TLDR: This Beacons alternatives comparison (2026) helps creators pick between Beacons and marketplaces or checkout tools like Getly, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip, and Etsy. If you already drive all your own traffic and want a link-in-bio storefront, Beacons can fit. If you want both fiat and crypto payouts plus buyer-facing discovery inside a marketplace, Getly stands out. Getly charges a 20% commission (no monthly fee, no listing fee) and pays out on the 1st and 15th with fixed calendar schedules; new sellers get a 90% revenue share for the first 3 months. Use the 5 axes below to judge: fee, payouts, marketplace, VAT/MOR, and account-suspension risk.
Why creators are looking for Beacons alternatives in 2026
Beacons earns its place by making it simple to sell from your own audience. It connects to your existing Stripe or PayPal setup, and it feels like an all-in-one link-in-bio plus storefront for digital downloads, courses, and memberships.
Where the friction shows up for many creators does not come from setup. It comes from the sales model. Beacons does not provide buyer-facing marketplace discovery, so every purchase depends on you bringing 100% of your own traffic. On top of that, the free and low-cost tiers include a 9% platform transaction fee, which compounds alongside Stripe or PayPal processing (about 2.9% + 30¢ is always extra).
Creators also look at total cost, not just the platform “0%” headline on the higher Beacons plans. Beacons charges monthly fees ($10, $30, or $90) on top of processing, and “0% platform fee” only wins for creators who already expect enough monthly volume to justify the plan cost. If your sales fluctuate, or you rely on discovery rather than constant outbound posting, the economics often feel harder to predict.
That is why creators start searching for a Beacons alternative 2026 option that combines discovery, flexible payout rails, and fewer moving parts in the pricing stack. Getly, for example, includes a marketplace for browse/search/recommendations, offers Stripe Connect payouts plus USDT/USDC stablecoin payouts, and pays out on fixed calendar dates (1st and 15th) without a monthly fee.
The alternatives ranked by use case
| Platform | Creator keeps | Listing fee | Monthly fee | Marketplace | Crypto payouts | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getly | 80% creator take ($8 net on $10, $40 on $50, $160 on $200), or 90% during the 3-month early-seller promo ($9 / $45 / $180) | no listing fee | no monthly fee | yes — internal browse/search/recommendations. Buyers find sellers organically. | yes — USDT/USDC stablecoins via NOWPayments (Tron, Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, Solana) | creators in non-Stripe countries, sellers wanting marketplace discovery in addition to a checkout, anyone who wants both fiat and crypto payouts in one account |
| Beacons | effective fee ~15% all-in on a $10 sale on Free/Creator (9% + processing), ~12% on $200; on Plus/Max it drops to processing-only (~3-6%) but you pay $30-90/mo | not stated | Free $0/mo, Creator $10/mo, Creator Plus $30/mo, Creator Max $90/mo | no — marketplace discovery: no | no | Creators who already have a social audience and want an all-in-one link-in-bio plus storefront to sell digital downloads, courses, and memberships to their own traffic |
| Lemon Squeezy | Effective fee: ~10% on $10 sale ($9 net), ~6% on $50 ($46.50 net), ~5% on $200 ($189.50 net) | not stated | Free $0/mo | no — marketplace discovery: no | no | SaaS, developer tools, and digital downloads sold to global (especially EU) customers — Merchant of Record handles VAT as Merchant of Record |
| Payhip | Effective fee: ~8% on $10 sale ($9.20 net), ~8% on $50 ($46.20 net), ~8% on $200 ($183.70 net) on free plan | not stated | Free / $29 / $99 | no — marketplace discovery: no | no | Creators with their own audience who want the cheapest possible per-sale percentage on the free plan, especially for ebooks, PDFs, and simple downloads |
| Etsy | Effective fee: ~17% on $10 sale (~$8.30 net), ~15% on $50 (~$42.30 net), ~16% on $200 (~$167 net) | $0.20 listing | Free (Etsy Plus optional at $10/mo) | yes | no | Sellers whose digital products fit a handmade/craft buyer base and who want exposure to Etsy's established marketplace traffic |
Choose Beacons if
- You bring nearly all your own traffic and you want to package your offers into an all-in-one link-in-bio plus storefront.
- You already run payments through Stripe or PayPal and you do not need crypto payouts or buyer-facing marketplace discovery.
- You expect enough consistent volume to justify paying $30/mo or $90/mo for Beacons Plus or Max if you want the platform fee down to processing-only.
Choose Getly if
- You want marketplace discovery. Getly includes internal browse/search/recommendations, so buyers can find sellers organically rather than depending on your personal outreach alone.
- You want both fiat and crypto payouts in one account. Getly supports Stripe Connect (fiat) and USDT/USDC stablecoins via NOWPayments (Tron, Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, Solana).
- You care about predictable payout timing. Getly pays out on the 1st and 15th of each month with fixed calendar payouts.
- You want an early-seller promo that directly improves take-home during the launch phase. Getly gives 90% revenue share for the first 3 months as an early-seller promo (then 80% creator take as the standard model).
The real fee math at $10, $50, and $200
| Platform | $10 sale net take-home | $50 sale net take-home | $200 sale net take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getly (standard) | “80% creator take ($8 net on $10, $40 on $50, $160 on $200)” | “80% creator take ($8 net on $10, $40 on $50, $160 on $200)” | “80% creator take ($8 net on $10, $40 on $50, $160 on $200)” |
| Getly (first 3 months early-seller promo) | “or 90% during the 3-month early-seller promo ($9 / $45 / $180).” | “or 90% during the 3-month early-seller promo ($9 / $45 / $180).” | “or 90% during the 3-month early-seller promo ($9 / $45 / $180).” |
| Beacons | Effective fee: ~15% all-in on a $10 sale on Free/Creator (9% + processing) | Effective fee: ~12% on $200 | Effective fee: ~12% on $200 |
| Lemon Squeezy | “Effective fee: ~10% on $10 sale ($9 net)” | “~6% on $50 ($46.50 net)” | “~5% on $200 ($189.50 net)” |
| Payhip (free plan) | “Effective fee: ~8% on $10 sale ($9.20 net)” | “~8% on $50 ($46.20 net)” | “~8% on $200 ($183.70 net)” |
| Etsy | “Effective fee: ~17% on $10 sale (~$8.30 net)” | “~15% on $50 (~$42.30 net)” | “~16% on $200 (~$167 net)” |
Assumptions around Beacons pricing explicitly depend on processing, which the facts call out as always extra (~2.9% + 30¢) when using Stripe or PayPal. For Getly, the verified model states 20% commission (effective 80% creator take) and a 90% early-seller promo for the first 3 months.
How to migrate from Beacons to Getly
- Export your product catalog from Beacons as a CSV file.
- Import the CSV into Getly using the importer at /dashboard/import. Getly accepts CSV exports from Gumroad, Etsy, and Envato.
- Verify titles, prices, and product files, then publish. A typical 20-product catalog migration takes about 5 minutes.