Payhip vs Beacons: Which One’s Better for Monetizing as a Creator in 2025?

I’ve used both, sometimes side-by-side and I can tell you right now: they’re not built for the same kind of creator.

Beacons is flashy, social-friendly, and built for creators who live on TikTok or Instagram. Payhip is quieter, more customizable, and better for creators who are selling actual products. If you’re deciding between the two, I’ve got you — here’s what I learned by using both to monetize my content and digital goods.

Beacons: Great for Link-in-Bio, Less for Long-Term Selling

I started with Beacons when I was trying to clean up my link-in-bio mess. You know the drill — multiple products, lead magnets, affiliate links, coaching calendar, all crammed into one Instagram profile.

Beacons made it look professional fast.

• Easy drag-and-drop builder. It took me 15 minutes to make it look 10x better than Linktree.

• Built-in monetization blocks. You can sell digital products, collect tips, or book coaching calls directly from your bio.

• Built-in email list feature. You can capture leads without using Mailchimp or ConvertKit.

• Affiliate link tracking and analytics. Pretty useful for influencer work.

But here’s the issue: once I had more than two products, it started feeling cramped. The selling experience felt like an add-on — not the main event. Product pages were basic. No upsells. No customer journey. And no ownership over the store itself.

Payhip: A Real Storefront with Room to Grow

I switched to Payhip when I realized I needed more than a “bio shop.” I needed a real storefront where people could browse, learn, and buy — not just click a PayPal button and bounce.

• Full storefront. Pages, product categories, blog — it feels like a mini Shopify without the headaches.

• Supports everything. Sell digital products, coaching, memberships, online courses, even physical goods — all in one place.

• Built-in marketing tools. Coupon codes, affiliate system, email campaigns, PDF stamping — no extra tools required.

• Customer control. I own the data. I can email buyers, segment them, and grow a relationship.

Best part? It’s free to start. I only paid once I scaled to consistent sales.

Feature Comparison: The Stuff Creators Actually Use

Here’s a side-by-side breakdown based on real use, not just marketing claims:

When Beacons Makes Sense?

Beacons shines for creators who:

• Focus on building influence on social platforms.

• Need to clean up their link-in-bio.

• Want to sell 1–2 digital downloads or services.

• Aren’t ready for full storefronts or complex setups.

If you’re mostly doing influencer work, coaching, or collecting tips and small payments from fans, Beacons is a great lightweight tool.

Why Payhip Is My Main Store Now?

Once I started treating my content like a business, I needed more than a bio page. Payhip gave me the ability to:

• Build a branded store with product pages and SEO potential.

• Run email campaigns and affiliate promos.

• Launch a course without switching to Teachable or Podia.

• Offer upsells, bundles, and discounts to increase order value.

And honestly? I sleep better knowing I control the platform, the traffic, and the customers. No algorithm surprise. No monthly fee unless I choose to upgrade. Just growth, on my terms.

Final Thoughts: Choose Based on Where You’re Headed

If you just need a polished link-in-bio with quick monetization options, Beacons is a great place to start. But if you want to build a long-term product business, Payhip gives you everything you need to scale — without having to duct tape tools together.

You can even use both: link to your Payhip store from your Beacons page and get the best of both worlds. That’s what I did for a while. But once I saw how well my Payhip store converted (and how nice it looked), I made it the star of the show.