Newbi vs Linq: which digital business card is right for a small business?
An honest comparison of Newbi and Linq on price, bookings, selling, WhatsApp, Arabic and NFC products, using each company's own figures, for owners choosing between them.
By Wesley Sing, Founder of Newbi6 min read
Linq is a US company known for its NFC business cards and its networking app, used by entrepreneurs and teams. Newbi is built for a different job. I built Newbi, so keep that in mind. Every Linq figure below comes from Linq's own website, store, help centre or App Store listing, checked on 8 October 2026, with links so you can check them.
One thing worth knowing first: Linq's main website now leads with a separate messaging product for businesses. The business card product lives on its store and its Linq One page.
The short version: Linq is built for networkers and teams who want a mobile CRM in their pocket. Newbi is built for owner-run businesses whose card has to take bookings, show what they sell and work on WhatsApp.
At a glance
| Newbi | Linq | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No. 14-day free trial of Pro | Linq's FAQ says a paid subscription is required (help centre) |
| Main paid plan | Pro, $12 a month, or $10 a month paid yearly | Linq One, $29 per user a month, or $249 per user a year (Linq One) |
| Prices shown in | Rand, dirhams, pounds, euros or dollars, each set separately | Dollars (Linq One) |
| Booking appointments on the card | Built in, on Pro | A button linking to Calendly, or a scheduling link (help centre) |
| Products with prices on the card | Built in, on Pro (up to 10 products) | Payment links such as PayPal; a product catalogue is not stated |
| WhatsApp button on the card | Every card | Not stated on Linq's pages |
| Lead form | Every card | Yes, with leads saved to your contacts (help centre) |
| Apple and Google Wallet | Pro and above | Apple Wallet (help centre) |
| Card in Arabic, right to left | Yes, one of eight languages | App listed in English |
| Email signature, virtual backgrounds | Basic: a signature to copy and a meeting background with your QR code | Yes (help centre) |
| Calling features | Not offered | Second phone number, call transcription and AI call summaries, on Linq One (Linq One) |
| NFC products | Cards sold in South Africa, in rand | Cards from $14.99, metal $59.99; ships worldwide, about three weeks internationally (store) |
Where Linq is the better choice
If you want your phone to be your CRM. Linq One is built around contacts: a second phone number, call transcription, AI call summaries and an admin dashboard. If you make a lot of sales calls, that is a genuinely different product, and Newbi does not offer it.
If you want a wide range of NFC products. Linq sells cards, mini cards, badges and hubs, shipped worldwide. Newbi sells NFC cards in South Africa only.
If you use email signatures and video backgrounds. Linq offers both. Newbi has a simpler version of each: a signature you copy from the Share tab and a meeting background with your QR code.
Where Newbi is the better choice
If you want to pay less. Newbi's Pro plan is $12 a month, or R189, AED 45 or £9, against $29 per user a month for Linq One. Linq's FAQ says a paid subscription is needed to use the app, so its NFC products come with that cost too.
If clients book you. Newbi's Pro plan has booking built into the card: your services, your hours, a confirmation with a calendar invite, a link to cancel or reschedule, and a reminder in the 24 hours before. Linq links out to Calendly or another scheduling tool.
If you sell products. A Newbi Pro card can show up to ten products with photos, prices and variants, plus priced packages. Linq's pages describe payment links rather than a catalogue.
If your customers use WhatsApp. Every Newbi card has a WhatsApp button. Linq's pages on links and sharing do not mention WhatsApp.
If you work in Arabic. Every Newbi card can be shown in Arabic, laid out right to left. Linq's app is listed in English.
If you are in South Africa. Newbi's NFC cards are sold in rand from R550 and delivered locally, with no import duties. You pay for your plan in rand too.
What each costs
Linq One costs $29 per user per month, or $249 per user per year. Its NFC cards cost from $14.99, custom cards $34.99 and metal cards $59.99, and an active subscription is needed to activate them. (Linq One, store)
Newbi's plans are:
- Newbie: one card, $5 a month (R79, AED 19, £4).
- Pro: three cards, bookings, a shop with up to ten products, and 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).
Yearly plans cost the price of ten months, and you can try Pro free for 14 days.
The verdict
Choose Linq if you want a mobile CRM with calling features and a choice of NFC products shipped worldwide.
Choose Newbi if you run your own business and want a card that takes bookings, shows what you sell and opens a WhatsApp chat, for less than half the price, in your currency, and in Arabic if you need it.
You can try Newbi's Pro plan free for 14 days, and see made-up example cards for an architecture studio, a law firm and a property studio.
Linq's prices and features were taken from linqapp.com, buy.linqapp.com, help.linqapp.com and its App Store listing on 8 October 2026 and may have changed since. "Not stated" means we could not find the feature on Linq's own pages, not that it definitely does not exist.