Linktree vs Beacons: An Honest Head-to-Head

Linktree and Beacons are the two most-asked-about link-in-bio tools. They've overlapped in the last two years as both broadened their feature sets, but the core difference in philosophy remains: Linktree optimizes for simplicity and broad appeal, Beacons optimizes for creator commerce and deeper customization. This is a fair head-to-head of both.

One thing to note upfront for streamers: neither Linktree nor Beacons is built around Twitch. Neither shows live status, syncs your schedule, or pulls recent clips automatically. If those are the features you need, read the link in bio for Twitch comparison before deciding between these two. This comparison is most useful if you have already decided a general-purpose tool is the right fit.

The 30-second version

• Pick Linktree if you want the simplest, most familiar link-in-bio with the largest ecosystem.
• Pick Beacons if you sell digital products, want a built-in media kit, or want more design control on the free tier.
• Compare streamer-specific tools too if your primary need is Twitch live status, schedule, or clips.

Pricing

• Linktree. Free, Starter ($8/mo), Pro ($15/mo), Premium ($35/mo). Prices increased in late 2025; the free tier still carries a 12% sales fee on any purchases.
• Beacons. Free (9% sales fee), Creator ($10/mo, 9% fee still applies), Creator Plus ($30/mo, 0% fee), Creator Max ($90/mo, 0% fee). Beacons charges no transaction fee only from Creator Plus up.

At the entry paid tier, Linktree Pro ($15/mo) and Beacons Creator ($10/mo) both remove branding and add more customization. Beacons undercuts on price here, but note that Beacons' Creator plan still charges a 9% fee on any product sales - Linktree Pro charges 9% too. The commerce fee only disappears on Beacons Creator Plus ($30/mo) or Linktree Premium ($35/mo).

Design and customization

Linktree's templates are clean and constrained. You pick a theme, a color, and a couple of layout options, and you ship. Customization beyond that requires paid tiers and is still narrower than Beacons.

Beacons gives you more design surface area even on the free tier. Custom fonts, more layout variants, more block types. Trade-off: it's easier to make a Beacons page look bad if you don't have an eye for design.

Winner depends on you. If you want a guaranteed-OK result with minimal effort, Linktree. If you want more design control and can use it, Beacons.

Commerce

Beacons is more commerce-oriented. Built-in storefronts, digital product sales, Stripe integration, and tipping all live natively. Lower friction to start selling.

Linktree added commerce features (Linktree Pay, supporters) but they feel bolted-on. Capable for simple use cases, not the right tool for a serious shop.

Winner: Beacons by a clear margin if commerce matters.

Analytics

Both have analytics on paid tiers, both have basic click-counting on free. Beacons' analytics are deeper - audience demographics, click trends, conversion data. Linktree's cover 'which link gets clicked most'.

Winner: Beacons if you want anything beyond top-line metrics.

Media kit

Beacons has a built-in media kit feature that auto-pulls stats from connected platforms. Useful for creators doing inbound brand deals. Linktree doesn't - you'd link to an external PDF.

Winner: Beacons.

Branding extras

Both support extra branding controls on paid tiers, including custom domains. Linktree gates custom domains behind Premium ($35/mo), while Beacons includes a custom domain on its Creator plan ($10/mo). For most creators this is a secondary detail, not the main reason to choose one.

Winner: Beacons if these branding extras matter to you.

Reliability

Both have had notable outages. For a tool that's the front door to your other channels, uptime matters. Linktree's overall track record is marginally better due to longer history and larger ops team, but neither is a deal-breaker for normal use.

Twitch / streaming features

Neither is built around Twitch in the way streamers usually mean it. You can add a Twitch channel link, but live status, Twitch schedule, and recent clips are not the center of the product. If those matter, read the link in bio for Twitch comparison before choosing.

Where each wins clearly

• Linktree wins for: creators who want the simplest possible setup, the most integrations, and a 'just works' result with minimal configuration.
• Beacons wins for: creators who sell digital products, run sponsored deals, want a hosted media kit, or need analytics beyond top-line link clicks.
• Neither wins for: streamers who need Twitch live status, schedule sync, or clip display. Those features require a Twitch-specific tool.

FAQ

Can I import my links from Linktree to Beacons?

Beacons has a Linktree import tool. Linktree doesn't have an official Beacons import; you'd re-create links manually. Either way, link count is small enough that this isn't a real barrier.

Which is bigger?

Linktree is the larger, more established company. Beacons is younger and more focused on creator commerce. Size matters for ecosystem and familiarity, but not always for your exact use case.

Will switching from Linktree to Beacons confuse my followers?

Practically no. The URL in your social bios is the only persistent link people use. Change the destination behind that URL; followers won't notice. Keep the old Linktree alive for a few weeks just in case, then delete.