Any honest Shelfy vs Linktree comparison now starts with price, because Linktree has raised it twice in a year. In November 2025, Pro went from $9 a month to $15. On October 26, 2026, it went up again: Pro is now $17 a month ($14 billed annually) and Starter is $9 ($7 billed annually). Three weeks earlier, Linktree also reworked what each plan includes, moving selling off the free plan and giving Pro 0% sell-and-earn fees.
If you're here because of those changes, because you're hitting Linktree's free-plan limits, or because you're comparing tools before committing, this is the honest version. Where Linktree wins. Where Shelfy wins. What each one actually costs today. And which tool fits which kind of creator.
TL;DR: who wins for whom
Shelfy vs Linktree comes down to what your link page is for. Pick Linktree if you sell from your bio, want Instagram auto-replies and social scheduling, or rely on its brand recognition. Pick Shelfy if you curate links into collections, want visitor voting, and want branding removal and a custom domain for $9 a month.
Choose Linktree if you're already established with a Linktree audience, you sell digital products through a built-in store (Pro now carries 0% sell-and-earn fees), you want Instagram auto-replies and social scheduling in the same tool (both on Premium), or you value being on the most recognized platform in the category.
Choose Shelfy if you want a generous free plan that actually stays free, you organize links into curated collections (not just one bio page), you want your audience to vote on which links matter, you want Linktree-free branding and a custom domain for $9/month instead of $17, or you're a curator, newsletter operator or research-driven creator whose value is what you find more than what you sell.
Choose neither if you sell live coaching, workshops, or video calls. Both tools have weak booking infrastructure. A dedicated platform is better.
The full reasoning is below.
What changed at Linktree (November 2025 to October 2026)
Before getting into features, the pricing context matters because it changed the calculation twice:
- November 2025: Pro from $9/month to $15/month. A 67% rise on Linktree's most promoted paid plan.
- October 5, 2026: plans repackaged. The free plan no longer lists selling products, courses and brand offers (it now shows email and phone sign-ups instead). Starter gained unlimited featured links. Pro gained 0% sell-and-earn fees and custom designs. Premium gained link rules and routing, AI integrations and all-time analytics.
- October 26, 2026: Starter and Pro up again. Starter went from $8 to $9 a month ($6 to $7 billed annually). Pro went from $15 to $17 a month ($12 to $14 billed annually). Premium stayed at $35 a month ($30 billed annually).
Put together, a creator paying monthly for Pro now pays $17 instead of the $9 they paid a year ago. That's $96 more per year. On annual billing, Pro now costs $168 a year. Linktree's plan changes are tracked week by week by PricingSaaS, which is where the dates above come from.
This matters for the comparison because it raises the question creators keep asking: what am I actually getting that I couldn't get free, or cheaper, elsewhere? For sellers, the answer improved in October (0% fees on Pro). For everyone else, it got more expensive.
What each tool actually is
Marketing pages blur the lines, so let's be precise.
Linktree is the category-defining link-in-bio tool. With more than 70 million users (per its own pricing page), it's the most recognized brand in the space. The product has expanded over the years from a simple link list into a creator suite: link-in-bio, social scheduling, Instagram automation, digital product sales, sponsored links and affiliate earnings, and Shopify integration. Most creators encounter it first. Many never leave because their existing URL has accumulated audience equity.
Shelfy is a link curation platform with a link-in-bio at the core and a free plan that stays free, plus capabilities Linktree doesn't have: community voting on collections, up to 300 collections per account on free, a Chrome extension for tab-saving, and on Pro ($9/month) a custom domain and a real REST API. It doesn't run a storefront and doesn't take transaction fees on sales. Different business model, different product priorities.
(One naming note: Shelfy at shelfy.today is the link curation tool. It isn't related to the book tracking apps called Shelf or Shelfy that show up in app store searches.)
The DNA difference matters because feature-by-feature comparison without it gives misleading results. Linktree is optimized to help creators monetize their following; Shelfy is optimized to help creators curate, organize, and surface what matters most to their audience.
Where Linktree genuinely wins
Starting here, because honesty is the differentiation.
Brand recognition and audience trust. When a follower sees linktr.ee/yourname, they don't hesitate. The domain is so widely recognized it's effectively the default. For creators whose audience skews older or less tech-literate, this matters. Smaller link-in-bio brands face a "what is this site" friction Linktree doesn't.
