Linktree vs Beacons in 2026: Fees, Free Plans and Which to Pick

Comparing Linktree and Beacons comes down to one question most reviews skip: how does each one charge you — a subscription, a cut of your sales, or both? As of August 2026, Linktree runs $0–$35/month with a 12% commission on free-plan sales and removes its footer only from Pro at $144/year; Beacons runs a genuinely capable free tier that takes 9% of sales, keeps 9% even on its $10/month plan, and drops to 0% at $30/month.

That single paragraph decides most cases. The rest of this comparison unpacks it.

The Two Products in One Sentence Each

Linktree is the category default: the most recognized link-in-bio page, with an enormous template library and unlimited basic links on the free plan.

Beacons is the creator-monetization bundle: a link page plus native selling — tips, paid posts, fan subscriptions — with email marketing and a media kit built in.

They overlap on the link page; they differ on everything around it.

Side by Side (August 2026)

Prices and fee schedules were read from both companies' public pricing pages as of August 2026; both change their plans often, so confirm before committing.

The Fee Math, Worked Through

Say you sell $500/month of digital products from your bio page:

• Linktree free: 12% commission = $60/month to Linktree, before payment processing.
• Beacons free: 9% = $45/month to Beacons.
• Beacons $30/month plan: $30 flat, 0% fees — cheaper than free-plan fees at this volume.
• Linktree Premium $35/month: $35 flat, 0% seller fees.

The pattern: both free tiers are priced for people who don't sell. Once you sell steadily, the percentage quietly becomes the biggest line item, and the "expensive" flat plans become the cheap option. For the full Linktree ladder — including what Starter at $8/month does and does not include — see our Linktree pricing breakdown.

Pick Linktree If…

• Brand recognition matters to you — "link in bio" and "Linktree" are near-synonyms to your audience.
• You want unlimited links at $0 and you are not selling through the page.
• You want the biggest template library in the category.

Pick Beacons If…

• You monetize through the page itself — tips, paid posts, fan subscriptions — and want it native rather than linked out.
• You want email marketing and a media kit bundled with the bio page.
• You sell enough that the $30/month zero-fee plan beats percentage fees.

The Third Option Both Comparisons Ignore

If what you actually need is the link page — not native checkout — the cheapest structure is a bio page with no seller fees at all, linking out to storefronts you already use (Shopify, Ko-fi, Gumroad). That is what Linkhiver is built for: per-link click analytics on the free plan, 0% of your sales forever because checkout never touches the page, and badge removal at $45/year — under a third of Linktree's $144. The trade-off, stated honestly: Linkhiver's free plan caps at 10 links, while Linktree's free plan does not, and there is no native selling by design. The full head-to-heads are here: Linkhiver vs Linktree and Linkhiver vs Beacons.

FAQ

Is Beacons cheaper than Linktree?

On flat subscription prices, mostly yes: Beacons' zero-fee tier is $30/month against Linktree's $35, and its mid-tier is $10 against $8–$15. On effective cost it depends on your sales: both take a percentage on lower tiers (9% Beacons, 12% Linktree free), so heavy sellers should compare the flat plans, not the free ones.

Does Beacons take a cut of sales?

Yes — 9% on the free plan, still 9% at $10/month, and 0% starting at $30/month (as of August 2026).

Does Linktree take a cut of sales?

Yes — 12% on the free plan, with seller fees continuing below Premium; Premium at $35/month is the first zero-fee tier (as of August 2026).

Which removes the provider branding for less?

Beacons keeps its branded footer on the free plan and removes it on paid plans — check which tier on their pricing page, as this has moved before. Linktree removes it starting at Pro — $144/year. Linkhiver, for reference, removes it at $45/year.

Can I sell digital products without either?

Yes: keep checkout on a storefront like Ko-fi, Payhip or Gumroad and link to it from any bio page. You pay that platform's per-sale fee (0–10%) and no bio-page commission at all — we walk through the setups in the best free Linktree alternatives.

The Bottom Line

Linktree and Beacons are both good products priced around the same insight: the free plan gets you in, and the moment you monetize, you pay — as a percentage first, then as a subscription to escape the percentage. Decide whether you want native checkout (Beacons), maximum recognition (Linktree), or neither fee structure at all (a free page linking out to your own storefronts) — then compare the specific tier you would actually buy.

Create your free Linkhiver page — per-link analytics free, 0% of your sales forever, and the badge gone for $45 a year if you ever want it.