Linktree vs Shopify: Which Platform is the Best?

Linktree vs Shopify: Which option do you need for your business? Shopify is the number one ecommerce platform I recommend to virtually any business owner.

Even if you don’t need a comprehensive website builder, you can access the Starter plan, and use Linkpop to monetize your social media “link in bio”, while accessing more features than you’d get from Linktree.

Alternatively, Linktree simply gives you a way to consolidate all of your content and links in one convenient place. It’s an affordable option for influencers and members of the creator economy, but doesn’t have the scale or versatility of Shopify.

Here’s my complete comparison of the two options.

Quick Verdict: My Take

After thoroughly comparing Shopify and Linktree, I believe they serve distinctly different purposes despite some overlapping features. While both offer “link in bio” solutions, Shopify emerges as the more comprehensive business platform, while Linktree excels as a simple content consolidation tool.

What I Love About Shopify

• Comprehensive business platform that scales with your growth
• Robust LinkPop feature rivals dedicated bio link tools
• Versatile selling options for physical and digital products
• Powerful inventory and order management tools
• Extensive app marketplace for added functionality
• Multiple sales channel integration
• Professional website building capabilities
• Integrated POS system included
• Comprehensive analytics and reporting
• Flexible payment processing options
• Marketing and SEO tools included
• Complete business management solution

What I Love About Linktree

• Simple and straightforward setup process
• Very affordable starting point with free plan
• Clean, focused link presentation
• Easy customization options
• Quick digital product selling capabilities
• Basic analytics on all plans
• Minimal learning curve
• Direct social media integration
• Email collection capabilities
• Affiliate program support
• Mobile-friendly interface
• Quick deployment

Shopify vs Linktree: The Pros and Cons

Shopify Pros and Cons

Linktree Pros and Cons

Shopify vs Linktree: Overview and Pricing

What is Shopify? Pricing and Fees

Shopify is a comprehensive commerce platform, giving companies all the tools they need to build a website, and sell through multiple channels, from their own store to social platforms and marketplaces.

The company even includes POS software on all of its plans, allowing users to sell products in-store, or at marketplace events.

With Shopify, you can sell a range of physical products, (and digital products with apps), access robust inventory, order, and product management tools, and run comprehensive marketing campaigns.

You can also scale your store over time, adding new sales channels and integrations.

If you’re comparing Shopify to Linktree, the first plan you’re likely to consider is the Shopify Starter plan, for $5 per month.

It doesn’t include access to Shopify’s website builder, but it does give you LinkPop which allows you to create a unified page with all of your content, and shoppable product sections.

You’ll also get analytics, order management tools, and Shopify POS Lite.

When you’re ready to upgrade, you can choose from the following plans:

• Shopify Basic: $39 per month
• Shopify: $105 per month
• Shopify Advanced: $399 per month
• Shopify Plus: Starting at $2,300 per month

Notably, Shopify does charge transaction fees if you don’t use Shopify Payments, and the payment processing fees are higher on the Starter plan (5% per transaction).

What is Linktree and How Much Does it Cost?

Linktree is an easy-to-use tool that allows users to create a landing page featuring links to all of their online content, social media profiles, and ecommerce stores.

Depending on the plan you choose, you can access various features to monetize your “link in bio”, collect email addresses, connect affiliate programs, and more. However, the solution is relatively simple compared to Shopify.

No plan gives you the option to create your own comprehensive website, and you can only sell in-person using QR codes.

On the plus side, you do get useful reporting and analytical tools to help you track conversions and product performance.

Linktree has a free plan, which comes with basic features, such as the ability to connect most of your content to your landing page, and sell digital products.

However, there will be a “Linktree” logo on your page. Paid plans include:

• Starter: $5 per month
• Pro: $9 per month
• Premium: $24 per month

Notably, while Linktree doesn’t charge any transaction fees for a limited time, you will eventually need to pay extra. Transaction fees are calculated as a % of the value of each purchase.

Shopify vs Linktree: The Core Features

While Linktree and Shopify both offer similar features to content creators, such as a Link in bio tool, analytics, order management, and the ability to process payments, they’re very different tools overall.