Email and phone sign-ups on the free plan. Since the October 2026 repackaging, Linktree's free plan lists email and phone sign-ups. That's a real point in its favour if building a list is your main goal. Shelfy's closest equivalent, follow-and-notify on collections, doesn't collect email addresses for you.
Selling with 0% platform fees on Pro. Linktree Pro now includes 0% sell-and-earn fees. Its pricing page says it still charges USD $0.25 per payout and that processing fees may apply, but the old percentage cut on Pro is gone. If you sell digital products straight from your bio, that makes Pro ($14/month billed annually) a much better deal for sellers than it was in mid-2026.
Feature breadth across creator workflow. Linktree has expanded into territories Shelfy doesn't touch: unlimited Instagram auto-replies, social media scheduling, AI integrations, and link rules and routing (all on Premium, $30/month billed annually). If you're trying to consolidate marketing tools, Linktree's surface area is larger.
Sponsored links and affiliate earnings. Linktree Earn lets creators add brand offers and earn affiliate commission. For creators not yet doing direct brand deals, this is a turnkey monetization layer Shelfy doesn't replicate.
Shopify integration. If you sell through Shopify, Linktree's integration shows your products directly in your link-in-bio. No equivalent exists in Shelfy.
Music creator features. Music pre-saves, Audiomack/SoundCloud/Spotify embeds, Bandsintown integration. For musicians specifically, Linktree's stack is genuinely better.
Mobile apps. Linktree has iOS and Android apps for managing your page. Shelfy is web-based.
If most of those describe your workflow, Linktree is probably right and you can stop reading.
Where Shelfy wins
The other side.
A free plan that is the real product. On Linktree's current plan cards, the free plan covers unlimited basic links and email and phone sign-ups. Featured links, analytics, branding removal, custom designs and mailing list integrations all start on a paid plan. Shelfy's free plan covers the core (unlimited links, up to 300 collections, analytics with 30 days of history, team collaboration, voting, follow-and-notify), and Shelfy Pro at $9/month adds branding, custom scripts and pixels, a custom domain, the API, unlimited collections and 365 days of analytics.
Community voting on link collections. No other tool in the link-in-bio category has this. Visitors upvote the links they find most valuable, and your collection re-orders to surface what your audience actually responds to. For curators, recommendation creators, newsletter operators, anyone whose value is "I find good stuff", this transforms what a bio link does. Linktree has nothing equivalent.
Hundreds of collections, not just one bio page. Linktree gives you one Linktree per account, with unlimited featured links starting on Starter. Shelfy gives you up to 300 collections on free (unlimited on Pro). If you run multiple projects, multiple campaigns, or organize content thematically (best-of, by-topic, by-audience), that ceiling matters.
Cheaper branding removal. Linktree's logo stays on your page until you pay for Pro: $17/month, or $14/month billed annually. Shelfy's free plan shows a small "Powered by Shelfy" badge, and Shelfy Pro removes it for $9/month ($79/year).
A custom domain on Pro. Shelfy Pro includes one custom domain at $9/month. Linktree's November 2026 plan cards don't mention custom domains at all, so confirm on Linktree's pricing page before you plan around one there. For creators serious about brand independence ("don't build on someone else's domain"), this is a meaningful difference.
Chrome extension for tab-saving. Click the extension, save every open tab into a Shelfy collection, close all your tabs, find them again later, organized and searchable. Linktree doesn't address this use case at all. For creators who research, curate, and reference resources continuously, it eliminates the bookmark graveyard problem.
Collection redirects. Turn any Shelfy collection into a smart redirect URL. Share yourdomain.com/now everywhere, then update the destination anytime without changing the public URL. Linktree's routing features (link rules and routing) sit on Premium, at $30/month billed annually.
A real REST API (Pro). Shelfy Pro's API allows 1,000 requests/hour with bulk import for entire collections. We couldn't find a documented public REST API for individual creators on Linktree's plans (its integrations run through partner connectors). If you sync from a CMS, run automation, or integrate with custom workflows, this is the difference between possible and possible-only-via-third-party.
Follow + notify on public collections. Visitors can follow a Shelfy collection and get notified when you add new links. For curators publishing weekly updates, this turns one-time visitors into repeat audience without asking for an email address.
Better free-plan analytics. Linktree's plan cards list analytics from Starter up ("basic analytics"), with all-time analytics only on Premium. Shelfy includes analytics on free, with 30 days of history (365 days on Pro).
