How Beacons and Circle compare
Beacons is more than a link page. A link-in-bio, digital product store, email marketing, media kit, brand-deal invoicing, and AI tools give a creator a mini back office without leaving the app. For someone monetizing social attention with sponsors and downloads, it is a clever, generous bundle.
Circle is where serious community hosts go when the community is the business. Spaces for discussion and chat, courses and events in the same place, paid memberships with branded checkout, gamification, workflows, Circle AI, and on Circle Plus your own branded iOS and Android apps. It has grown into an all-in-one for membership businesses, and the Website Builder and Email Hub mean many hosts no longer need a second tool for the front door. If your members log in every week to talk to each other, Circle is built for exactly that.
Where they are different
Beacons
- Beacons is a profile with tools.
- Beacons emails from its platform.
- Beacons sells downloads and links.
Circle
- Circle's pages are the front door to a members-only space.
- Circle's Email Hub is an add-on priced per contact on top of the plan.
- Circle's DMs live between members inside the community.
- Circle has courses, live streams, paid tiers for users, and gamification.
Choose Beacons when you are monetizing a social audience with sponsors, downloads, and a bio link.
Choose Circle when a paid, private community with courses and events is the product, and you want members in a branded app.
Compare features
What's on Beacons and Circle
A check means that capability is available. Beacons and Circle are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
- Custom domainBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
- Editor ModeBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
- Theme and fontsBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
- Brand kitBeacons: IncludedCircle: Not included
Public content
- Reader engagementBeacons: Not includedCircle: Included
- Shop pagesBeacons: IncludedCircle: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
- Marketing emailsBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
- Campaign workflowsBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Beacons: IncludedCircle: Not included
Team
- Admin usersBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
- Per-admin permissionsBeacons: Not includedCircle: Included
- AI AssistantBeacons: IncludedCircle: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Beacons or Circle, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Beacons or Circle may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Beacons vs Circle pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Beacons
Current plans and prices
See what Beacons charges on their pricing page.
Circle
Current plans and prices
See what Circle charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Beacons and Circle
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Beacons or Circle?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Beacons or Circle when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Beacons and Circle are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Beacons or Circle?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Beacons or Circle for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Beacons and Circle?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Beacons and Circle set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Beacons or Circle to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.