Best Link-in-Bio Tools in 2026: What's Changed Since January
I published a comparison in January. A lot has happened since then. New features shipped, pricing changed, and the gap between free and paid tools got wider. Here is the updated picture.
Mohanned Farahat
Founder, MinglyLink
1 What changed in Q1 2026
The link-in-bio space does not sit still. Here is what happened in the first three months of 2026 that actually matters:
MinglyLink shipped a built-in shop. Full disclosure, this is my platform. We launched cart and checkout functionality so creators can sell products directly from their bio page. No Shopify needed. We also launched gift offers, a floating drawer with exclusive brand discounts that earns creators commission automatically. No other bio tool has this.
Linktree raised prices again. Their Pro plan is now $9/month (was $6 back in 2024). The free tier is still limited to basic themes and Linktree branding. If you want analytics that tell you anything useful, you are paying.
Beacons added more email features to their free tier, which is nice. But they still take 9% of store sales on free accounts. That adds up fast if you are actually selling.
Stan Store stayed at $29/month. They have been adding AI features for course creation. Good for their niche, but the price still makes it a non-starter for creators who are not selling high-ticket products.
The big trend? Free tools are getting better while paid tools are getting more expensive. That gap is worth paying attention to.
2 What I looked for
Same criteria as January, updated for what matters now:
- Price: What is actually free vs what is paywalled. Hidden fees matter.
- Monetisation: Can you earn money from your page, or does it just cost you money?
- E-commerce: Can you sell products without linking to an external store?
- Customisation: Colours, fonts, layout, branding removal.
- Analytics: What data do you get? Is it useful or just vanity numbers?
- SEO: Can Google find and index your page?
- Speed: How fast does the page load on mobile?
I used each tool, built a page, and tested it. These are not summaries from marketing pages. These are observations from actually using the products.
3 The tools, reviewed
MinglyLink
Free (all features)
Only bio tool that pays you
Pros
- 100% free, no paywalls
- 60/40 ad revenue share
- Built-in shop with cart (new)
- Gift offers from brands (unique)
- Booking system included
- SEO-optimised pages
Cons
- Newer platform, smaller community
- Fewer third-party integrations
- Template library still growing
Linktree
Free - $24/mo
The default choice
Pros
- Most popular, trusted brand
- Easy 2-minute setup
- Good mobile app
- Lots of integrations
Cons
- Free tier is very limited
- Analytics paywalled
- Branding on free pages
- No revenue sharing
Stan Store
$29/mo
Built for digital products
Pros
- Full course hosting
- Email sequences built in
- Coaching and calendar tools
- High-converting checkout
Cons
- No free plan at all
- Expensive for beginners
- Overkill if you just need links
- Monthly cost eats into margins
Beacons
Free - $10/mo
Feature-packed with caveats
Pros
- Email marketing included
- Media kit generator
- Creator store on free tier
- Decent customisation
Cons
- 9% fee on free store sales
- Aggressive upselling
- Can feel overwhelming
- Some features half-baked
Koji
Free
Mini-apps over links
Pros
- Unique interactive widgets
- Good for gaming creators
- Free to use
- Fun and creative
Cons
- Not a traditional link page
- Limited analytics
- Niche appeal
- Less useful for businesses
Carrd
Free - $19/year
Website builder, not a bio tool
Pros
- Total design freedom
- Very affordable pro plan
- Custom domains
- Clean, fast pages
Cons
- No monetisation features
- No built-in analytics
- Requires design skills
- No shop or booking
Taplink
Free - $6/mo
Popular outside the US
Pros
- Cheap paid plans
- Messaging app integrations
- Payment collection
- Multi-language support
Cons
- Interface feels dated
- Limited English resources
- Smaller ecosystem
- Basic analytics
Later Linkin.bio
Free - $25/mo (with Later)
Tied to Later platform
Pros
- Instagram grid layout
- Scheduling integration
- Shoppable posts
- Good if you use Later already
Cons
- Limited standalone value
- Requires Later subscription for best features
- Not great for non-Instagram
- Basic customisation
4 Side-by-side comparison
| Tool | Price | Shop | Booking | Pays You |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MinglyLink | Free | Yes (free) | Yes (free) | 60% rev share |
| Linktree | Free - $24/mo | No | No | No |
| Stan Store | $29/mo | Yes | Yes | No |
| Beacons | Free - $10/mo | Yes (9% fee) | No | No |
| Koji | Free | No | No | No |
| Carrd | Free - $19/yr | No | No | No |
| Taplink | Free - $6/mo | Basic | No | No |
| Later Linkin.bio | Free - $25/mo | Shoppable | No | No |
Look at that "Pays You" column. One tool. That is the thing that still surprises me about this space. Creators generate all the traffic, and almost every platform either charges them or takes a cut. Nobody gives back.
5 Which one fits you
There is no single "best" tool. There is a best tool for your situation. Here is how I would break it down:
Just starting out and want to earn from day one
Go with MinglyLink. Everything is free, you earn from brand offers immediately, and you can add a shop when you are ready. No risk, no cost.
Selling courses or high-ticket digital products
Stan Store is purpose-built for this. The $29/month is worth it if you are selling $50+ products regularly. The checkout and course hosting are solid.
Want maximum design customisation
Carrd gives you total control. It is more of a website builder than a bio tool, so you need some design sense. But at $19/year, it is hard to beat on price.
Already using Later for social scheduling
Later Linkin.bio makes sense if you are already paying for Later. The Instagram grid integration is nice. But as a standalone bio tool, it is limited.
Small business with booking needs
MinglyLink again. The free booking system is a genuine differentiator. Clinics, coaches, consultants, and salons use it instead of paying for Calendly separately.
Want the safest, most recognised option
Linktree is still the default. Everyone knows it. If brand recognition and a massive integration ecosystem matter more to you than cost, Linktree Pro is fine. Just know you are paying for the name.
6 My honest take
I am obviously biased. I built MinglyLink. But I will say this honestly: if MinglyLink did not exist and I was a creator choosing a tool today, I would be frustrated.
The paid tools are getting more expensive. Linktree keeps raising prices. Stan Store is $29/month, which is a lot if you are not already making money. Beacons takes a cut of your sales on the free plan.
The free tools are either too basic (Lnk.bio), too niche (Koji), or not really bio tools (Carrd).
What I wanted, and what I built, is a tool where everything is free, the page looks professional, and the platform actually helps you earn money instead of just taking it. That is MinglyLink. I am not going to pretend it is perfect. We are a smaller team. We do not have Linktree's 10 million users or their integration marketplace. But we ship features fast, and every single one is free.
Being smaller also means we should actually listen. Every feature we have shipped came from a real user request, booking for example came for a dental and cosmetic clinic who joined us recently. I strongly believe in building for the long term and not just the next quarter. In a world where most SaaS tools are getting bloated or replaced by AI, I think the only reason to exist is to be genuinely simpler and more helpful, and that is what we are focused on.
Try a few tools. See what fits. The best link-in-bio tool is the one that works for your specific situation. But if you have not tried a tool that actually pays you, you are leaving money on the table.