Pillar vs. Stan Store: Which Link-in-Bio Store Is Better?

Looking for a link-in-bio store with essential monetization features? Well, lucky for you, you’re in the right place. This article is all about Pillar vs. Stan Store, two popular link-in-bio creator storefronts that boast themselves as an “all-in-one solution” for your creator business. But are they really what they claim to be?

After reading this article, you’ll be able to decide whether Pillar or Stan Store is the best solution for you. Or, maybe you’ll find that what you’re actually looking for is the a free alternative to these platforms.

Set up your link-in-bio store on The Leap today. It’s free!

Pillar vs. Stan Store: Key differences

Pillar and Stan Store are both link-in-bio store platforms that share similar features, like the ability to sell digital products with a link-in-bio storefront. However, before you decide which platform is best for you, there are some key differences to consider.

Platform	Pricing and key features
Pillar	Price: $29 – $79/month Online course builder: ✅ Link-in-bio store: ✅ Generative AI: ❌ Email marketing automation: ✅ Native calendar booking: ✅ Flexible payment options: ✅
Stan Store	Price: $29 – $99/month Online course builder: ✅ Link-in-bio store: ✅ Generative AI: ✅ Email marketing automation: ✅ Native calendar booking: ✅ Flexible payment options: ✅

What is Pillar?

Pillar boasts itself as an all-in-one creator store where you can create, host, and sell digital products and services.

Pillar divides its attention between two groups of users, creators and talent managers, and offers features tailored to both. The platform comes with a suite of tools for users to manage their digital products, brand deals, leads, customers, and more.

First and foremost, Pillar has a link-in-bio storefront with useful features for creators like audience and customer analytics, coaching, and calendar automation, an auto-updated media kit, influencer and UGC post reports, and Apple Pay checkout. The platform aims to replace the rest of your tech stack (such as Google Analytics, Linktree, Wix, etc.) and take care of it all for you instead.

While Pillar offers several useful monetization features for creators, the platform does come at a cost. Pillar doesn’t offer a free plan, and its standard plan starts at $29/month with 5% transaction fees.

With Pillar, you can:

Create a customizable online storefront and link-in-bio landing page.
Sell digital products.
Build and sell online courses directly within the platform.
Offer one-on-one coaching and consultation calls.
Accept one-click payments via Apple Pay.
Track audience and customer analytics.
Collect influencer and UGC post reports.
Build an auto-updated media kit to pitch to brands.

What is Stan Store?

Stan Store is a popular creator monetization platform that allows creators to build an online store quickly and offer digital products, subscriptions, and services like one-on-one calls.

Similar to Pillar, Stan Store also boasts itself as an “all-in-one creator store.” However, several things about Stan Store might not suit every creator’s needs. For one, the platform also doesn’t offer a free plan option, meaning one must pay to use Stan Store ($29/month to be exact).

However, Stan is popular for a reason. Unlike Pillar, Stan Store charges zero transaction fees, so you don’t have to worry about losing chunks of your earnings to the platform.

With Stan Store, you can:

Create a customizable online storefront and link-in-bio landing page.
Use its AI chatbot to generate text and product recommendations.
Sell digital products, subscriptions, and one-on-one coaching sessions or consultation calls.
Build and sell online courses directly within the platform.
Automate your workflow thanks to Stan’s integration with popular third-party platforms like Zapier, Zoom, Mailchimp, Google Calendar, and more.
Join Stan’s affiliate marketing program to earn a commission by promoting other creators’ products.
Track analytics on your audience including demographics, engagement rates, and more.

Pillar vs. Stan Store: Comparison

When it comes to Pillar vs. Stan Store, both platforms come with similar features and pricing. Yet, they each have their own set of pros and cons.

Pillar is a good option if you’re a talent manager or a creator looking for a fairly robust, scalable creator platform that has lead nurturing tools like a CRM and email list builder.

On the other hand, Stan Store has many of the same features that Pillar offers, and some features that Pillar is lacking such as an online course builder and an AI chatbot.

Stan Store and Pillar’s pricing is similar, with both their basic plans priced at $29/month. Pillar’s premium plan is $79/month, while Stan’s is pricier at $99/month.

However, the biggest difference between the two platforms is that Stan Store charges zero transaction fees, even for its basic plan, which makes it a better option for those expecting to be selling at a higher volume and don’t want to get dinged with a transaction fee for every sale.

1. Pricing

Stan Store and Pillar’s pricing is quite similar, with the major difference being that Stan Store charges zero transaction fees on sales.

Neither platform offers a free plan. Both Pillar and Stan Store’s standard plans start at $29/month. Pillar’s standard plan comes with a 5% transaction fee. To waive those transaction fees, users will have to subscribe to Pillar’s premium plan at $79/month.

While the two platforms share similar pricing, Stan Store’s zero transaction fees can make a big difference. If you’re a creator who plans on selling a high volume of digital products every month (let’s say even a thousand bucks’ worth), then Stan Store might be the better option for you.

2. Customization options

Both Pillar and Stan Store offer customizable creator storefronts. Stan Store comes with a drag-and-drop editor for extra ease of use — you don’t have to worry about the state of your graphic design skills to create a professionally looking online store.

