Stan Store vs Beacons: Which Link-in-Bio Platform Is Best for Selling Online?

Stan Store and Beacons are two leading “link in bio” tools for creators and entrepreneurs — but which one gives you the best setup for selling digital products, services, and more?

I’ve tested both platforms to see how they perform in real-world eCommerce scenarios.

After using both tools to sell digital products, book coaching calls, and build branded link pages, Stan Store is the better choice if your goal is fast monetization through a sales-first funnel.

Beacons, however, offers far more design flexibility, making it ideal for creators who want more control over their brand and layout.

Quick Verdict: Stan Store vs Beacons

Stan Store – Best for monetizing fast with digital products and coaching
Beacons – Best for custom branding, multiple links, and creator tools

In this review, I’ll break down how these two platforms compare on pricing, sales tools, templates, usability, and more — to help you decide which is best for your online business.

Quick Comparison: Stan Store vs Beacons

Here’s how Stan Store and Beacons compare at a glance:

Best for Pricing: Beacons

If you’re looking to save money or test a platform before committing, Beacons is the better choice.

Stan Store Pricing

Stan Store doesn’t offer a free tier. Pricing starts at $29/month for the Creator plan, and goes up to $99/month for Creator Pro, which unlocks affiliate program tools, A/B testing, and advanced integrations.

There’s no free trial — you need to commit upfront.

Beacons Pricing

Beacons has a free forever plan, making it a great starting point for creators or small businesses testing the waters. Paid plans unlock branding tools and advanced features.

Beacons also offers a 15-day free trial of its paid features — and you don’t need a credit card to start.

The Winner: Beacons

Beacons is the better value overall. It offers a generous free plan and more flexible paid options starting at just $10/month.

Stan Store offers powerful tools, but its pricing starts higher and there’s no free tier to experiment with.

Best for Selling Online: Stan Store

If your main focus is selling digital products or booking services, Stan Store is the better choice.

It’s streamlined, sales-focused, and built for creators who want results without complexity.

Sales Features Compared

Stan Store makes it incredibly easy to:

• Upload and sell a digital product like a course, ebook, or template
• Create a booking calendar for coaching or consulting
• Add upsells and limited-time offers
• Capture email leads
• Process payments through Stripe without third-party tools

Beacons offers digital sales and tipping, but it lacks native booking tools and upsells. You’ll need to connect to third-party forms or tools if you want to offer calls or live sessions.

The Winner: Stan Store

Stan Store is optimized for selling. If you’re focused on digital products, coaching, or service-based offers, its built-in tools are faster, simpler, and designed to drive conversions from mobile traffic.

Best for Design and Customization: Beacons

While Stan Store is streamlined, it’s also limited in terms of customization. Beacons gives you far more control over the look and structure of your page.

Customization Tools

Beacons lets you:

• Add multiple sections like testimonials, images, videos, and forms
• Style fonts, buttons, colors, and layouts
• Use different pages for different use cases (e.g. About, Shop, Contact)
• Embed TikToks or YouTube videos directly
• Connect a custom domain on any paid plan

Stan Store is great for clean, conversion-focused design — but there’s very little control over styling. You’re working within a narrow layout, which can feel limiting for visual brands or those with stronger creative needs.

The Winner: Beacons

If design, branding, or layout freedom matters to your business, Beacons is the clear winner. It gives you far more control over how your link-in-bio page looks and feels.

Best for Creators: It Depends

Both platforms are built for creators, but they support different types of creators in different ways.

Stan Store Is Best for Monetizing

If you’re a coach, course creator, or someone monetizing their expertise, Stan Store has everything you need:

• Sell digital products directly from your bio
• Offer coaching or 1:1 calls
• Upsell other products in the checkout
• Collect leads without needing extra tools

Beacons Is Best for Brand Collabs and Diversified Income

Beacons supports creators who:

• Do brand partnerships and need a media kit
• Want to accept tips or donations
• Promote affiliate links and storefronts
• Need multiple CTAs in one place
• Care deeply about layout and aesthetic

The Winner: Tie

Choose Stan Store if you’re monetizing with products or services. Choose Beacons if you need flexibility, media kits, or a polished brand presence.

Best for Ease of Use: Stan Store

When it comes to simplicity, Stan Store takes the lead. It’s clean, fast, and requires very little setup.

You don’t need to learn design tools or manage integrations.

I was able to:

• Upload and sell a product in under 10 minutes
• Connect my Stripe account and go live instantly
• Create a lead magnet and upsell funnel without extra tools

Beacons has more power, but with that comes more complexity.

You’ll spend more time configuring layouts, blocks, and pages — which is great if that’s your goal, but not ideal if you just want to sell.

The Winner: Stan Store

If ease of use matters to you, Stan Store’s onboarding and layout are faster and simpler. You’ll get up and running quicker, with fewer distractions.

Best for Templates and Layouts: Beacons

Stan Store keeps things very minimal — great for simplicity, not so great for variety.

Beacons offers a more extensive library of layout blocks and design options.

If you want a stylish page that reflects your brand — with images, testimonials, and embedded media — Beacons wins by a long shot.

The Winner: Beacons

Beacons gives you more layout choices, more visual control, and a better experience for visually-led brands and creators.

Final Verdict: Stan Store vs Beacons

Both Stan Store and Beacons are excellent, but they serve different goals. Here’s a summary of where each one shines:

Choose Stan Store if:

• You want to sell fast with no fuss
• Your goal is monetization via digital products or coaching
• You prefer simplicity and conversion over customization

Choose Beacons if:

• You want to control your design and branding
• You offer multiple services or need a full link-in-bio hub
• You’re building media kits, affiliate pages, or brand collab tools

Ultimately, the right platform depends on what stage your business is in and what matters most to you—speed or flexibility.

Both Stan Store and Beacons are excellent tools; it’s just a matter of picking the one that best aligns with how you plan to grow and sell online.