance, there are some key differences creators should consider. Let’s take a look at each platform’s pricing, features, customization options, analytics, and integrations.

Platform	Beacons	Linktree
Pricing	Free: Unlimited links, with 9% transaction fee. Creator: $10/month (with 9% transaction fee) for custom domain and removing Beacons branding. Creator Pro: 0% transaction fee, unlimited marketing emails, and buy now, pay later. VIP: 0% transaction fee, unlimited courses.	Free: Unlimited links of most types. Starter: $5/month for more link types, affiliate links, and paywalls. Pro: $9/month for all link types, automations, and detailed analytics. Premium: $24/month for premium customer support.
Features	In addition to being a link-in-bio tool, Beacons helps you manage your audience, streamline your marketing, and even generate invoices for brand deals.	Linktree is a dedicated link-in-bio tool, meaning you can add or embed any link you can think of.
Design and branding	Most customization options are available with the free plan, but you’ll have to pay to remove the Beacons logo from your page.	Most customization options are locked behind paid plans, with some only available with higher-tiered plans.
Analytics	Individual link and referral analytics.	Profile and link analytics. Deeper analytics only available with paid plans.
Integrations	Mailchimp, Substack, and Zapier.	49 apps and integrations, including Spring, Shopify, Typeform, Zapier, and Calendly.

1. Pricing

Both Beacons and Linktree have a free plan, meaning you get a chance to see exactly what they can do before you fork over any money.

Beacons offers three paid plans: Creator, Creator Pro, and VIP. You can get an unlimited number of links, smart redirects, scheduled links, and a whole lot more for free. The Creator plan is $10/month and lets you use a custom domain, remove Beacons branding, and get priority support.

Linktree offers four plans: Free, Starter, Pro, and Premium. You can build a list of links for free, but you won’t be able to include every type of link on your page. For example, with the Free plan, you won’t have access to Linktree’s affiliate program integrations.

Linktree’s paid plans (from $5 to $24/month) give you access to more link types and more customization options. You’ll even get support from a customer success manager if you purchase the Premium plan.

2. Features

Both Beacons and Linktree help you build a list of links, but the two platforms also offer tools that help optimize your online marketing and social media efforts.

Beacons bills itself as a one-stop shop for your creator business. In addition to hosting unlimited links, Beacons helps you with email marketing, managing your audience, generating QR codes, researching industry data, selling online courses, and more.

Linktree creates a seamless journey for a creator’s audience from one platform to another. It offers a quick, easy way to add pretty much any link you can think of to your link-in-bio page, from affiliate links to integrated storefronts. Followers can get access to all your content, your digital products, and more from your Linktree page. You can even have your latest YouTube video embedded into your Linktree.

3. Branding and design

A free Beacons plan gives you access to most basic customization options like the ability to change colors, fonts, and buttons. You only need to upgrade to a paid plan (starting at $10/month) if you want to remove the Beacons logo from your link-in-bio page.

With Linktree, most customization options are only available with a paid plan. You can’t even pick a custom background image without a paid plan, and you need at least a Pro plan ($9/month) to hide the Linktree logo.

4. Analytics

When it comes to its link-in-bio tool, Beacons offers two types of analytics:

Individual link analytics, which give you the views, clicks, and clickthrough rates for each link on your page.
Referral analytics, which track where the traffic to your link-in-bio page is coming from.

Linktree gives you access to both profile analytics and links analytics:

Profile analytics, which help you understand your link-in-bio page’s performance as a whole, including how many views and clicks it’s getting, its clickthrough rates, average time to click, and more.
Link analytics, which track the performance of individual links on your page.

5. Integrations

Integrations help you connect your link-in-bio page to other parts of your content creator tool stack.

Beacons integrates seamlessly with Mailchimp and Substack. It also has a Zapier integration that lets you connect your links to thousands of other tools.

Linktree can also integrate with Zapier, letting you send data from your links to other tools. Compared to Beacons, Linktree has a lot more built-in integrations, including Spring, Shopify, and Typeform.

Beacons vs. Linktree: Which one should you choose?

Linktree is probably the best choice if you want a hyper-focused tool that you don’t mind paying for. It’s a solid option if you’ve already got your creator tool stack figured out, and you just need this tool to do one thing.

Now, what if this Beacons vs. Linktree quandary is just one of many you’re wrestling with? What other tools will you need to pay for? Small businesses and creators that need to stretch their dollars may have better luck with Beacons. In addition to building a link-in-bio page, this tool helps with selling digital products and managing your income.

But are these your only two options?

The best alternative to Beacons and Linktree: The Leap

The Leap is a free, all-in-one creator store that functions as a link-in-bio tool and much more. Designed with lead generation, product promotion, and sales in mind, The Leap helps creators monetize easily, allowing you to sell digital products and process payments directly through your landing page.

One of The Leap’s superpowers is its AI-powered authoring tool, which allows you to bring your digital product ideas to life easily, whether you’re looking to create mini-courses, guides, or tutorials. The Leap’s zero-cost, user-friendly digital product builder makes it easy to turn your products into lead magnets, which in turn helps grow your email list.

With The Leap, you have access to audience analytics, including sales and leads reports that give you the insights you need to create products that’ll fly off the (digital) shelves.

The Leap is designed to help you jumpstart your creator monetization journey without forking over any startup costs. Ready to start earning as a creator? Try The Leap for free now.

Start monetizing your audience with The Leap, your all-in-one creator store.

Beacons vs. Linktree FAQ

Is Linktree better than Beacons?

It entirely depends on what you expect from link-in-bio tools. Linktree is a dedicated link-in-bio tool, while Beacons offers a free link-in-bio tool on top of audience analytics, post activity trackers, email marketing, and more. Linktree has better analytics and more integrations, but you get more creator tools for free with Beacons.

Do you have to pay for Beacons?

You can use Beacons for free, and you’ll be able to add any links you want to your landing page. You only need to pay (starting at $10/month) if you want to use a custom domain, remove the Beacons branding from your link-in-bio page, or use sub-pages and advanced tracking features.

Is there a free alternative to Linktree and Beacons?

The Leap is a great alternative to Linktree and Beacons, and it’s 100% free to use. An all-in-one creator store, The Leap serves as a link-in-bio tool, an online storefront, an email list builder, and an AI-powered digital product builder that helps you build mini-courses, guides, and more in minutes.

What’s more, when you create digital products on The Leap, sales pages are instantly generated and links to these pages are automatically added to your link-in-bio storefront. Easy peasy!

Build, market, and sell digital products all in one spot with The Leap!

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Beacons vs. Linktree: Which Link-in-Bio Tool Is Better?

by Nicholas Bouchard · Published Mar 26, 2024