Both platforms allow for a pretty broad range of customization options around branding, including the ability to adjust color, layout, and logo design for your storefront. These customization features extend to Stan Store’s built-in online course builder, making it easy to create (and then sell) your online course.

Stan Store also offers a selection of pre-designed themes that you can tweak and personalize to your liking.

3. Integrations

Both platforms offer integrations with popular third-party platforms. Stan Store boasts integrations with platforms like Mailchimp, Google Calendar, and Zoom.

Stan also offers Zapier integration, allowing you to streamline your workflow by connecting your Stan Store to thousands of apps.

Integrations are only available with Pillar’s premium plan, which costs $79/month. The platform also offers integration and migration support.

4. Monetization features

Both Pillar and Stan Store are designed to help creators monetize their expertise by selling digital products, subscriptions and memberships, online courses, or one-on-one coaching calls or consulting sessions.

It’s also worth noting that both platforms have their own built-in online course builder, meaning creators can build and sell courses all in one place. However, if you’re looking to offer other types of digital products, you’ll need to rely on other tools to create them first.

5. AI tools

AI tools are becoming more and more popular for their ability to automate and simplify tedious or administrative tasks. Generative AI can be particularly useful when creating and selling digital products, like courses, ebooks, tutorials, and more.

Pillar has yet to implement any notable AI features on its platform. However, Stan Store boasts an AI assistant named Stanley that can make recommendations for digital products based on your social data. The AI chatbot can even generate text, and answer any inquiries you may have about the platform.

Pillar vs. Stan Store: Which link-in-bio store should you use?

Pillar and Stan Store both claim to be all-in-one solutions for creators looking to sell digital products. Whether or not that happens to be the case for you depends on your budget and needs.

Both platforms share similar features like a link-in-bio store, native calendar booking, analytics, email marketing automation, and the ability to sell subscriptions. However, there are some key differences.

For example, Pillar tailors its feature offering to both creators and talent managers. So if you’re the latter, Pillar will be a better option for you. It also offers some unique features for creators, like an auto-updated media kit for pitching to brands for sponsorships.

Another key difference to consider is the platforms’ pricing structures. Both Pillar and Stan Store offer a standard plan for $29/month. While their pricing may seem similar at first glance, Pillar is actually more expensive, as it charges a 5% transaction fee on all sales.

Stan Store charges zero transaction fees on all plans. With Pillar, if you don’t want to pay any transaction fees, you’ll have to upgrade to its advanced pricing tier which goes for $79/month.

TL;DR

Pillar is best if…	Stan Store is best if…
You don’t mind paying transaction fees. You are a creator who needs a media kit to pitch to brands for sponsorships. You are a talent manager looking to manage brand deals.	You’re looking to sell digital products at a high volume. You don’t want to pay transaction fees. You don’t mind paying extra for more robust monetization and marketing features.

Ultimately, the choice between Pillar or Stan Store depends on your business objectives, your budget, and your highest needs. You could succeed on either platform, as long as you have the right strategy and quality digital products.

Still not convinced that either of these platforms is the one for you? Read on for the best 100% free alternative on the market.

A free alternative to Pillar and Stan Store: The Leap

If after reading this article, you still feel on the fence about whether to go with Pillar or Stan Store, you might want to consider a free alternative to these platforms: The Leap.

The Leap is a free link-in-bio store that has the same essential monetization features that Pillar and Stan Store share, plus an AI-powered digital product builder that generates ideas and customizable drafts for digital products like mini-courses, tutorials, challenges, guides, and more in just minutes.

With The Leap, you can quickly build your own link-in-bio storefront, where you can create, market, and sell your digital products easily, while also capturing leads and growing your email list.

To help simplify your marketing efforts and boost sales, The Leap also comes with a built-in email marketing automation suite, with a library of expert-recommended email templates that make setting up email flows and sending email broadcasts a breeze.

For coaches and consultants looking to offer one-on-one calls to clients, The Leap’s Book My Time feature makes it super easy to schedule and manage appointments — and get paid for your time and expertise.

Other key features of The Leap include analytics, flexible payment and selling options like Buy Now, Pay Later plans, and even a referral program where you can earn up to 40% recurring commission.

The best part about The Leap? You get all of these features for free with zero transaction fees!

Try The Leap for free today to start monetizing your expertise.

Start monetizing your audience with The Leap, your free link-in-bio store.

Pillar vs. Stan Store FAQ

What is Pillar used for?

Pillar is a link-in-bio storefront platform where creators can sell digital products and services, offer subscriptions, track analytics, and more. It’s designed to replace all your other tools — like Google Analytics, Linktree, etc. — so you can do it all in one place.

How much does Pillar cost?

Pillar’s standard plan costs $29/month with 5% transaction fees. Its advanced plan is $79/month and comes with zero transaction fees.

Is there a free alternative to Pillar and Stan Store?

While both Pillar and Stan are great options for a link-in-bio store platform, they’re also quite expensive. If you’re looking for a free alternative with even smarter features, look no further than The Leap.

The Leap is a free link-in-bio store with an AI-powered digital product builder that can help you generate mini-courses, guides, tutorials, and more in minutes, saving you time and effort as you build out your digital product offering.

The Leap offers many of the same features that Pillar and Stan Store have, like analytics, payment and order fulfillment, flexible payment and selling options, native calendar booking, and built-in email marketing tools for nurturing your leads.

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

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