Buffer Start Page vs Carrd.co

Which link in bio is right for you?

Quick verdict

Choose Buffer Start Page if you scored higher on features and value. Choose Carrd.co for the use cases below where it has an edge.

Use Buffer Start Page if:

  • You already pay for Buffer and want a bio link page at no extra cost
  • You want your latest social posts to appear as a live feed on your bio page
  • You're a social media manager who lives in Buffer and wants everything in one place
  • A simple, clean page with your links and social feed is all you need

Use Carrd.co if:

  • You want full design control — layout, fonts, colors, custom CSS
  • You're a designer or developer comfortable building a custom page
  • You want a mini-site rather than just a link list
  • You want the cheapest custom domain option ($9/year)
  • You don't need native link analytics or scheduling

Comparison Score

General

 
 

3

Multi-Accounts
team accounts

 

25

Multi-Accounts

 

5

signup integrations
integrations

 

1

signup integrations
only via email

 

Custom username

 

Custom username

 

2

URL Domain options
domain options

 

1

URL Domain options
.carrd.co

 

10

letter-long Domain
characters

 

7

letter-long Domain
your brand gets less visibility

 

Payments & Costs

 
 

Accept crypto

 

Accept crypto

 

N/A

transaction fees
no ecommerce

 

N/A

transaction fees
Tip/Donation links not offered

 

Free plan

 

Free plan

 

One-time Plans

 

One-time Plans

 

$72

annual cost - Top plan
per year

 

$49

annual cost - Top plan

 

$6/mo

most cost-effective Pro plan
Essentials

 

$19

most cost-effective Pro plan
annual subscription

 

Built-in Shop

 

Built-in Shop

can only embed Buy buttons from third-party services

 

Page Customisation

 
 

2

link layouts
layout styles

 

1

link layouts

 

Flexible layout

 

Flexible layout

 

Mirror Instagram Grid

 

Mirror Instagram Grid

 

Background colors/images

 

Background colors/images

 

6

Social, Music & Contact icons
icon types

 

599

Social, Music & Contact icons

 

Icon colors

 

Icon colors

 

3

fonts
font options

 

255

fonts

 

Link Features

 
 

Unlimited links

 

Unlimited links

 

Organise links under groups

 

Organise links under groups

 

Schedule links

 

Schedule links

 

Vibrate/highlight links

 

Vibrate/highlight links

 

Analytics

 

Analytics

no built-in insights, only via Google Analytics integration

 

Data Export

Buffer analytics export

 

Data Export

 

Page Features

 
 

Add a second page

 

Add a second page

 

Custom Social Causes page

 

Custom Social Causes page

 

Embed music

 

Embed music

 

Embed video

 

Embed video

 

 External pixels

 

 External pixels

 

Pricing comparison

All prices in USD. Last verified March 2026.

Buffer Start Page

Free plan available

PlanPriceBilled
Free Free
Essentials $6.00 month

Carrd.co

Free plan available

PlanPriceBilled
Free Free
Pro Lite $9.00 year
Pro Standard $19.00 year
Pro Plus $49.00 year

Pros and cons

Buffer Start Page

Pros

  • Free for Buffer users — no additional cost
  • Live social post feed is unique among bio link tools
  • Clean, minimal design that loads fast
  • Unlimited links on the free plan
  • Team access for agencies managing multiple clients

Cons

  • Only useful if you're already a Buffer subscriber
  • No ecommerce, digital products, or email capture
  • Custom domain requires paid Buffer plan
  • Feature set is minimal compared to dedicated tools
  • No media embeds or rich content blocks

Carrd.co

Pros

  • Cheapest custom domain in the category at $9/year
  • Full design freedom with custom CSS and flexible layout
  • Can build a full mini-website, not just a link list
  • Video and image backgrounds supported
  • Excellent free plan — 3 sites with no forced branding

Cons

  • No native link-click analytics — requires Google Analytics setup
  • No link scheduling
  • No media embeds (Spotify, YouTube) without custom code
  • Not purpose-built for link management — no link dashboard
  • Setup requires more effort than dedicated link-in-bio tools
  • No QR code generator

Switching between them

How to migrate from Buffer Start Page to another tool

Estimated time: ~10 minutes. Difficulty: easy.

  1. Log into your Buffer account at buffer.com
  2. Navigate to Start Page in the Buffer dashboard
  3. Add your links and configure your social feed
  4. Customise your page appearance
  5. Update your bio link across your social profiles

Full migration guide: Buffer Start Page → Lnk.Bio

Frequently asked questions

Yes, Buffer Start Page is free for all Buffer users, including those on the free Buffer plan. Custom domains require a paid Buffer Essentials plan ($6/month).

Yes. Start Page is a feature within Buffer — you must have a Buffer account to use it.

Start Page can display your latest posts from connected social platforms as a live feed on your bio link page, pulling content you've published through Buffer.

Yes, but only on paid Buffer plans (Essentials at $6/month and above).

Start Page has a unique social feed feature and is free with Buffer. Linktree is a standalone tool with more features, more design options, and works without any other subscription.

Yes. Carrd's free plan allows up to 3 sites on a carrd.co subdomain with no branding requirement. Paid plans start at $9/year for Pro Lite, which adds a custom domain.

Yes, many creators use Carrd as a link-in-bio page. However, it lacks native link analytics, link scheduling, and the managed link-list features that dedicated tools provide.

Looking for the top-ranked alternative?

Lnk.Bio is the highest-rated link in bio for value — free plan, one-time $0.99 option, custom domain, and Spotify/YouTube embeds.

Try Lnk.Bio free

Overall Comparison Score

Buffer Start Page Logo

Buffer Start Page

Carrd.co Logo

Carrd.co

Top 5 link in bio services

by features offered and cost-efficiency

1
Lnk.Bio Lnk.Bio
52 stars
 
2
Tilda Tilda
28 stars
 
3
Linktree Linktree
 
26 stars
 
4
Carrd.co Carrd.co
 
25 stars
 
5
Taplink Taplink
 
23 stars
 

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