- Bento.me is a visual, grid-based link-in-bio with a distinctive Bento-style layout — tiles of different sizes for photos, text, links and embeds.
- Linktree is a standard vertical button list — simpler, faster to build, and more recognisable.
- Pick Bento for designers and creators where the look is part of the brand. Pick Linktree for standard, fast, recognisable link pages.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Linktree | Bento.me |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Vertical button list | Grid / Bento tiles |
| Free plan | Yes — branded | Yes — limited |
| Visual customisation | Themes | Tile-by-tile |
| Setup time | ~3 min | ~10–15 min |
| Embeds (videos, posts) | Pro tier | Free |
| Best for | General use | Designers, brand-conscious |
What Bento.me Does Best
The Bento-style grid layout (named after Japanese lunch boxes) lets you fit text, photos, embeds, links, and small widgets into a single visually rich page. Each tile can be different size — a big featured tile at top, smaller tiles for socials, a long tile for a quote. The result feels closer to a custom website than a link list.
Bento also includes free embeds — Spotify players, YouTube videos, recent Instagram posts — that Linktree puts behind paid tiers.
Where Bento.me Falls Short
- Setup time. Designing a grid layout takes 3–4× as long as adding buttons to Linktree.
- Recognisability. "Send me a Bento" doesn't have the cultural weight of "send me a Linktree".
- Mobile readability. Grids look great on desktop but compress oddly on small phones — some tiles become hard to scan.
What Linktree Does Best
Speed, recognisability, and a free tier that covers most casual creators. If you don't have time or appetite to design a custom grid, Linktree is the path of least resistance.
Pricing
Linktree: Free, Starter $5, Pro $9, Premium $24/mo.
Bento.me: Free, Pro $5/mo (custom domain, advanced analytics).
When to Pick Bento.me
- You're a designer who wants tile-level visual control.
- Your brand identity benefits from a unique-looking link page.
- You want free embeds (videos, music, Instagram posts).
When to Pick Linktree
- You want a fast, recognisable link page in three minutes.
- You don't have design skills and don't want to learn.
- The free tier with branding is acceptable.
The Standard Alternative: UniLink
If Linktree's branding bothers you and Bento's design overhead is too much, UniLink is a clean vertical button list, free with no watermark, with built-in analytics. Closer to Linktree in speed, with cleaner aesthetics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bento.me free?
Yes, with limited features. Pro at $5/mo adds custom domain and full analytics.
Can I make Linktree look like Bento?
Not really. Linktree's layout is fixed vertical button list — themes change colours and fonts but not structure.
Which converts better?
Linktree, for unfamiliar audiences who recognise the format. Bento, for design-savvy audiences who appreciate visual polish.
Key Takeaways
- Bento.me is the design-forward choice; Linktree is the standard.
- Bento needs more setup time but allows tile-level customisation.
- UniLink is the watermark-free, free, fast middle ground.