What is Linktree, how it works and when you need a storefront instead

If you sell on Instagram or TikTok, someone has probably told you to "get a Linktree". It is so common that many people use the brand name for any link in bio. This guide explains what Linktree is, what it offers according to its own site, and when a maker or small business needs something else.

The Linktree facts we cite come from linktr.ee and its pricing page, checked on 31 October 2026. They can change, so check them before you decide.

What Linktree is

Linktree is a page with several links that you put in your social media bio. Social networks give you very little room for links in your bio, so Linktree acts as a doorway: whoever taps your link sees a list of buttons (your website, your shop, a video, a form) and picks one.

According to its site, it started in 2016 in Melbourne and says it has more than 70 million users. It is the best-known tool in its category.

What it includes

Linktree has a free plan and several paid ones (Starter, Pro and Premium). According to its pricing page:

• Free plan: unlimited basic links and email and phone sign-ups.
• Paid plans: more customization and analytics and, on the higher tiers, post scheduling and Instagram auto-replies. The Premium plan has a 7-day trial.
• Ways to earn: selling digital products, courses and affiliate commissions. Linktree notes that transaction fees may apply.

For exact, verified prices, see our Mercader vs Linktree comparison.

When Linktree is enough

Linktree works well if your goal is to spread traffic: sending people to your YouTube channel, your podcast, a shop you already run on another platform, or a digital product. If you already have a website or an online shop and only need Instagram to point to several places, a list of links does the job.

It is also a good option if you sell digital products and want to charge for them inside the same link.

When you need more than links

The problem starts when you sell physical pieces and the sale closes by message. A list of buttons does not answer the questions that keep coming up in your DMs:

• What do you have right now and how much is it?
• What does it look like up close? Are there other colours?
• Where can I find you this weekend?

If each button leads somewhere different (an album, a PDF, a story highlight), your visitor has to dig. And you keep answering the same messages. We go deeper in A link in bio that converts.

What a digital storefront does

A storefront like Mercader's is not a list of links. It is a page with:

1. A catalogue with a photo and price for every product. Each product also gets its own page that you can share on WhatsApp and that Google can find.
2. An inquiry button on every product: the customer messages you on WhatsApp, by email or by phone with the product already mentioned.
3. Upcoming markets and events, with date and place.
4. Your links, because you need those too.

Mercader has no cart and takes no commission per sale: you close the sale the way you already do, by message or in person. It is a paid tool with a 14-day trial.

Linktree or storefront? A quick rule

• If most of your customers ask "how much is it?" or "do you have it?", a storefront suits you better.
• If most of them go somewhere else you already have (shop, channel, course), a list of links is enough.
• If you sell at markets, think about the day after: whoever takes your card or scans your QR code should see your products and prices, not a list of buttons. You will find ideas in the market day checklist.

Many businesses use both: the storefront as the main page and, inside it, links to everything else.

Next step

If you want to see your catalogue with prices in a single link, you can create your storefront and try it for 14 days. If you would rather compare first, the Mercader vs Linktree comparison lists verified prices and features.