Linktree vs Carrd: which is right in 2026?

Linktree is a bio tool. Carrd is a website builder. Linktree gives you a working page in five minutes at $0 (with branding) or $8-$15/mo (without). Carrd gives you complete design control at $19/year, but you build the page yourself. The right pick depends less on features than on how much time you want to spend designing.

Linktree

The default link-in-bio

Where it wins

Purpose-built for bio pages. Setup takes minutes, no design skill required.
Universal audience recognition. A linktr.ee URL needs no explanation.
Mature template library and deep integrations (Shopify, Mailchimp, Spotify, and more).
Free tier ships a real bio page with unlimited links and video embeds.

Where it falls short

$8/mo just to remove "Made with Linktree" branding from your free page.
$15/mo for custom domain, one of the most expensive in the category.
12% seller fee on digital product sales through Linktree checkout.
Templates are template-bound. Deep visual customization requires higher tiers or moving to a real site builder.

Carrd

One-page website builder

Where it wins

$19/yr Pro Standard is roughly $1.60/mo, the cheapest paid tier in the category.
Complete design control. It's a real site builder, not a template-locked bio tool.
Fast, lightweight pages that load like static sites because they largely are.
One annual bill instead of monthly subscription drip.

Where it falls short

Not a link-in-bio tool. No per-link click history, no product cards, no bio-tool conventions.
Free plan is genuinely limited: no custom domain, no analytics, no forms.
Steeper learning curve. Non-designers land on a blank canvas.
Annual-only billing means the sticker shock is upfront.

Linktree vs Carrd, row by row

Feature	Linktree	Carrd
Type of tool	Bio page tool	One-page site builder
Free plan	Yes (with branding)	Yes (small badge, 3 sites)
Cheapest paid plan	$8/mo (Starter)	$9/yr (Pro Lite)
Custom domain price	$15/mo (Pro)	$9/yr (Pro Lite)
Design flexibility	Template-bound	Full control
Setup time	~5 minutes	~30 minutes to hours
Per-link click analytics	Pro tier	Google Analytics only
Product cards / bio conventions	Native	Build yourself
Transaction fee on sales	12%	N/A (no built-in checkout)
Billing cadence	Monthly or annual	Annual only

So which should you pick?

Different jobs, different tools. Here's the honest split.

Pick Linktree if

You want a bio page live in five minutes with no design decisions.
The linktr.ee URL's recognition matters for how your audience perceives your bio.
You want per-link click analytics without wiring Google Analytics yourself.
You value bio-tool conventions (product cards, easy reordering, integrations) over full design control.

Pick Carrd if

You're comfortable with layout and typography and want a page that doesn't look like everyone else's bio.
$19/yr is the entire budget you want to spend on a bio page in a year.
You want a custom domain without paying $15/mo for it.
You want the page to live somewhere you fully own, not on a bio-tool platform.

There's a third option, and it's built for the update problem

The reason to compare Linktree and Carrd is usually one of two jobs: you want a bio page that works out of the box (Linktree wins) or you want full design control (Carrd wins). linksync targets a third job: a bio page that stays current everywhere you've shared it, without you touching the URL again. Publish once at linksync.me/yourname, and every profile, every video description, every DM signature pointing there stays current when you update. Free forever with no platform branding, per-link analytics, and zero transaction fees. Pro is €4.99/mo (custom domain, multi-page), roughly one-third the price of Linktree Pro.

Try linksync free See how linksync compares to Linktree

Questions creators ask

Is Linktree or Carrd better for beginners?

Linktree, without a doubt. It's a purpose-built bio tool with a five-minute setup and no design decisions to make. Carrd asks you to build the page from a blank canvas, which is either freedom or friction depending on how comfortable you are with layout and typography.

Is Carrd actually cheaper than Linktree?

Yes, significantly, if you're comparing paid tiers. Carrd Pro Standard is $19/year, about $1.60/month. Linktree Starter is $8/month ($96/year); Pro is $15/month ($180/year). Carrd is billed annually only, so the sticker shock is upfront; Linktree is billed monthly by default.

Can I sell digital products on Linktree or Carrd?

Linktree has built-in checkout for digital products with a 12% seller fee (not shown on the pricing page). Carrd Pro Plus at $49/year supports PayPal and Stripe checkout with no platform fee, but the checkout UX is basic and you're wiring the payment integration yourself.

Which has better analytics, Linktree or Carrd?

Neither is strong on free. Linktree's Pro tier ($15/mo) unlocks per-link click analytics and Google Analytics integration. Carrd Pro Standard ($19/yr) adds Google Analytics support but no native per-link click tracking. For bio-tool analytics on a low budget, neither is the right answer.

Does Carrd have a custom domain?

Yes, on the Pro Lite tier and above ($9/year). This is Carrd's strongest cost advantage over Linktree, where custom domain is locked to the Pro plan at $15/month. If a custom domain is your priority and you don't need bio-tool features, Carrd is dramatically cheaper.