Compared 2026-09-10
Beacons or Stan Store: which creator commerce platform fits?
The short answer: both are built for creators selling something, not just linking out. Beacons has a free tier with a 9% seller fee and a broader toolset; Stan Store skips the free plan entirely and focuses more narrowly on courses, coaching and memberships.
Side by side
| Question | Beacons | Stan Store |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0, 9% seller fee on sales | None, only a 14-day free trial |
| Entry paid tier | $30 a month, Creator Plus, 0% seller fee | $29 a month, Creator |
| Top tier | Creator Plus is the top published tier | $99 a month, Creator Pro |
| Breadth | Media kit, courses, email automation, brand deal tools, an AI assistant | Storefront, coaching calls, memberships, email flows, affiliate tools |
| Best suited for | A creator wanting one platform for content, brand deals and sales | A creator whose main product is a course, program or membership |
| Email automation | Built in as part of the suite | Included, aimed at nurturing leads toward a course purchase |
| Access | Open signup | Open signup, 14-day trial before a paid plan is required |
Prices sourced from each provider's own pricing page, 2026-09-10. Pricing changes; verify the provider's checkout before buying.
When Beacons is the better fit
- You want a free tier to start on before paying anything
- Brand deals and a media kit matter alongside direct sales
- You want an AI assistant built into the page for visitors
- You want one platform covering content and commerce together
When Stan Store is the better fit
- Your main product is a course, coaching program or membership
- You want deeper affiliate tools built around a single offer
- You would rather skip the free tier's fee and pay from day one
- Coaching-call scheduling built into the page matters to your workflow
Where Fullink fits, as a third option
Fullink covers neither platform's full commerce suite. Free is $0 for five links with no seller fee, and PRO at $9 a month adds a Stripe-hosted payment link, which suits a single product or a tip jar rather than a course catalogue or a membership program. If Beacons' or Stan Store's structured selling tools are the reason you are comparing them, that comparison should decide it, not Fullink's smaller feature set. Fullink is worth considering only once you have already ruled out needing either platform's deeper commerce tools.
Free covers 5 links at $0. PRO is $9 a month and adds Stripe-hosted payment links, supporter tiers and no Fullink branding.
Questions people ask
- Does Beacons or Stan Store have a free plan?
- Beacons has a $0 free plan with a 9% seller fee on sales. Stan Store has no lasting free plan, only a 14-day trial.
- Which is better for selling a course, Beacons or Stan Store?
- Both support courses. Stan Store is built more narrowly around courses, coaching calls and memberships; Beacons adds a media kit and brand deal tools alongside its commerce features.
- Does either platform support one-off product sales as well as courses?
- Yes, both support selling individual digital products alongside their main course or membership features, though the specific tools for each differ in depth.
- Is switching from Beacons to Stan Store, or the reverse, disruptive to an existing course?
- Yes, moving an active course between platforms typically requires re-uploading content and re-enrolling students manually, since neither offers a direct migration tool from the other.
- Does either platform offer a lower-cost tier for someone just starting out?
- Beacons' free plan, despite its 9% seller fee, is the lower-cost entry point of the two; Stan Store requires a paid plan from day one after its 14-day trial ends.