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Shelfy Free | Shelfy Pro | Linktree Free | Linktree Starter | Linktree Pro | Linktree Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0 | $9 | $0 | $9 | $17 | $35 |
| Billed annually | $0 | $79/year | $0 | $7/mo | $14/mo | $30/mo |
| Unlimited links | Yes | Yes | Yes (basic links) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pages / collections | Up to 300 | Unlimited | One Linktree | One Linktree, unlimited featured links | Same as Starter | Same as Starter |
| Community voting | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Follow / notify visitors | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Email and phone sign-ups | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mailing list integrations | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Remove platform branding | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain | No | Yes (1) | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Analytics history | 30 days | 365 days | Not listed | Basic analytics | Basic analytics | All-time |
| Google Analytics / pixels | No | Yes (custom scripts) | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Data export | Links as a bookmarks file | Links as a bookmarks file | No | No | No | Yes |
| Sell digital products | No (no storefront) | No (no storefront) | Not listed | Not listed | Yes, 0% sell-and-earn fees | Yes, 0% sell-and-earn fees |
| Instagram auto-replies | No | No | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
How to read this table: Linktree's columns come from the plan cards on Linktree's pricing page as of November 4, 2026, in US dollars. "Not listed" means the plan card doesn't mention the feature, which isn't proof it's missing. Linktree updates plans often, so verify before you decide.
Already convinced? Shelfy's free plan stays free, with Pro at $9/month when you want a custom domain. Try it now →
Or keep reading for the pricing math, use-case verdicts, and migration guide.
The pricing reality
This is where the comparison gets sharp.
Linktree's free plan is genuinely free for links. You get unlimited basic links and email and phone sign-ups. For someone who only needs a clean page, it works.
Selling now starts on a paid plan. Since October 2026, the free plan no longer lists selling products, courses and brand offers, and Pro is the plan that advertises 0% sell-and-earn fees. Linktree still charges USD $0.25 per payout, and payment processing fees can apply on top. If you sell from your bio, budget for Pro.
The free plan is also missing the things growing creators need. No analytics on the plan card, no branding removal, no custom designs, no mailing list integrations. Most creators outgrow these limits within a few months of serious use.
The natural upgrade path is Pro at $17/month. That's $204/year on monthly billing, or $168/year billed annually. For a free-plan creator who starts paying, the question is straightforward: is branding removal, custom designs, mailing list integrations and 0% selling fees worth $168 to $204 a year? For sellers, often yes. For curators, newsletter operators, and creators not running paid commerce, the answer is less obvious.
Shelfy doesn't have transaction fees because it doesn't have a storefront. There's nothing to take a fee on. The free plan covers the core, and Pro at $9/month ($79/year) adds a custom domain, branding and the API. If you want to sell digital products, you'll add a separate commerce tool (Stan Store, Teachable, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy) and link to it from Shelfy. That's the same pattern many creators run anyway, because dedicated commerce platforms tend to have better merchant tooling than embedded link-in-bio storefronts. For a full breakdown of what each Linktree plan costs over a year, see how much Linktree costs.
The honest framing: Linktree's free plan is real but limited, and its paid plans cost $7 to $35 a month after two price rises in a year. Shelfy's core is free, Pro is $9/month, and there are no fees on creator sales because there is no storefront.
Use-case verdicts
"I'm an established creator with a 5-year-old Linktree URL"
Stay on Linktree, probably. Audience equity at the URL is real. Migrating means losing brand recognition at the link itself. Unless the price changes were a tipping point on principle, the cost of switching exceeds the cost of staying. Re-evaluate when the next price change happens.
"I'm new to link-in-bio and just signed up for free"
Try Shelfy first. The free plan is more complete, the differentiator (voting) is free to test, and you haven't accumulated audience equity yet. If you eventually need Linktree-specific features (Shopify integration, sponsored links, a built-in store), you can move later. At that stage you'll have a sharper sense of what you actually need.
"I sell digital products straight from my link-in-bio"
Linktree Pro ($14/month billed annually). Since October 2026, Pro carries 0% sell-and-earn fees, so you no longer need Premium to avoid a percentage cut. Shelfy has no storefront, so it isn't the tool for this job.
"I already sell through Stan Store, Gumroad or Teachable"
Use Shelfy + your commerce platform. Your store already handles checkout, so a link-in-bio that sells is redundant. Shelfy works as the audience-facing front door, with collections for products, freebies and reviews, at $0 or $9/month.
"I'm a curator, newsletter operator, or recommendation creator"
Shelfy, clearly. Voting, follow-and-notify, hundreds of collections on free. This is the use case that has no equivalent on Linktree. Voting alone is the most compelling demo for this segment.
