For many creators, one link is simply not enough. That’s where link-in-bio tools come in.
Not only does a link-in-bio tool challenge Instagram’s link limit, but it can also help you turn a single bio link into multi-link landing pages with all your important links, from your website and online store to your newsletter, affiliate links, different social media platforms, and more.
Beacons and Linktree are two popular link-in-bio tools on the market. So what are the differences between them? And, more importantly, which should you use? Let’s find out.
Build your link-in-bio creator store with The Leap today. It’s free!Beacons vs. Linktree: Key differences
| Platform | Pricing and key features |
| Beacons | Price: $0 – $50/month Digital product builder: ✅ Online course builder Analytics: ✅ Email marketing: ✅ Flexible payment options: ✅ |
| Linktree | Price: $0 – $27/month Digital product builder: ❌ Analytics: ✅ (paid plans only) Email marketing: ✅ (email list builder) Flexible payment options: ✅ |
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 offers 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 tool set.
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 the platform’s easy-to-use interface, you don’t need to have any technical or design skills to benefit from the features it 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 Pro plan ($10/month) comes with additional features like custom domain and the option to remove Beacons branding from your page.
Key features
- Sell memberships and subscriptions
- Customizable online storefront and link-in-bio landing page
- Host and sell digital products and services
- Automated email marketing
- Real-time audience analytics
- Daily Media Kit updates
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 multiple links for free 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.
Key features
- Video embed and QR codes
- Customizable online storefront and link-in-bio page
- Host and sell digital products and services
- Email collection
- Link scheduling
- Audience analytics
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.
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 Pro, Store Pro, and Business Pro.
The Free plan offers an unlimited number of links, smart redirects, scheduled links, and a whole lot more. The Creator Pro plan is $10/month and lets you use a custom domain, remove the Beacons branding, get priority support, and give you access to automated email marketing and flexible payment options.
Linktree offers four plans: Free, Starter, Pro, and Premium. With the Free plan, you get multiple links and the ability to sell merchandise and affiliate products with Linktree’s Shop tab.
Linktree’s paid plans (from $5 to $24/month) give you access to more link types, more advanced features, 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, researching industry data, building and 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 landing page, from affiliate links to integrated storefronts.
Linktree followers 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 landing 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 Beacons link-in-bio tools, this platform offers two types of analytics:
- Individual link analytics: Give you the views, clicks, and click-through rates for each link on your page.
- Referral analytics: Track where the traffic to your link-in-bio landing page is coming from.
Linktree gives you access to both profile analytics and links analytics:
- Profile analytics: Help you understand your link-in-bio landing page’s performance as a whole, including how many views and clicks it’s getting, its clickthrough rates, the average time to click, and more.
- Link analytics: Track the performance of individual links on your page.
5. Integrations
Integrations help you connect your link-in-bio landing 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 link-in-bio tool that you don’t mind paying for more advanced features.
Linktree’s paid plans are definitely on the more affordable side. 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.
If you want a link-in-bio tool with more advanced monetization features, then Beacons is probably a better fit for you.
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.
TL;DR
| Beacons is best if… | Linktree is best if… |
You want more than a link-in-bio tool and prefer a platform with robust monetization options. | You want a dedicated, straightforward link-in-bio tool. |
But are Beacons and Linktree your only two options?
The best alternative to Beacons and Linktree: The Leap
If neither Linktree nor Beacons seems like the best fit, we have a solution for you and it’s called The Leap.
The Leap is a free, all-in-one creator store that combines a link-in-bio tool, AI-powered digital product builder, and powerful email marketing and analytics all into one single platform.
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.
Once you’ve grown your email list, you can let The Leap’s powerful email marketing take over. Choose from several expert-approved, pre-made templates that you can automate to send as email flows or broadcasts.
If you’re a creator who sells digital services like 1:1 consultations or coaching sessions, The Leap’s native calendar booking feature Book My Time has your back!
With The Leap, you have access to a Creators Analytics dashboard and audience analytics, including sales and leads reports that give you the insights you need to create products that’ll fly off the (digital) shelves.
Ultimately, The Leap is designed to help you jumpstart your creator monetization journey without breaking the bank.
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 access more advanced features like an online course builder, email marketing, and more.
Is there a free alternative to Linktree and Beacons?
The Leap is the best 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 storefront, an email list builder, and an AI-powered digital product builder that helps you build mini-courses, guides, and more in minutes. It comes with powerful email marketing and analytics tools, a native calendar feature, and even a Referral plan where you can earn up to a 40% commission!
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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Further reading
- 10 Best Link-in-Bio Tools for Instagram and TikTok Creators
- 11 Best Linktree Alternatives for Your Link in Bio
- AllMyLinks vs. Linktree: Which Link in Bio Tool Is Right for You?
- Linktree vs. Milkshake: Which Link in Bio Tool Is Better?
- Comparison: The Leap vs. Beacons
This article was originally published in March 2023, and updated in December 2024 with additional information.
