Newbi vs Linktree: a link holds links, Newbi holds bookings and sales

If you have an Instagram account for your business, you have probably used Linktree or something like it. It solves a real problem: Instagram gives you one link, and you have more than one place to send people.

Newbi solves a different problem. I built Newbi, so keep that in mind. This article sets the two side by side so you can decide which problem you have.

What Linktree does well

Linktree deserves its place. As published on its pricing page on 29 October 2026, it offers a Free plan with unlimited basic links and free themes, then Starter, Pro and Premium plans that add more appearance controls, analytics, sales tools and, from Pro, the option to remove Linktree branding. Billed monthly, Starter was $9 a month, Pro $17 and Premium $35, with annual billing cheaper ($7, $14 and $30 a month). The page showed US dollar prices when viewed from South Africa.

Its strengths are real:

• The free plan is generous and takes two minutes to set up.
• Many people recognise a Linktree page, so visitors know what to do.
• It connects to a long list of apps, from music to newsletters to shops.
• Analytics show which links get clicked.

If you are a creator sending people to a YouTube channel, a Spotify page, a newsletter and a merch store, Linktree is the right tool. Your bio link is a signpost, and Linktree is a very good signpost.

Where a signpost stops

A small business is not a creator. When a customer taps your bio link, they usually want one of three things: to see what you offer and what it costs, to book a time, or to ask a question. A list of links sends them somewhere else for each of those. Your booking tool is one link, your catalogue is another, your WhatsApp is a third, and each one is a separate page with its own look.

Two more things are worth knowing. Linktree's help centre says it does not support custom domains: every Linktree uses its own linktr.ee address, and you cannot replace it with your own domain (paid plans can redirect visitors to your site instead). And charging for digital products, courses or bookings through Linktree needs Pro or Premium. Its pricing page showed 0% Linktree fees on those plans, with the payment processor's fees on top, according to its fees article.

What Newbi does instead

Newbi does not hold links to your business. It holds the business.

• The mini-store shows your products with prices on the card itself. Customers choose what they want and send the order on WhatsApp, with no commission.
• The booking button lets a client pick a free slot straight from the card, without leaving it.
• The lead capture form sends every new contact to your dashboard, which you can export on every plan, and on Professional, straight to your CRM by webhook.
• A WhatsApp button on every card, because that is how your customers already reach you.

So the bio link does not point to five places. It is the place.

Pricing side by side

Newbi has no free plan. Its plans are:

• Newbie: one card. $5 a month (R79, AED 19, £4).
• Pro: three cards, a mini-store with up to ten products, bookings and Apple and Google Wallet passes. $12 a month (R189, AED 45, £9).
• Professional: ten cards, up to 100 products, leads sent to your CRM, a custom domain and priority support. $25 a month (R399, AED 92, £19).
• Enterprise: custom pricing for larger teams.

NFC cards work on every plan. Yearly plans cost the price of ten months, and you can try Pro free for 14 days with no payment details. The custom domain on Professional means the link you print on your vehicle or counter can be your own name.

Things Linktree still does better

Be honest about this before you switch:

• If you need to send people to many unrelated destinations, a list of links is clearer than a store.
• Linktree has a free plan. Newbi does not.
• Linktree's app integrations are broader. If your business is built on a specific platform, check that Newbi's webhook, which works with tools such as Zapier and Make, covers what you need.
• Linktree's brand recognition means a visitor rarely hesitates. A Newbi card is a richer page, and richer pages need a clear first screen. Pick a theme that puts the action you want at the top.

A simple test

Open your current bio link on your phone and ask: can a stranger buy from me, book me or leave their number without leaving this page? If the answer is no, your bio link is a signpost. Whether that is a problem depends on what you sell. For a creator, it is fine. For a barber, a baker, a plumber or a physio, every extra tap is a customer who drifts off.

Newbi was built for the second group. Describe your business, or hand Naya, the AI built into Newbi, a photo of your old paper card, and it builds the card, writes the bio and picks a style. You can have the whole thing live in the time it takes to set up a Linktree.

Linktree's prices and features were taken from linktr.ee and Linktree's help centre on 29 October 2026 and may have changed since, so check the live pages for your country before you decide.