"I'm a podcaster"
Shelfy is probably better. Linktree has a Podcast Link App that displays platform availability, which is useful, but the back-catalog organization, sponsor block management, and guest archive structure are easier with Shelfy's sub-collections. See the Link in Bio for Podcasters guide for the full breakdown.
"I'm a musician"
Linktree, probably. Music pre-saves, Audiomack/SoundCloud/Spotify embeds, Bandsintown. Linktree has invested heavily in music creator features. Shelfy is generic in this area.
"I'm a course creator selling at scale"
Stan Store or Teachable + either tool. Don't try to run a serious course business through link-in-bio commerce on either platform. Both Shelfy and Linktree work as the front door.
"I run brand deals and want sponsored links"
Linktree. Linktree Earn is genuinely useful for creators who don't have direct brand relationships yet.
"I want a Linktree replacement that doesn't look like Linktree"
Shelfy. The free plan is genuinely free, the page won't carry Linktree branding, and Pro adds a custom domain for $9/month.
"I run an agency or have a team"
Shelfy for shared collections (team collaboration is on the free plan). On Linktree, team seats come with the Agency or Enterprise plan, which is priced by contacting sales.
Switching from Linktree to Shelfy: what to know
If you're moving over, the migration is straightforward but worth doing properly:
Don't burn the old URL immediately. Your
linktr.ee/yournameURL is in a lot of places: old social posts, business cards, your podcast intro, sponsor partnerships from months ago. Keep it active, set up a redirect to your new Shelfy URL, and let the audience equity transfer over time rather than breaking links.Set up a custom domain on Shelfy. Included with Shelfy Pro ($9/month). Use something like
links.yourname.comso you're not building onshelfy.today/yournameif brand independence matters. This way, if you ever move tools again, the URL doesn't change.Recreate your link structure thoughtfully. Don't just dump links. This is a chance to organize. Put your most-clicked Linktree links into Shelfy first, then use collections to organize by topic. Our guide to exporting your links from Linktree covers getting them out in bulk.
Update your social bios. Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, email signature. Don't forget the less-obvious ones (Discord profile, podcast show notes, etc.).
Decide what to do with Linktree commerce data. If you've been selling through Linktree, your customer email list there is yours. Export it before downgrading or canceling.
Don't migrate music creator features. If you're a musician using Linktree's pre-save / Bandsintown integrations, those don't have Shelfy equivalents. Either keep both tools, or accept that you're losing that workflow when switching.
The reverse migration, Shelfy to Linktree, only makes sense if you've decided you specifically need sponsored links, the music creator stack, or commerce features Linktree has and Shelfy doesn't. The link export is the easy part; rebuilding voting-based curation in Linktree isn't possible.
What this comparison didn't cover
Honest limits:
- AI features. Both tools have shipped AI features at varying depth. Quality varies; opinions vary even more. Test what you'd actually use.
- Performance under traffic spikes. Neither platform's reliability during viral moments is something a comparison post can verify. Read user reports on Trustpilot, G2, and Reddit for current sentiment.
- Future roadmaps. Both ship updates. Linktree changed its plans twice in October 2026 alone; the calculation may shift again before your next renewal.
- Regional pricing. The prices here are Linktree's US dollar prices. Linktree shows local prices in other countries, and they don't always convert exactly.
- Sponsored partnership specifics. Linktree's sponsored link eligibility and earnings vary by region and creator size. Actual mileage depends on factors not visible from the marketing page.
The real question to ask yourself
Forget feature lists for a moment. The question that decides this is:
Do you trust the platform you're building on to stay aligned with your interests?
Linktree's Pro plan has gone from $9 to $17 a month in under a year. That doesn't mean Linktree is wrong. Companies adjust pricing as products mature, and Linktree also cut Pro's selling fees to 0% in the same period. But it's a useful event for thinking about platform alignment: the trajectory points toward charging creators more for the subscription itself.
Shelfy has a free plan and a $9/month Pro plan, and it doesn't run a storefront, so it doesn't extract fees from creator sales. That's a different relationship, but Shelfy is also a smaller, younger company. There's no guarantee the model holds forever.
Neither tool is permanently the right choice. The question is which alignment makes more sense for the next 18 months given what you're building.
