Carrd vs Linktree vs makerhandle for Makers

Carrd vs Linktree is one of the most common questions makers ask when they need a page for their bio. They are very different tools: Carrd is a one-page site builder, Linktree is a link list. makerhandle, which we build, is a third option made specifically for makers. This post compares all three on the things that matter to people who ship products, and is honest about where each one wins.

The short version

Carrd: build almost any one-page site. Most control, most work.
Linktree: a fast, familiar list of links. Least work, least context.
makerhandle: a page of your projects from a template, with verified revenue and analytics. Little work, built for makers.

What each tool is

Carrd

Carrd is a flexible, inexpensive builder for one-page sites: landing pages, waitlists, portfolios and link pages. You arrange elements yourself and can adjust most of them. As of October 2026, Carrd lists Pro Lite from $9 a year, and Pro Standard, which adds custom domains and forms, from $19 a year for up to 10 sites.

Linktree

Linktree is the best-known link-in-bio tool. You add links as buttons, choose a style and share one URL. It supports many link types, embeds, integrations and commerce features. As of 2026 it has a free plan and paid Starter, Pro and Premium tiers, with prices that vary by region.

makerhandle

makerhandle is a link in bio organised around projects. You add each project with a description, tags, screenshot and status (Active, Building, Acquired, On hold, Discontinued) and choose one of seven templates. Revenue can be verified from Stripe or Shopify. It is free for five projects, and Pro is $20 a year.

Setup time and upkeep

Linktree is quick. Add a few links, pick a theme, done.

Carrd takes longer, because you design the page: sections, spacing, fonts and how it collapses on mobile. Some makers enjoy that. Every new project also means editing the layout by hand.

makerhandle is about two minutes. There is no canvas: you fill in your projects, and the template (Stack, Showcase, Bento, Minimal, Spotlight, Terminal or Studio) handles the layout on every screen. The templates are designed so you cannot break them, and adding a project later just slots it in.

Design control

Carrd wins clearly. If you want a page that looks exactly like your sketch, Carrd gets you closest.

Linktree offers themes and styling for a list of buttons. Easy, but it always looks like a list.

makerhandle sits in between. You choose a template and a theme, and on Pro you can set an accent colour, font, corner style, or build a custom theme with your own colours, gradient or background image. You cannot rearrange the layout, which is a limitation and also the reason it stays tidy.

Showing your projects

This is where the tools differ most for makers.

Linktree shows buttons with labels. There is no natural place for status, descriptions or screenshots, and old projects either clutter the list or get deleted.
Carrd can show anything, as long as you build it. A projects section with screenshots is very doable; keeping it current is on you.
makerhandle is built around projects. Status, tags, screenshots and a featured project come built in. Acquired and discontinued projects can stay on the page, labelled honestly.

For more on why that matters, read the indie hacker portfolio guide.

Revenue proof

If you want to show that your products earn money:

Linktree is not built for showing product revenue.
Carrd has no built-in way that we know of to verify revenue, so you would type a number or embed something yourself.
makerhandle connects to Stripe with a read-only restricted key, or to Shopify with a read-only app, and shows revenue with a check mark and a revenue history chart. Verified projects can appear on the public leaderboard.

See how to show verified MRR for how the Stripe side works.

Analytics

Linktree includes analytics, with more detail on paid tiers.

Carrd lists analytics support on its Pro Standard and Pro Plus plans.

makerhandle has analytics built in, with no cookies and no stored IP addresses: visitors, pageviews, bounce rate, visit duration, sources and UTM campaigns, countries, regions and cities, devices, project clicks and subscribes as goals, realtime, previous-period comparison and CSV export. Free keeps seven days; Pro keeps a year.

Email subscribers

Carrd has forms on Pro Standard and above, which you can use for sign-ups. makerhandle has a subscribe box with double opt-in and CSV export, or a button to Substack, beehiiv, Kit, Buttondown or Mailchimp. Free covers up to 100 subscribers; Pro is unlimited.

Price

All three are affordable. Carrd is famously cheap, with custom domains from $19 a year. Linktree has a free plan and monthly paid tiers. makerhandle is free for five projects, and Pro is $20 a year with unlimited projects, all templates, a custom domain with automatic SSL, unlimited subscribers and a year of analytics.

Which should you pick?

Pick Carrd if you want to design a custom page, or need landing pages for several products.
Pick Linktree if your links are mostly content, or you want creator commerce features.
Pick makerhandle if you want one page that shows everything you build, with verified revenue and private analytics, and you would rather spend two minutes than an evening on it.

They also combine well. Plenty of makers build product landing pages in Carrd and list each one as a project on makerhandle. For direct comparisons, see makerhandle vs Carrd and makerhandle vs Linktree, or start free.