Free vs Premium Link-in-Bio: Is It Worth Upgrading?
Should you pay for a premium link-in-bio plan? We break down what you get, what you miss, and when upgrading makes financial sense.
The free vs premium dilemma
Every link-in-bio platform offers a free tier. And honestly, for many people, free is enough. But if you're a content creator who's serious about growing your audience and monetizing your content, there comes a point where free holds you back.
The question isn't "Is premium worth it?" — it's "Is premium worth it for me, right now?" Let's break it down.
What free plans typically include
Most platforms offer a similar free experience:
- Unlimited links — The core feature. You can add as many links as you want.
- Basic customization — Change colors, maybe pick from a few themes.
- Platform branding — A "Powered by [Platform]" badge on your page.
- Basic analytics — Total views and basic click counts.
On some platforms like luwd.me, the free plan is actually quite generous — you get full customization, unlimited links, and no feature lockouts on the core experience. On others like Linktree, the free tier feels intentionally limited to push you toward premium.
What premium plans unlock
Premium features vary by platform, but here's what you typically gain:
| Feature | What you get |
|---|---|
| Advanced themes | Video wallpapers, custom fonts, hero layouts, glass effects, full creative control |
| Media uploads | Upload images, videos, and files directly — critical for paid content |
| No branding | Your page looks fully custom, like your own website |
| Deep analytics | Geographic heatmaps, device breakdowns, referrer tracking, date ranges |
| Social icons | Display platform icons above your links for a cleaner layout |
| Verified badge | Trust signal showing you're a legitimate, established creator |
| Priority support | Get help faster when something breaks |
When upgrading makes sense
Upgrade when any of these apply to you:
- You're monetizing — If you sell paid content, the premium features (media uploads, lock types) pay for themselves with a single sale. A $8.99/month plan that enables $100+/month in paid link revenue is a no-brainer.
- Your brand is your business — If your personal brand drives revenue (sponsorships, merch, subscriptions), platform branding on your page looks unprofessional. Removing it is worth the investment.
- You need analytics — If you're making decisions about content strategy, link placement, or platform focus, you need real data. Basic click counts aren't enough.
- You have 10k+ followers — At this scale, small improvements in conversion rates translate to meaningful revenue differences. Premium features give you the control to optimize.
- You want to stand out — In a sea of default-looking link pages, a fully customized page with video wallpaper, custom fonts, and a hero layout is an instant differentiator.
When free is fine
Stay on free if:
- You're just starting out — Focus on creating content and building an audience first. Optimize later.
- You have a small following — Under 1,000 followers? The ROI on premium isn't there yet.
- You don't sell content — If your link page is purely for social cross-promotion, free covers that.
- You're testing the platform — Try the free tier first, upgrade when you've confirmed it works for you.
The ROI calculation
Here's simple math: If your premium plan costs $8.99/month and your page generates even one extra paid link sale per month at $5, you need just two sales to break even. Most active creators with 5K+ followers can expect dozens of sales per month from well-priced paid content.
The real cost isn't the subscription — it's the revenue you're missing by not having the tools to monetize effectively. A $8.99/month plan that unlocks $200/month in paid content revenue has a 22x return on investment.
Our recommendation
Start free. Get your page set up, add your links, and share it on your socials. Once you see traffic flowing and people clicking, upgrade to unlock the full toolkit. The transition from free to premium is seamless — your existing links, layout, and settings carry over. You're just adding more power to what already works.