A simple way to decide: if your creator business depends on commerce tools and platform features that are expensive to migrate (a built-in store, integrations, sponsored links), Linktree's gravity is real and switching costs may exceed the price-rise pain. If your creator business depends on curation, audience trust, and brand independence, Shelfy's free plan and custom domains on Pro ($9/month) let you build on ground you actually own. Re-evaluate either decision when something changes (a price rise, a feature deprecation, a new competitor) rather than committing forever to either.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shelfy actually free, or is there a catch?
No catch on the free plan: unlimited links, up to 300 collections, voting, follow + notify, team collaboration, and the Chrome extension are free, not a trial. Shelfy Pro ($9/month or $79/year) adds a custom domain, branding and removal of the "Powered by Shelfy" badge, custom scripts, the REST API, unlimited collections, and 365 days of analytics history. There's no storefront, so there are no transaction fees on creator sales.
How much did Linktree raise prices in 2025 and 2026?
Linktree Pro went from $9 to $15 a month in November 2025, then from $15 to $17 on October 26, 2026 ($12 to $14 billed annually). Starter rose from $8 to $9 a month ($6 to $7 annually) at the same time. Premium stayed at $35 a month, or $30 billed annually.
Is Linktree still worth it in 2026?
Linktree is still worth it if you sell from your bio (Pro now has 0% sell-and-earn fees) or need Instagram auto-replies, social scheduling or music features. If you mainly share and organize links, Pro at $17 a month is hard to justify when Shelfy's free plan covers that and Shelfy Pro costs $9.
Is there still a free Linktree?
Yes. Linktree's free plan still exists and includes unlimited basic links plus email and phone sign-ups. Since October 2026 it no longer lists selling, and featured links, analytics and branding removal start on paid plans. For more detail, see is Linktree free.
Can I migrate from Linktree to Shelfy without losing my audience?
Yes, with one important step: keep your existing linktr.ee/yourname URL active and set up a redirect to your new Shelfy page. The old URL is in old social posts, sponsor partnerships, podcast intros, and business cards. Letting that audience equity transfer over time prevents broken links. Set up a custom domain on Shelfy (Pro, $9/month) so future moves don't require updating bios again.
What does Linktree charge in transaction fees?
Since October 2026, Linktree Pro and Premium advertise 0% sell-and-earn fees, and the free plan no longer lists selling. Linktree's pricing page says it still charges USD $0.25 per payout and that processing fees may apply. Shelfy doesn't charge transaction fees because it doesn't run a storefront.
Is Linktree better for musicians than Shelfy?
Yes, generally. Linktree has invested heavily in music creator features: Spotify pre-saves, Audiomack/SoundCloud embeds, Bandsintown integration. Shelfy doesn't replicate these. For musicians whose link-in-bio workflow centers on releases and tour dates, Linktree's stack is better suited.
Can I have multiple link-in-bio pages on Shelfy's free plan?
Yes. Shelfy's free plan includes up to 300 collections, so you can run separate pages for different projects, audiences, or campaigns. Linktree gives you one Linktree per account, with unlimited featured links starting on Starter.
Is Shelfy the same as the Shelfy book tracker app?
No. Shelfy at shelfy.today is a link curation and link-in-bio platform. The book and media tracking apps named Shelf or Shelfy in the app stores are separate products from different companies.
Does Shelfy have an iOS or Android app?
Currently Shelfy is web-based and works on mobile browsers. The Chrome extension handles tab-saving on desktop. Linktree has dedicated iOS and Android apps for managing your page on the go.
Which tool is better for SEO?
The bigger SEO factor is whether you use a custom domain. Building backlinks to linktr.ee/yourname accumulates equity for Linktree, not for you. A custom domain on Shelfy Pro ($9/month) lets you accumulate that equity on a domain you control. Linktree's current plan cards don't list custom domains, so check its pricing page if that matters to you.
Try Shelfy free
If most of the differentiators above resonated (voting, hundreds of collections, free analytics, a cheaper custom domain and branding removal on Pro, no transaction fees because there's no storefront), Shelfy's core is free, with Pro at $9/month when you need it.
Build your link-in-bio in 60 seconds →
If you're still weighing options, the Shelfy vs Beacons comparison covers a different competitor with a different value proposition (creator monetization platform with link-in-bio attached), and our Linktree alternatives roundup compares the wider field. New to Linktree itself? What Linktree is explains the product, and how much Linktree costs breaks down every plan.
Last reviewed: November 4, 2026. Linktree prices are the US dollar prices on its plan cards on that date. Linktree updates pricing and features regularly, so verify current details on Linktree's pricing page before making a final decision.