Stan Store vs. Beacons

Choose Stan Store if predictable flat pricing and a product-focused storefront justify at least $29 per month; choose Beacons if you want a free entry point, broader link-in-bio tools, or paid Requests. Stan charges 0% platform transaction fees, while Beacons charges 9% on its Free and Creator plans and 0% on higher tiers. Custom Work lets you offer clearly scoped commissions and services: you set the price, the scope and the delivery time, and followers submit a brief and pay before you start.

Choose Brillay when followers already ask for paid questions and private written answers — Paid Questions, commissions you scope and price yourself — Custom Work, greetings recorded for one person by name — Personalized Videos, or one-time support, and you want pay-once offers instead of another monthly plan. Choose Stan Store if its storefront is worth at least $29 a month. Choose Beacons for a free starting plan and broader link-in-bio tools. Stan charges 0% platform fees; Beacons charges 9% on Free and Creator. Nothing to build in advance and nothing identical: what sells is the answer, the commission or the video that one particular follower is asking for, made for them after they pay. You can start today.

Using Stan Store’s official plan page, Beacons’ official pricing page, and Beacons’ transaction-fees help article. Pricing can change, so confirm the current terms before paying.

Which platform should I pick?

Pick Stan Store if you already sell enough each month that a fixed monthly plan feels easier than a percentage fee. Stan Store’s Creator plan is $29/month or $300/year, Creator Pro is $99/month or $948/year, both plans have a 0% platform transaction fee, and the free trial lasts 14 days. Creator Pro adds Funnels, unlimited-contact Email Marketing, and Affiliate Share on top of everything included in the base Creator plan (Stan Store Creator Pro Features help article). If you are also weighing a pure digital-download seller, see how Stan Store compares to Gumroad.

Pick Beacons if you want to start without a monthly bill, keep more link-in-bio tools in one place, or use its Requests features. Beacons costs $0/month for Free, $10/month for Creator, $30/month for Creator Plus, and $90/month for Creator Max; Free and Creator charge a 9% transaction fee, while Creator Plus and Creator Max charge 0% (Beacons pricing). If you are evaluating Beacons mainly as a link-in-bio tool, see how it stacks up against Linktree.

Before payment processing, Stan Store’s $29 Creator plan and Beacons Free’s 9% fee meet at about $322.22 in monthly sales because $29 divided by 9% equals $322.22. Below that, Beacons Free has the lower platform cost. Above that, Stan Creator has the lower platform cost.

Both platforms are strongest when you are selling products, courses, downloads, links, or a broader storefront. That is different from a client asking for a commission, a quick review, a private answer, or a custom order. Beacons includes a Requests block, but if people keep asking for personal work, write down the scope, set a fixed price, choose a turnaround you can actually meet, and stop rebuilding every order in DMs.

How do Stan Store and Beacons compare side by side?

Stan Store’s plan names, prices, annual figures, trial length, and 0% platform-fee policy are from Stan Store’s official help center. Beacons’ plan names, prices, Requests offering, and fee structure are from the Beacons pricing page and Beacons transaction-fees article.

A standard US online card payment through Stripe costs approximately 2.9% plus $0.30, separate from either platform’s fee (Stripe pricing). PayPal’s standard rate for receiving domestic goods-and-services card payments is 2.99% plus a fixed fee, also separate from either platform’s fee (PayPal business fees).

At what sales volume is each plan cheaper?

These break-even points compare stated platform charges before Stripe or PayPal processing fees:

The calculations use the officially listed monthly prices and transaction fees: Stan Store charges $29 or $99 per month with a 0% platform fee, while Beacons charges 9% on Free and Creator and 0% on Creator Plus and Creator Max.

These are fee-only comparisons. Before choosing, also check the current dispute rules, refund rules, and the features you will actually use. For example, Beacons Creator Max and Creator Plus both have a 0% transaction fee, so Creator Max’s extra $60/month has to be worth it for reasons other than transaction-fee savings. Annual billing can also change the effective monthly cost.

For comparisons across more services, see creator platform fees compared.

Which is cheaper for occasional sales?

Beacons Free is usually cheaper when sales are low or inconsistent because it has no monthly plan and charges its 9% platform fee only when a sale occurs (Beacons pricing and fee policy).

Stan Store’s Creator plan costs $29/month after its 14-day trial even if you make no sales. Its 0% platform transaction fee becomes cheaper than Beacons Free’s 9% fee above approximately $322.22 in monthly sales. For a closer look at whether that monthly cost pays off, see our breakdown of whether Stan Store is worth it.

Payment processing remains separate. Stripe’s standard published US online-card rate is approximately 2.9% plus $0.30, and PayPal’s standard rate for domestic goods-and-services card payments is 2.99% plus a fixed fee.

What do Stan Store and Beacons have in common?

Both platforms combine a link-in-bio page with ways to sell digital products, courses, or downloads. Both can send money to a creator’s Stripe or PayPal account, with processor charges applying separately from platform fees.

Neither company publishes a follower minimum on the official plan pages reviewed in September 2026 (Stan Store plans; Beacons plans). You can try either one without a stated audience-size threshold, but the hard part is still the same: people have to want what you are selling.

