Comparison · Updated May 2026
Linktree vs Beacons: which link-in-bio wins in 2026?
Linktree and Beacons are the two biggest link-in-bio tools on the internet. Linktree owns the brand recognition. Beacons owns the creator-monetization story. Below is an honest, side-by-side breakdown of how they actually compare on pricing, monetization, analytics, themes, and SEO — plus the free alternative most creators pick once they see the numbers.
The short answer
Pick Linktree if you want the most familiar, mainstream link-in-bio tool and you don't mind paying to remove branding or unlock analytics. Pick Beacons if you actively sell products, services, or media kits — its monetization blocks are the best of the three. Pick a free alternative like Linkfree if you want unlimited links, branding-free pages, and built-in analytics without paying $5–$10 a month.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Linktree | Beacons | Linkfree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes (limited) | Yes (limited) | Yes — unlimited links |
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/mo | $10/mo | $4/mo |
| Remove branding (free) | No | No | Yes |
| Custom domain | Paid | Paid | Paid (Pro) |
| Sell digital products | Paid | Yes (fees) | Yes |
| Email capture | Paid | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in analytics | Basic free / Pro deep | Yes | Yes — free |
| Themes & customization | Templates | Strong | Full theme editor |
| Best for | Mainstream creators | Monetizing creators | Indie creators who want it free |
Pricing
Linktree's free plan exists but quietly nudges you toward paid. Removing the Linktree logo, unlocking deep analytics, scheduling links, and connecting a custom domain all require a paid plan starting around $5/month. Beacons does the same — its monetization features (stores, media kits, advanced email) sit behind the $10/month tier, and it takes a percentage of sales on lower tiers.
Linkfree is free forever with unlimited links, no Linkfree branding required to remove, and built-in analytics — see pricing.
Monetization
This is where Beacons wins decisively against Linktree. Beacons gives you a real shop, tip jar, media kit, and brand-deal pipeline out of the box. Linktree's commerce blocks are functional but feel bolted on, and the better ones are paywalled. If you're a full-time creator selling digital products, Beacons is the more native experience.
Analytics
Linktree's free analytics show lifetime views and clicks. Real audience insights (referrers, locations, per-link CTR) require Pro. Beacons gives you slightly richer dashboards out of the gate. Linkfree includes per-link clicks, referrers, and visitor counts on the free plan.
Themes & customization
Linktree's themes are clean and on-brand but constrained — you pick from templates, you don't really design. Beacons gives you more block-level control, especially for shop and media-kit layouts. Linkfree ships a full theme editor (colors, fonts, layout, backgrounds) on the free plan.
SEO and discoverability
All three give every user a public profile page (e.g. linktr.ee/yourname, beacons.ai/yourname, linkfree.in/yourname). All three are indexed by Google. The differentiator at the page level is page speed and clean HTML — Linkfree's profile pages are SSR'd and lightweight, which matters if you want your name to rank for branded searches.
Which should you pick?
- Pick Linktree if brand familiarity matters and you're okay paying to remove branding.
- Pick Beacons if you actively monetize and want shop/tip-jar/media-kit blocks.
- Skip both if you mostly want a clean, branding-free, free link-in-bio.
- Pick Linkfree for unlimited links, branding-free pages, analytics, and a theme editor — free forever.
Try the free alternative both Linktree and Beacons users switch to
Unlimited links, no branding, built-in analytics. Set up in under 2 minutes.
Create your free LinkfreeFAQ
Is Beacons better than Linktree?
Beacons leans harder into creator monetization (tip jars, media kits, shop blocks) while Linktree is the more polished, mainstream link-in-bio tool. If you're selling, Beacons usually wins. If you just need a clean bio link, Linktree is simpler — but both lock real features behind paid plans.
Which is cheaper, Linktree or Beacons?
Linktree's cheapest paid plan starts around $5/month. Beacons' cheapest paid plan starts around $10/month. Linkfree's Pro plan starts at $4/month with no per-sale fees.
Can I switch from Linktree to Beacons (or vice versa)?
Yes — both let you export or rebuild your link list manually. Most creators rebuild in under 10 minutes because the structure is the same: one page, a stack of links, a photo, and a bio.
Do Linktree or Beacons take a cut of sales?
Yes. Both charge platform fees on transactions on lower-tier plans. Linkfree does not take a cut of your sales.