Beacons alternative: an honest comparison (2026)
By Tayyab, founder of biolio2 min read
Beacons takes 9% of store sales on its Free and $10 Creator plans; the fee drops to 0% on Creator Plus at $30 a month. It pairs a link-in-bio page with a store and other creator tools, so it suits people who use the whole set. If you mainly need a clean page and a way to sell a few products, a lighter tool may fit better.
Key Takeaways
- Beacons: 9% fee on Free and Creator ($10/month), 0% on Creator Plus ($30) and Creator Max ($100).
- At $500 a month in sales, the 9% fee ($45) costs more than the $30 plan that removes it.
- If you already sell through Gumroad, Payhip or Stripe, you may not need a second store.
- biolio links to your own checkout and takes 0% on every plan.
Beacons and biolio side by side
| Beacons | biolio | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan selling fee | 9% | 0% |
| Cheapest paid plan | Creator, $10/month (9% fee) | Pro, $8/month (0% fee) |
| Plan with 0% selling fee | Creator Plus, $30/month | Every plan |
| Checkout | Built in | Your own payment link |
| Payment processing | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 or PayPal, on top | Your provider's fee, on top |
Beacons figures from its help center: pricing plans and transaction fees, checked October 2026. biolio figures from biolio pricing.
Where Beacons does well
- A store with checkout and file delivery built in.
- Several creator tools in one account.
- A free plan to start.
Questions to ask yourself
- Do I use the extra tools? If you don't use Beacons' other features, a lighter page may be easier to run.
- Do I already have a checkout? If you sell on Gumroad, Payhip or Stripe, a page that links to it is enough. Here's how that setup works.
- How much do I sell each month? Under about $330 a month, 9% costs less than the $30 plan; above it, the 0% plan saves money. A tool with no fee at all beats both. Our fees comparison shows every major tool.
When to stay on Beacons
If you use its store and other tools together and sell enough that Creator Plus pays for itself, it's a reasonable all-in-one choice.
When an alternative makes sense
If you want a simple page with a separate Shop tab, analytics and an email signup, and you'd rather not pay a percentage or $30 a month. For other options, see our Linktree alternative and Stan Store alternative comparisons.