Linktree vs. Beacons

Choose Linktree if you want a familiar, lightweight link-in-bio page with optional selling tools. Choose Beacons if you want digital products, a media kit, and paid fan requests in one storefront. Both have free entry plans and no published follower minimum; the key difference is how much commerce you need.

Last verified: August 2026, against Linktree's official pricing page and Beacons' official pricing page. Pricing and features can change, so confirm the current terms before choosing.

Which should I pick?

Pick Linktree if your priority is a straightforward link-in-bio page with optional commerce features. Its Free plan includes unlimited links, core appearance tools, and basic analytics, while Starter, Pro, and Premium add features such as scheduling, deeper analytics, and monetization tools (Linktree pricing, verified August 2026).

Linktree’s Direct Earnings feature covers Digital Products and Courses, is powered by Kajabi, and is available on every plan, including Free. Linktree charges a 12% transaction fee on Free, 9% on Starter and Pro, and 0% on Premium (Linktree fee guide, verified August 2026). Paid digital products are limited to select countries (Linktree digital-products guide, verified August 2026).

Pick Beacons if you want more selling and business tools on the same page. Beacons combines links with a digital product store, media kit, TikTok Shopping block, and Requests Block for paid custom shoutouts, Q&As, feedback, and similar requests (Beacons plans, verified August 2026). Its platform transaction fee is 9% on Free and Creator and 0% on Creator Plus and Creator Max (Beacons fee guide, verified August 2026).

In practical terms, Linktree is the lighter starting point for collecting links and occasionally accepting payments. Beacons is the more complete storefront for creators who actively sell products, manage brand-deal information, and accept paid requests from one page.

How do Linktree and Beacons compare?

Which is cheaper, Linktree or Beacons?

For digital-product sales on a free plan, Beacons has the lower platform fee: Beacons charges 9%, while Linktree charges 12% (Beacons fee guide; Linktree fee guide, verified August 2026).

On paid mid-tier plans, Linktree Starter and Pro charge 9%, matching the Beacons Free and Creator rate. Linktree Starter costs $6/mo billed annually or $8/mo monthly, while Pro costs $12/mo billed annually or $15/mo monthly (Linktree pricing, verified August 2026). Beacons Creator costs $10/mo (Beacons plans, verified August 2026).

Both offer a $30/mo annual-billing option with a 0% platform transaction fee: Linktree Premium costs $30/mo billed annually, and Beacons Creator Plus costs $30/mo (Linktree pricing; Beacons plans, verified August 2026). At that level, the more important distinction is the feature set: Linktree emphasizes link-page customization and management, while Beacons includes a storefront, media kit, and Requests Block.

For generic tips or payments, Linktree’s official take-payments page explains that creators connect Square or PayPal but does not disclose a separate Linktree-side transaction fee, preventing a precise like-for-like comparison with Beacons from the cited public information (Linktree payments page, verified August 2026).

What do Linktree and Beacons have in common?

Both platforms offer free entry plans and allow creators to add links, sell digital products, and accept certain payments without first purchasing a monthly subscription (Linktree pricing; Beacons plans, verified August 2026). Neither platform states a follower or audience-size minimum on the cited official pages.

Their payment arrangements differ by feature and processor:

• Linktree’s Digital Products and Courses earnings use Stripe, while its separate tips and payments feature connects to a creator’s Square or PayPal account (Linktree fee guide; payments page, verified August 2026).
• Beacons supports both Stripe and PayPal for transactions, with the applicable processor’s fee charged in addition to any Beacons platform fee (Beacons fee guide, verified August 2026).

Both are broad link-in-bio products rather than tools dedicated exclusively to one paid-interaction format. Beacons provides a purpose-built Requests Block, while Linktree’s cited payment feature is a more general way to accept tips or payments.

Where does a paid-fan-interaction tool fit?

Neither Linktree nor Beacons is built solely around structured paid interactions. Linktree offers a generic tips or payments feature through connected Square or PayPal accounts (Linktree payments page, verified August 2026). Beacons provides a more structured Requests Block, but it remains one feature alongside its product store, media kit, and TikTok Shopping block (Beacons plans, verified August 2026).

The distinction is whether you need a general storefront or a page centered on defined fan requests; see link-in-bio store vs. a paid fan interaction page for a closer comparison.

FanBell is the narrower option in this comparison. It provides six fixed, priced offer types—including Paid Private Questions, Personalized Shoutouts, Creator Services, Tips, and project support—rather than a digital-product store or media kit (how it works, verified August 2026). FanBell has no follower minimum and no monthly fee to start, and its 12% platform fee applies only when a fan pays (pricing, verified August 2026).

Because the products serve different purposes, creators can use FanBell alongside a general link hub rather than replacing it. For direct comparisons, see FanBell vs. Linktree and FanBell vs. Beacons.

Frequently asked questions

Is Linktree or Beacons better for selling digital products?

Both support digital-product sales. On their free plans, Beacons charges a 9% platform transaction fee and Linktree charges 12% (Beacons fee guide; Linktree fee guide, verified August 2026).

Beacons also bundles a media kit and TikTok Shopping block with its broader storefront offering (Beacons plans, verified August 2026). Linktree is likely the better fit if you prefer a lighter link page and do not need those additional storefront tools.

Do Linktree or Beacons charge a monthly fee?

Neither requires a monthly fee to start. Linktree offers Free, Starter at $6/mo billed annually, Pro at $12/mo billed annually, and Premium at $30/mo billed annually (Linktree pricing, verified August 2026).

Beacons offers Free at $0, Creator at $10/mo, Creator Plus at $30/mo, and Creator Max at $90/mo, with annual-billing discounts available (Beacons plans, verified August 2026).

Do I need a minimum number of followers to use either platform?

No follower minimum is stated on Linktree’s official pricing or payments pages or on Beacons’ official plans and fee pages (Linktree pricing; Linktree payments page; Beacons plans; Beacons fee guide, verified August 2026).

Can I use Linktree or Beacons with a paid-fan-interaction tool?

Yes. Linktree or Beacons can serve as the general link hub, while a separate paid-interaction page handles structured requests such as private questions or shoutouts. FanBell has no monthly fee to start and charges a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays (pricing, verified August 2026).

What should I read next?

For a broader comparison, see the best link-in-bio tools for creators and is a Linktree Pro plan worth it. If you are comparing either platform with a paid-interaction-first model, read FanBell vs. Linktree and FanBell vs. Beacons.

If your fans are already asking you for something specific — a question answered, a shoutout, a small service — rather than just browsing a link list, that's exactly what FanBell is built for. Create your free FanBell page — it's free to start, and the 12% platform fee only applies once a fan actually pays you.