If you're searching for "Koji alternatives" in 2026, you may not realize Koji shut down two years ago. The link-in-bio platform launched in 2021 by Dmitry Shapiro and Sean Thielen at GoMeta, raised nearly $40 million in funding, and built a unique product around 300+ interactive mini-apps for creator monetization. Linktree acquired Koji in December 2023 and shut it down on January 31, 2024.
If you were a Koji user, your account is gone. Linktree offered three months of free Linktree Pro to migrating users, but the underlying mini-app architecture that made Koji different (interactive widgets, embedded games, custom monetization apps) didn't carry over.
This guide is for former Koji users figuring out what to use now, plus newer creators who heard about Koji and want to understand what made it different and which current tools preserve those qualities.
Most articles you'll find right now are written by competitors trying to capture migration traffic. They typically conclude with "obviously, you should use [their product]." This one tries to be more useful than that. Where each alternative genuinely fits, where each one falls short, and which one preserves what made Koji worth picking in the first place.
TL;DR, who should pick what
If you valued Koji's interactive mini-apps specifically (tip jars, polls, mini-games, audience engagement widgets): no current tool fully replicates this. Beacons comes closest with its broader creator-business stack including some interactive elements. Most of Koji's mini-app architecture has no direct successor.
If you valued Koji's monetization layer above all else (digital product sales, tipping, audience monetization built in): Beacons is the most direct fit on the comprehensive end; Stan Store is the most direct fit on the focused storefront end.
If you valued Koji's "more than a link list" positioning (the page as a real interactive experience): own.page or tini.bio for visual layout flexibility, or Carrd Pro Standard for one-page website capability.
If you valued Koji as a curation surface with audience interaction: Shelfy is built around different priorities than Koji but shares the "more than a flat link list" thesis. Voting on links replaces some of Koji's audience-engagement function. Free forever, no transaction fees.
If you just want the fastest path to "page exists and works": Linktree, where Koji users were directed during the migration window. Note: this is the platform that bought Koji and shut it down.
The full reasoning is below.
Why Koji mattered (and why you might not want a clone)
Koji's distinguishing thesis was that link-in-bio pages should be applications, not lists. The platform's mini-app architecture let creators add interactive elements: tip jars, Q&A games, polls, shoppable videos, payment forms, group stories, giveaways, and dozens of other widgets that audiences interacted with directly on the bio page.
The user experience was genuinely different from competitors. A visitor clicking your Koji link from Instagram stayed inside Instagram (the Koji opened in the in-app webview), interacted with a Tip Jar mini-app, paid via Stripe with one tap (Koji stored card information across creators for repeat use), and never left. The integration was clever and meaningfully better than the typical "click out to a separate site" experience most link-in-bio tools forced.
The acquisition and shutdown raises a question worth naming for every Koji refugee: do you want a Koji clone (no current tool fully delivers this), or do you want to use this disruption to reconsider what you actually needed?
Some Koji users picked it for the interactive experience. Some picked it for the monetization stack. Some picked it because it was novel and they liked supporting indie creator-economy products. Different reasons lead to different replacements.
Worth pausing on before migrating.
What actually happened with Koji
For context, since most "Koji alternatives" articles skip this:
- December 14, 2023: Linktree announced acquisition of Koji from parent company GoMeta. Financial details were not disclosed.
- January 31, 2024: Koji officially shut down. The product and brand were sunset.
- Migration offer: Linktree offered three months of free Linktree Pro to migrating Koji users. It was unclear whether Linktree provided tools to migrate Koji's mini-app structure; in practice, Koji's interactive widgets did not translate to Linktree's vertical-list format.
- Pattern context: This was Linktree's second link-in-bio acquisition that year. Linktree had also acquired Bento earlier in 2023, and shut down Bento in February 2026. The pattern of acquiring link-in-bio competitors and sunsetting them is now established.
Practically, this means: your old Koji audience equity (people who shared your Koji URL, sites that linked to it, social bios pointing at it) flowed to a Linktree page during the migration window, but if you didn't actively migrate, that traffic likely went nowhere or to a generic Linktree landing.
Two years later, the question is no longer "what do I do during the shutdown" but "what tool should I be using now that captures what I actually valued about Koji."
The honest field, eight alternatives by use case
1. Beacons, the closest functional replacement
Best for: Koji users whose primary value was the monetization stack (digital product sales, audience monetization, brand-deal tools, email).
What it gets right: Genuinely built for creator monetization end-to-end. Storefront, courses, memberships on Creator Plus, brand-deal media kits, AI tools, email marketing built in. Some interactive elements (tip jars, custom widgets) that share Koji's "more than a list" thesis. Free plan available with 9% transaction fees on sales; Creator Plus at $30/month removes fees.