Both platforms make the most sense when you already have a product, course, download, or storefront offer to sell. The main choice is whether you prefer Stan Store’s fixed monthly cost and 0% platform fee or Beacons’ free entry point, broader link tools, and tiered fee model. For a link-in-bio-focused view of Stan Store, see how it compares to Linktree.

What if followers keep asking paid questions or want personal greetings?

Stan Store focuses on storefront sales, while Beacons also offers paid Requests. If followers mainly want your personal answer, feedback, commission, or greeting, look at how each tool handles that exact order. A course or download is clean when the same file works for everyone. A custom order gets messy fast unless the brief, price, client details, and turnaround are clear before you start.

Brillay is for one-time offers: Paid Questions for one private question and one written reply, Custom Work for commissions and paid custom work, Personalized Videos for one custom video, Tips for a one-time thank-you with nothing to deliver in return, and Goals for one named funding target with a progress bar. Brand Collaboration Inquiries is a free “Work with Me” form on your Brillay page that collects a brand’s budget, timeline, and deliverables into a separate brand inbox.

Custom Work is the offer for commissions: you set the price and delivery time yourself, then write what followers get, what you need from them, what is not included, and when you will deliver. Followers can send the brief, links, answers to your form, and files. You send one finished package with a note, files, or links.

Keep custom work to one finished delivery, not an open-ended chat. Delivery is one-time; if a follower wants something different after delivery, make that a new order with a new scope. That keeps the commission page clear and makes your workflow easier to repeat.

No monthly fee, you only pay a small platform fee when you get paid. 8% platform fee when a follower pays for work, 5% platform fee on tips and goals. Card processing is separate. You can put your offers on one link, set your own prices, and let followers pay as guests, with no account needed. Followers pay upfront; you can decline a request. Card disputes can happen on any platform, including Brillay.

Creator payouts are supported in 41 countries, depending on where you can connect your bank through Stripe (Brillay pricing and how it works). Brillay handles one-time requests and support, so many creators use it beside Stan Store or Beacons instead of replacing everything.

For scams, ghosting, and payment disputes, no platform makes risk disappear. With Brillay, followers see the written scope, price, delivery time, and what is not included before you begin, so you are not starting a commission from a vague DM promise.

For direct comparisons, see Brillay vs. Stan Store and Brillay vs. Beacons.

Frequently asked questions

What is cheaper if I only sell once in a while?

Beacons Free is cheaper below approximately $322.22 in monthly sales because 9% of $322.22 is about $29. Stan Store Creator is cheaper above that point because it charges $29/month and a 0% platform transaction fee (Stan Store plans; Beacons fees).

Stripe or PayPal processing fees apply separately. The calculation also leaves out feature differences and annual-billing discounts.

Does Stan Store have a real free plan?

No. Stan Store offers a 14-day free trial, followed by Creator at $29/month or Creator Pro at $99/month; it does not list a permanent free plan.

Beacons has a $0 Free plan, but sales on that plan carry a 9% platform transaction fee (Beacons pricing and fee policy).

Do I need a certain follower count before I start?

Neither Stan Store nor Beacons publishes a follower minimum on the official plan pages reviewed in September 2026 (Stan Store plans; Beacons plans). Brillay also has no follower minimum.

No platform guarantees sales. Start with the thing people already ask you for: a question, review, commission, custom order, or personal greeting. If people are offering to pay but you do not know the price yet, start with a small, clearly defined order and raise the price once you know how much time it takes.

How should I price commissions or custom work?

Start with the smallest clear version of the work: what the client gets, what you need from them, what is not included, and how long you need. With Custom Work, that price sits on the listing before any follower sends a brief.

For a first commission offer, many creators test a fixed scope in the $50-150 range, then adjust after they learn how long the work actually takes. If the job keeps taking longer than expected, raise the next offer instead of adding extra work to the old one.

How do I start taking commissions without rebuilding every order in DMs?

Write one small offer first. Give it a title, a price, a turnaround, what you will deliver, what you need from the client, and what is not included. Add any intake questions you need before you can begin.

With Custom Work on Brillay, each active service has its own tile on your page. The follower sends the brief, optional links, your form answers, and file attachments while paying upfront, then waits for your delivery instead of negotiating the whole order in messages.

How does payment work for custom orders?

Followers pay upfront before you start. You deliver once, and the paid order is completed when you send the finished package.

What you keep from the order is the listed price minus the platform fee and card processing described above.

Can I keep my storefront and use Brillay for custom orders too?

Yes. Use Stan Store or Beacons for products, courses, and downloads, then use Brillay for Paid Questions, Personalized Videos, Custom Work, Tips, Goals, and Brand Collaboration Inquiries from one link.

Brillay is for one-time paid offers, not memberships. That makes it useful beside a storefront when followers ask for a personal answer, a commission, a custom video, or a simple way to support your work.

What should I read next?

For a broader view of platform costs, see creator platform fees compared and Brillay’s pricing. For paid-request comparisons, read Brillay vs. Stan Store and Brillay vs. Beacons.

If followers already ask for advice, feedback, commissions, or a personal greeting, set a clear price and turnaround, then share one Brillay link instead of making every post feel like a sales pitch. Create your free Brillay page — put one priced, scoped offer on it and share the link today.