The Main Features of Shopify

• Extensive link in bio solution: On the Shopify Starter plan, you get all the tools you need to create a landing page for your “link in bio” on social platforms, plus access to Shopify POS Lite, analytical tools, and order/inventory management.
• Website builder: Once you upgrade to one of Shopify’s core plans, you’ll be able to design your own website with customizable themes, an integrated blog, and the ability to connect to other sales channels, like marketplaces.
• Powerful sales tools: With Shopify, you’ll get an integrated payment processor, and the ability to sell both physical products, and digital products (through apps). You can also access tax calculation tools, financial reports, and a world-leading checkout.
• Marketing tools: Shopify’s core plans include features for running promotions, connecting with customers through chat and email, and driving engagement through blogs. Shopify’s website building solution is also SEO-friendly, to boost your ranking.
• Business management tools: Most of Shopify’s plans come with excellent business management tools for inventory, order, staff, customer, and product management. Some plans also include access to shipping and fulfillment tools.
• Analytics: Shopify’s extensive reporting and analytics tools make it easy to keep track of your sales, top performing products, tax, and more. On some plans, you can even create custom reports to track specific metrics.
• Integrations: Shopify’s comprehensive app market allows you to extend your store’s functionality over time, connecting to a range of solutions for marketing, customer service, analytics, reporting, and more.

The Core Features of Linktree

• Customizable landing pages: Linktree won’t allow you to build a website, but you can design a comprehensive landing page for your link in bio, with a range of customizable themes. Some plans even allow you to embed videos and forms to collect contact details.
• Sales tools: While you can sell digital products with Linktree, there’s no option for selling physical products directly. Your only option here is to link your customers to affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates.
• Branding tools: Linktree allows users to create custom profile pictures, NFT profile images, custom backgrounds and videos for their landing pages, and more. Unfortunately, on the free plan, you’ll still have Linktree’s branding on your page.
• Analytics: Linktree allows you to track conversion rates and performance metrics. However, you can only monitor Facebook conversions and Google analytics with premium plans. The advanced plans also include device, location, and referrer-based analytics.
• Integrations: Linktree isn’t as flexible as Shopify, but if you use a premium plan, you can connect your landing page to things like MailChimp and Google Sheets. There’s also a Zapier integration available for custom connections.

When to Use Shopify and When to Use Linktree

When to Use Shopify

Choose Shopify if you want:

• A scalable solution that includes a “link in bio” tool, but also allows you to build your own website and sell through various channels.
• The option to sell a wide range of physical and digital products, as well as subscriptions (with the right apps).
• An opportunity to build a comprehensive brand, manage inventory and orders with precision, and grow your company over time.

When to Use Linktree

Choose Linktree if you want:

• A low-cost way to start selling digital products through your social media link in bio.
• Flexible and highly customizable themes for your landing pages, with various connectors and embedding options on premium plans.
• An easy way to get started with selling online, without having to manage an entire website.

Shopify vs Linktree: Final Thoughts

While both Shopify and Linktree allow you to monetize your social media “link in bio” section, Shopify is a far more scalable and versatile solution.

I think the choice between Shopify and Linktree comes down to your business goals and scale. Shopify is the clear winner for anyone looking to build a serious e-commerce presence.

Starting at $5/month for the Starter plan, it offers significantly more features and growth potential than Linktree, making it ideal for:

• Businesses planning to scale
• Sellers needing inventory management
• Merchants wanting multiple sales channels
• Companies requiring comprehensive analytics
• Brands needing a full website presence

However, Linktree has its place. At a lower price point (free to $24/month), it's perfect for:

• Content creators just starting out
• Influencers focusing on digital products
• Users needing a simple link consolidation tool
• Social media focused entrepreneurs
• Those wanting a quick, simple solution

For most businesses, I'd recommend starting with Shopify's Starter plan at $5/month – it offers more features than Linktree's paid plans and gives you room to grow.

However, if you're just looking to consolidate your social media presence and don't need extensive e-commerce features, Linktree's simplicity and lower cost might be the better choice.