FOLIUM VS LINKTREE
Folium vs Linktree: which one actually pays for itself?
Folium is a link-in-bio page built to sell - digital products, bookings and lead magnets with AI-drafted follow-up are on every plan, and Folium's paid Pro tier ($19/month) drops the platform fee on sales to 0%. Linktree is built first as a link list: selling digital products needs a paid tier, and Linktree keeps a 9% commerce fee until its $35/month Premium plan removes it entirely.
The core difference
Linktree started as a way to get around Instagram's one-link limit, and it still shows: the free plan is a clean list of links, and commerce, deeper analytics and branding removal unlock as you climb four paid tiers.
Folium starts from the opposite assumption - that the page's job is to convert a visitor into a customer or a lead - so digital products, paid bookings, lead magnets and reviews are built into the free plan, not gated behind an upsell.
What it actually costs to sell something
On Folium's free plan, a sale carries a 5% platform fee on top of standard Stripe processing - upgrade to Pro ($19/month, or $190/year) and that fee drops to 0%, alongside a verified badge, a custom brand logo, and AI email outreach for up to 10,000 emails a month.
On Linktree, commerce is a Pro-or-above feature and the platform still takes a 9% cut of every sale on the Starter and Pro tiers - the fee only reaches 0% on Premium, which lists at $35/month ($24/month billed annually) as of August 2026. Linktree's own pricing page is the source of truth if that number has moved since.
Lead capture and follow-up
Folium's lead magnets send a welcome email automatically, capture replies in a shared inbox, and can draft an AI-suggested reply for you to approve or edit - so a visitor who downloads a freebie and asks a follow-up question doesn't just sit in an inbox unanswered.
Linktree offers link scheduling and a social planner higher up its tiers, but lead capture and automated follow-up aren't part of the core product the way they are in Folium.
Folium vs Linktree, side by side
| Folium | Linktree | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes - full feature set, 5% sales fee | Yes - links only, 12% sales fee |
| Cheapest paid tier | $19/mo - drops sales fee to 0% | $8/mo (Starter) - still a 9% sales fee |
| Sell digital products | Every plan | Paid tiers only |
| Paid bookings | Every plan | Not a core feature |
| Lead magnets + AI follow-up | Every plan | Not offered |
| 0% platform fee on sales | $19/mo (Pro) | $35/mo (Premium) only |
| Reviews next to your price | Yes | Not offered |
Checked August 2026. Pricing and features change - see Linktree's own pricing page for their current plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Folium cheaper than Linktree?
For anyone selling something, yes: Folium's $19/month Pro plan removes the platform fee entirely, while Linktree keeps a 9% fee until its $35/month Premium tier. For a page that's purely a list of links with no sales, Linktree's free plan and Folium's free plan cost the same - $0.
Can I sell digital products on Linktree's free plan?
No - digital product sales on Linktree require a paid tier. Folium includes digital products, pricing models (one-time, subscription, pay-what-you-want and free) and file delivery on its free plan.
Does Linktree have lead magnets or an AI-drafted reply feature?
Not as a core feature. Folium's lead magnets automatically email a download link, route replies into an inbox, and can draft an AI-suggested answer for the creator to approve.