Where it falls short: Doesn't replicate Koji's full mini-app architecture or its 300+ widget catalog. Interface is denser than Koji's design-focused approach. The 9% fee on lower tiers adds up at scale.
Pricing model: Free / Creator $10/month / Creator Plus $30/month / Creator Max $90/month.
For a deeper Beacons assessment, the Shelfy vs Beacons comparison covers the tradeoffs.
2. Stan Store, the focused storefront option
Best for: Koji users whose actual focus was selling digital products, courses, or coaching, and where Koji's mini-apps were tools toward that goal.
What it gets right: Built specifically for creator commerce. Mobile-first storefront, 0% platform transaction fees on both tiers (Stripe processing still applies). Calendar bookings, subscriptions, AutoDM for Instagram, lead magnets. Strong reviews (4.8/5 Trustpilot across 1,900+ reviews).
Where it falls short: No free plan, only a 14-day trial. Storefront is template-driven rather than fully customizable. Doesn't replicate Koji's interactive mini-app variety; this is a focused commerce tool.
Pricing model: Creator $29/month or $25/month annual / Creator Pro $99/month or $75/month annual.
For a deeper Stan Store assessment, the Shelfy vs Stan Store comparison covers the use cases.
3. own.page, the layout-flexibility successor
Best for: Koji users who valued the visual flexibility and "real page, not a list" feel.
What it gets right: Block-based widget system with links, text, images, video, GitHub embeds, forms, analytics. Works as link-in-bio, website, or portfolio. Custom subdomain. Web editor plus mobile app. Clean design philosophy.
Where it falls short: Doesn't replicate Koji's monetization mini-apps or the embedded payment flow. Smaller community than mature competitors. The interactive-widget surface is meaningfully shallower than Koji's was.
Pricing model: Free tier available; paid plans for advanced features.
4. Linktree, where Koji users were redirected
Best for: Koji users who didn't actively migrate during the shutdown window and want the simplest path to "I have a working bio link."
What it gets right: Industry-standard. Massive ecosystem. Strong analytics on paid tiers. Multiple commerce integrations. Your old Koji URL likely already redirects here from the migration window.
Where it falls short: This is the platform that bought Koji and shut it down. Picking it as your replacement is choosing the company that ended your previous tool. Pricing rose 67% on the Pro plan in November 2025 (Pro went $9 to $15 per month). Vertical-list layout is fundamentally a step back from Koji's interactive page experience.
Pricing model: Free / Starter $8/month / Pro $15/month / Premium $35/month. Transaction fees: 12% Free, 9% Pro, 0% Premium.
For context on why Linktree's pricing keeps rising, see why Linktree is so expensive. For a deeper feature comparison, the Shelfy vs Linktree comparison covers what Linktree actually delivers at each tier.
5. tini.bio, for visual block layouts
Best for: Koji users who valued the visual, interactive feel and want a tool that has positioned itself for users migrating away from Linktree-acquired tools.
What it gets right: Grid layouts, image blocks, drag-and-drop. Free tier with content blocks, content pages, and image blocks. Active migration messaging for users coming from Bento and Koji shutdowns.
Where it falls short: Smaller and newer than mature competitors. Less mini-app variety than Koji had.
Pricing model: Free tier; paid Pro tier.
6. Stan Store + a tip jar tool
Best for: Koji users whose primary use was the Tip Jar specifically.
What it gets right: Combine a focused storefront like Stan Store with dedicated tipping infrastructure (Buy Me a Coffee, Ko-fi, Patreon). Each tool does its specific job better than Koji's combined version.
Where it falls short: Tool sprawl. Two subscriptions instead of one. Not the integrated experience Koji offered.
7. Carrd Pro Standard, for the "real one-page experience"
Best for: Koji users who valued the "page as a designed experience" feel and want a tool with full layout control.
What it gets right: Genuine one-page website builder. Custom forms, embedded payment widgets (Stripe, PayPal, Gumroad), custom domain, SEO controls. $19 per year is one of the best deals in software.
Where it falls short: Not specifically a link-in-bio tool, requires manual layout work to recreate Koji-style experiences. No mini-app catalog.
Pricing model: Free / Pro Lite $9/year / Pro Standard $19/year / Pro Plus $49/year.
For a deeper Carrd assessment, the Shelfy vs Carrd comparison covers the use cases.
8. Shelfy, for curation-with-audience-interaction
Best for: Koji users who valued the audience-interaction angle (rather than monetization specifically) and want a free tool with voting and engagement features.
