More and more people want to ‘link’ an online shop to their TikTok or Instagram account. A link-in bio shop is your best shop option for social media. It’s like a mini website where people don’t get lost in too much information: it’s clean and clear.
When you start selling digital products, you need a storefront. At this moment there are two popular platforms, and that’s Stan Store and Beacons. Both offer unique features for creators, so let’s find out what they offer and which one would be right for you!
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Stan Store or Beacons?
You’re probably thinking, should I use Beacons.ai or Stan store? What is the difference? Well, in this blog post, I will help you choose, what would fit YOU best, the perfect store that suits all your needs and wishes. Because, what works for one, might not work for the oher.
Luckily, these days setting up an online store to sell your digital products has never been simpler. Link-in-bio shops are your one-stop-shop and it’s going to be where your digital offers live (your freebie, digital products, emails). Your audience can simply click the link in your bio, shop your digital products, and receive them straight to their inbox.
What do they have in common?
Stan Store and Beacons are platforms that content creators are using to sell digital products, create courses, and book appointments and services. You get free AI support, and both helpdesks are very good.
They are very easy to set up, and you can customize your store to match your style with different designs and features. You get analytics tools to track sales and customer engagement (no need for Manychat!).
Stan Store VS Beacons
Firstly, it’s good to know that both Beacons and Stan Store offer a lot of the same options. You can run your entire digital product business from either of these platforms, and both are super beginner-friendly.
Let’s start with their different subscriptions and pricing. There are some significant differences you need to know before you make a choice!
Can you use Stan for free?
Yes! You can use Stan Store for free for the first 2 weeks. This gives you some time to see how it works, and if you like it. After the 14-day free trial, you can stop or continue with a paid plan. Meaning, while Stan Store offers a lot of features, it does not offer a free plan.
Is Beacons free to use?
Yes, it’s free to use! There is no trial period and you can keep your free Beacons account for as long as you want. But, Beacons charges a 9% commission fee on all transitions. When you’re just starting out, and have little to no sales, Beacons is a great way to start, without monthly costs for a subscription. It includes unlimited links and even 50 email sends.
How much does Stan Store cost?
After the 14-day free trial, you can continue with the basic Creator plan for $29 a month (or $300 a year), with 0% transaction fees. You can’t send emails, but you can build your email list with a freebee/lead magnet. This is a complete link-in-bio store, you can customize to your liking.
How much does Beacons AI cost?
You can upgrade your free store to Store Pro. It’s $30 a month (or $300 a year), with 0% transaction fees. You will have a complete shop, you can customize to your liking.
Unlike Stan store, at Beacons, you start your Email marketing, with email automation and unlimited marketing emails. Also, you can offer your customers payment plans and Klarina & Afterpay. If these options are important to you, Beacons is the better choice.
There is also a $10/month plan, but it doesn’t offer much extra and the seller fee is still 9%. I don’t see the benefits of this plan, to be honest. So I’ll just skip it for now.
How much is Stan Store Pro?
The Creator PRO Plan is $99 a month (or $948 a year). It includes all features of the Creator plan, plus now you can start your email flow! Automated emails, and email marketing. You can now also offer your customers discount codes, payment plans, and Afterpay & Klarina. And more.
To be honest, I think this $99 Stan Store plan offers you almost the same options that Beacons $30 plan offers. Don’t get me wrong, I used to have Stan Stores $99 plan, and I loved it! It offers you everything you need to run an online business. But so does Beacons, and it’s a big difference in price if you ask me.
How much is Beacons Pro?
Business Pro is $90 a month (or $900 a year), and offers you a few extra options I don’t think many people need. It’s for the big creators, brands, and agencies.
I mean, do you really need Google Workspace, an NFC card, and white-glove support? If you do, This plan is for you! If you don’t, the Beacons $30 plan is your best plan to go with. It offers all you need to build and grow your online business.
What's better: Stan store or Beacons?
I think you can already see where I’m going with my comparison. Beacons start with a free option (you just pay 9% fee over every sale), and the $30/month plan offers you all you need. Stan Store starts with a $29/month plan (0% fee), and the $99/month plan offers you all you need to run your online business.
Moneywise, Beacons is the winner and definitely the more affordable link-in-bio shop!
You can start with the free plan, and when you start selling more and need to send out more emails, you can upgrade to the paid plan Store Pro for $30/month.
When your sales are $333/month or more, you should upgrade too, that’s cheaper (simple calculation: 9% of $333 is a $30 fee, if you sell more you pay more fee. The paid plan has 0% fee, just $30/month).
Need to know more?
I hope this helps you choose the best link-in-bio store for you. It’s my opinion that Beacons is the better choice, but you might think differently! And that’s okay. We all have different businesses that require different needs. I’ve always been a big fan of starting for free 😉 As you grow and earn more, you can spend more, right?
I couldn’t describe ALL the features they offer, the lists are simply too long. For more information, you can look at Stan Store plans here, and for Beacons you can see the plans here.
