Links vs Beacons: speed vs the all-in-one
Beacons crams a store, media kit, and AI tools onto one page. Links does one thing fast: get your fans to your content in under a second. Here is how they really compare.
Feature comparison
An honest look at how Links and Beacons stack up.
Page load speed
Smart deep links
Free plan
Setup time
Shield protection
Email subscribers
Tracked story links
Built-in store
AI tools
| Feature | Links | Beacons |
|---|---|---|
| Page load speed | Under 1 second | 3-5 seconds (heavy page) |
| Smart deep links | Yes, bypasses the Instagram webview | No |
| Free plan | Unlimited links, full analytics, no watermark | Limited, Beacons branding |
| Setup time | About 2 minutes | 10-15 minutes |
| Shield protection | Yes, blocks risky crawlers | No |
| Email subscribers | Built-in capture, free — own your audience | Yes, built-in email tool |
| Tracked story links | Yes, short links with per-story click tracking | No |
| Built-in store | No (link to any store you already use) | Yes (with fees) |
| AI tools | Coming soon | AI bio + AI store generators |
Pick Links for speed, Beacons for an all-in-one storefront
Beacons is genuinely powerful if you want your link page to also be your store, media kit, and email tool in one place, and you accept the heavier, slower page that comes with it. Links takes the opposite bet: a focused, sub-second page with smart deep links that get fans to whatever store or content you already use. If conversions and speed matter more than bundling everything into one tool, Links wins, for free.
No credit card required
Common questions
Yes. Beacons pages typically take 3-5 seconds to fully load because they bundle a store, media kit, and more. Links pages load in under a second. On mobile, that gap is often the difference between a fan clicking through and giving up.
No, and that's intentional. Beacons is an all-in-one (store, email, media kit, AI). Links is the fastest, safest bio link and points to whatever tools you already use. If you need a built-in store, Beacons may fit better; if you want maximum click-through, Links wins.
Yes. Links is free with unlimited links, full analytics, smart deep links, and no watermark. Beacons' free plan is limited and adds Beacons branding, with a Creator Pro plan for removing it and unlocking more.
“My Beacons page looked great but took 5 seconds to load. Most people left before it finished. Switched to Links, it loads instantly, and clicks went up 80%.”
Layla K.
Beauty creator, 110K followers
“I didn't need Beacons' store or media kit. I just needed my links to work. Links does that in under a second.”
Andre C.
Music producer