What it gets right: Free forever, every feature included. Two public-page layouts (Card view with rich previews, List view) with viewer-toggleable switch. Community voting on links (a different shape of audience interaction than Koji's mini-apps but related thesis: visitors aren't passive). Unlimited collections, free custom domains, follow + notify, Chrome tab-saving extension, real REST API with bulk import.
Where it falls short: Honestly different shape from Koji. No interactive mini-apps, no tip jars, no embedded payment flows, no game widgets. If what you loved about Koji was the variety of interactive mini-apps for monetization, Shelfy doesn't replicate that. Shelfy is a curation platform with voting; Koji was a monetization platform with mini-apps. Different categories.
Pricing model: Free forever, no transaction fees because there's no storefront.
The honest framing: Shelfy fits one specific kind of Koji user (those whose Koji page was about audience curation and engagement rather than monetization). For Koji users whose page was about selling and tipping, Beacons or Stan Store are better fits.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Beacons (Free) | Stan Creator ($29/mo) | own.page | Linktree (Pro $15/mo) | tini.bio | Carrd (Pro Standard $19/yr) | Shelfy (Free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0 (with 9% fees) | $29/month | Free tier + paid | $15/month | Free tier + paid | $19/year | $0 forever |
| Interactive mini-apps (Koji-style) | Some | No | Limited widgets | No | Limited | Limited (custom code) | No |
| Tip jar / direct tipping | Yes | Yes (via products) | No | Yes (paid tiers) | No | Via Stripe widget | No |
| Native storefront | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Via widgets | No |
| Visual block layout | Limited | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Card view with rich previews |
| Custom domain | Paid tier | No | Paid tier | Yes | Paid tier | Yes | Free |
| Free tier with full features | Limited (9% fees) | No (trial only) | Limited | Limited | Limited | Very limited | Yes |
| Community voting on links | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Unlimited collections / pages | Limited | One storefront | Limited | 5 (free) | Limited | Unlimited (Pro+) | Yes |
| Migration from Koji preserved interactive elements | Partially | Limited | Limited | No (auto-redirect, list format) | Limited | Manual rebuild | Manual rebuild |
A note: tools update features and pricing frequently. Verify current details on each tool's pricing page before committing.
Already know what you want? Shelfy is free forever with Card and List public-page layouts, voting, unlimited collections, and free custom domains. No transaction fees. Try it now
Or keep reading for the migration steps and FAQs.
How to migrate (regardless of which tool you pick)
If you're a Koji user who hasn't actively migrated since the shutdown two years ago, the process is similar across replacement tools.
1. Recover what you can about your old Koji page.
Koji's data was not preserved through the shutdown migration in the way most users expected. The mini-apps specifically (tip jars, polls, custom widgets) didn't translate to Linktree's vertical list format. If you have screenshots from before January 31, 2024 (your phone's photo library, social posts that featured your page, the Wayback Machine for koji.to/yourname or your custom Koji URL), you can rebuild from visual reference.
2. Audit what you actually had on your Koji page.
Don't recreate everything by default. Use this as a chance to remove mini-apps you weren't using, update outdated content, and reorganize around current priorities. Most Koji pages had at least one widget the user had been meaning to remove.
3. Pick your replacement using the use-case verdicts above.
The wrong replacement creates a second migration. Worth picking once, deliberately. Most importantly, decide whether your Koji page was primarily about monetization (Beacons or Stan Store), interactive engagement (no perfect replacement, partial fit with Beacons), curation (Shelfy), or visual presentation (own.page, tini.bio, or Carrd).
4. Set up a custom domain.
This is the single highest-leverage move. Whether you choose Beacons, Stan Store, Shelfy, Carrd, or anything else, get on a custom domain (yourname.com or links.yourname.com). Any future tool migration is then invisible to your audience.
For tools that include free custom domains (Shelfy is the only one on the free plan), this is a free upgrade. For others, the cost is built into the paid tier you'd be paying anyway.
5. Update your social bios.
Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, podcast show notes, Discord profile, email signature, business cards. Get the new page live and tested first, then update bios.
6. Notify your audience if appropriate.
If you have a newsletter, mention the migration once. If you have a paid community, let them know. Most audiences don't care which bio tool you use, but a single mention prevents "where did your Koji go?" questions.
7. Accept that some Koji-specific functionality is gone.
This is the hard truth. The mini-app architecture, the cross-creator card storage, the in-app interactive experiences, the specific 300+ widget catalog: these don't exist on any current replacement tool. If your Koji page had unique interactive elements, you're either rebuilding them with multiple separate tools (Stan Store + Buy Me a Coffee + Tally for forms + custom code) or accepting a simpler version of what you had.
What about the Linktree pattern?
Worth naming because it shapes your decision: Linktree has now acquired and shut down two link-in-bio competitors (Koji in 2024, Bento in 2026). For some creators, that pattern is itself a reason to consider not migrating to Linktree. The company has demonstrated willingness to acquire competitors for the user base and intellectual property, then sunset the products.
This isn't a moral judgment. Acquisition consolidation is normal in software markets. But for creators choosing where to invest time setting up a new bio tool, the question of "will this tool still exist in three years" matters. Tools that are independent (Shelfy, Stan Store, Carrd, own.page) are not at risk of being acquired and shut down by Linktree. Beacons is venture-backed and a meaningful Linktree competitor; its long-term independence is uncertain but it has not signaled acquisition interest. Linktree itself is the acquirer in this pattern, so building on Linktree is building on the consolidator.
If long-term tool stability matters more to you than any specific feature, the independent options are worth a closer look.
Try Shelfy free if curation is your shape
If your Koji page leaned toward curating, recommending, and engaging your audience (rather than primarily selling products), Shelfy is one of the closer matches on this list. Card view with auto-fetched preview images, unlimited collections, voting, free custom domains, all on the free plan with no transaction fees.
Build a curation-first bio in 10 minutes
If your Koji page was something else (a storefront, a portfolio, a designer canvas), the use-case verdicts above are honest about which tool fits. The Shelfy vs Linktree, Shelfy vs Beacons, Shelfy vs Stan Store, and Shelfy vs Carrd comparisons cover those alternatives in depth. The Bento alternatives guide covers the other recent Linktree shutdown.
Frequently asked questions
When did Koji shut down?
Koji officially closed on January 31, 2024, following Linktree's acquisition announced December 14, 2023. The Koji app and product were sunset. Linktree offered Koji users three months of free Linktree Pro during the migration window, but the underlying mini-app architecture didn't carry over.
Can I recover my old Koji data?
Two years after the shutdown, direct recovery from Koji is not possible. The Wayback Machine (web.archive.org) sometimes has archived snapshots of Koji pages if you remember your URL, which can be useful for visual reference when rebuilding.
Why did Linktree shut down Koji instead of keeping it running?
Linktree's stated reasoning at the time was about consolidating users onto a single platform. Practically, Linktree acquired Koji, kept Koji's user base and intellectual property, then sunset the product. This is a common pattern in software acquisitions but worth knowing as you consider where to migrate.
What's the closest tool to Koji's interactive mini-apps?
No current tool fully replicates Koji's 300+ mini-app catalog. Beacons comes closest with broader creator-business features including some interactive elements. For specific Koji functionality (Tip Jar, polls, games), you'd typically combine multiple tools (Stan Store for products + Buy Me a Coffee for tipping + Tally for forms) or accept a simpler experience.
Should I migrate to Linktree by default since they acquired Koji?
Not unless you actively want Linktree. The acquisition was a business transaction, not a recommendation that Linktree is the right Koji replacement. Many former Koji users found Linktree's vertical-list format limiting after Koji's interactive page experience. Other independent tools may fit your use case better.
Which Koji alternative is genuinely free?
Most tools have free tiers with limits. Shelfy's free plan includes the full feature set (unlimited collections, custom domains, voting, follow/notify, API). Beacons' free plan has 9% transaction fees on sales. own.page and tini.bio have content-block limits on free. Carrd's free tier is very limited. Stan Store has no free plan, only a 14-day trial. "Free" varies; read the asterisks.
Do I have to pay for a custom domain?
It depends on the tool. Shelfy includes free custom domains on the free plan. Beacons requires Creator Plus ($30/month). Stan Store doesn't currently offer custom domain support. Carrd requires Pro Standard ($19/year). Linktree requires Pro ($15/month). If brand independence matters and budget doesn't allow paid plans, Shelfy is the most flexible option.
Can I move my old Koji audience to a new tool?
Koji's audience was mostly social media followers who clicked through to your bio link, not a captured email list (unless you used Koji's email collection mini-apps). That audience moves with you when you update your bio URL across social platforms. If you collected emails through a Koji mini-app, that data may have been lost if you didn't export before the shutdown.
Will Shelfy ever be acquired by Linktree?
Shelfy is independent and not currently part of Linktree's portfolio. No acquisition has been announced. Worth knowing: Linktree has acquired and shut down two competitors in this category (Koji in 2024, Bento in 2026), so the pattern exists. Independent tools in this space face that risk; tools owned by Linktree don't, but obviously Linktree itself is the consolidator.
Last reviewed: May 2026. Tool features and pricing change frequently. Verify current details with each tool's pricing page before making a final decision.