Haystack vs Linq (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick Haystack: it is second in our ranking of digital business cards, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 and Oct 24, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 by ToolGPA
Haystack grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Haystack
Digital-only business cards with directory sync for large companies
Linq
NFC business cards and a pocket CRM with a second phone line
Which one is for you
Pick Haystack if
- Fits if you want free digital cards and scan a lot of paper cards
- Works for companies that want staff cards created and switched off from their directory
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a physical NFC card, as Haystack sells none and suggests printing your QR code on paper
- Watch out: prices carry a dollar sign without saying US or Australian dollars, and the page takes both
- Not for you if you want your own card design, email signatures or CRM links for free: those need Pro or Business
- Tight if your team is under 10, as Business starts at 10 users, and HRIS sync and custom fields need Enterprise from 250
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Pro is $7.95 against $4.50 yearly, and the 14-day trial takes your card up front
Pick Linq if
- Fits if you want a separate work number with call notes in the same app as your card
- Works for teams buying many cards or badges at once, with 15% to 60% off bulk orders
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you just want a card, because every Linq product needs Linq One at $29 a user a month to activate
- Tight if you're staying free: the app shows only your 5 most recent contacts and can't switch on a card
- Not for you if you want a native CRM link, as Linq connects through Zapier or webhooks only
- Watch out: Linq's main site now sells an iMessage API and says it's no longer a digital business card company
- Watch out: the App Store still sells older Linq Pro plans the help pages no longer describe, and the trial length isn't stated
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAHaystackVery good | 2.0GPALinqFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $4.50 a user a month on yearly billing, inside this category's cheapest quarter ($4.99), though $7.95 monthly. Business is $2.50 a user for 10 users or more, $25 a month at the least. The page doesn't say which dollar. | DLinq One is $29 a user a month, or $249 a year (about $20.75 a month), in this category's dearest tenth, where the middle is $5. A card bought on top, $14.99 to $59.99, won't work without it. |
| Free plan and trial | APersonal is free with no cap on cards, shares, contacts or AI card scans, plus your logo, photos, notes, tags and both phone apps. Custom card design, email signatures and CRM links are the paid part. | CThe app is free, but a free account shows only your 5 most recent contacts and can't activate a Linq card or any other NFC product. You hit that cap on day one. |
| Features | CUnlimited cards, a paper card scanner, sharing by QR, link, widget and email signature, directory sync, admin templates, CRM links, Zapier, webhooks and a REST API. The listing's gap: no NFC cards, so a physical card means printing its QR code. | CContact pages, NFC cards and badges, lead forms, a card scanner, enrichment, a second phone number with call transcription and AI summaries, and a team dashboard. The listing's gap: no native CRM, only Zapier or webhooks. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You make a card in the iOS or Android app and share it by QR, link or widget. Directory sync and admin templates are for companies setting up their staff. | CNo store rating on record. Before a card works you buy it, subscribe to Linq One and activate it in the app, and the trial length isn't stated. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Zapier, webhooks, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling and Apple Wallet. No desktop app and no native CRM integration. |
| Best for | free digital cards with unlimited card scans | an NFC card with a second work phone line |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Haystack and Linq. How we grade
Price against what you get
Haystack starts at $2.50 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Linq starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Haystack scores higher and starts $26.50 a month lower. Of the other digital business cards on the chart, none scores higher than Haystack for less, and 6 score higher than Linq for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Linq also covers business phone line.
At a glance
| Haystack | Linq | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users) | $29 per user / month (Linq One) |
| Free plan | Personal plan, free: unlimited cards, shares and contacts, unlimited AI card scans, logo and photos, social links, notes and tags, and the iOS and Android apps. | The app is free and Linq calls Linq One optional, but a free account shows only the 5 most recent contacts and cannot activate a Linq card or other NFC product. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Pro and Business; the card is charged only when the trial ends | Free trial on Linq One's monthly plan in the iOS app; the length is not stated |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Haystack Australia Pty Ltd | Linq, LLC |
| Price read from | thehaystackapp.com | linqapp.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Haystack
- Prices carry a dollar sign without saying whether they are US or Australian dollars; the page lists USD and AUD as payment options.
- Haystack sells no NFC cards; it suggests printing your card's QR code on paper cards if you want something physical.
- Card design, smart email signatures and CRM integrations need Pro or Business; HRIS integrations and custom fields are Enterprise features.
- Business is for teams of 10 or more, and Enterprise starts at 250 users with usage-based pricing.
Linq
- Every Linq card or NFC product needs an active Linq One subscription ($29 per user a month) to work; buying the product does not include account access.
- Linq's main site now sells an iMessage API and says it is no longer a digital business card company, though the card store and apps are still live.
- CRMs connect through Zapier or webhooks; Linq's help says the app has no native one-click CRM integrations.
- The US App Store still lists older Linq Pro ($4.99 a month or $49.99 a year) and Pro Plus purchases that Linq's help pages no longer describe.
Key features
Haystack
- Digital cards
- Unlimited cards with a logo, profile image, gallery, theme colors, social and video links, a portfolio, brochures and a calendar scheduler.
- AI card scanner
- Scan paper business cards into contacts without limit on every plan, including the free one, and add notes and tags.
- Sharing
- Share by QR code, personalized link, iOS and Android home screen widgets, or a smart email signature.
- Directory sync
- Sync employees from Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace or an HR system so new hires get a card on day one and leavers' cards switch off.
- Admin controls
- An admin dashboard with card templates and employee permissions, such as locking synced job titles while people add their own links.
- CRM, Zapier and API
- Send new contacts met in person or over Microsoft Teams to a CRM, or connect other tools through Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API.
Linq
- Linq pages
- A contact page with links, photos, video, Calendly embeds and a lead form. Linq One allows more than one page, with two pages per seat.
- NFC and QR products
- Cards, mini cards, badges and hubs open your page with a tap or scan; Hyper Linq products show an iPhone App Clip preview that Linq One can customize.
- Contact capture and follow-up
- People who tap your card can send their details back. Linq One adds a paper card scanner, contact enrichment, reminders, follow-up templates and message snippets.
- Linq Phone
- Linq One includes a second phone number with call forwarding, call recording and transcription, AI call summaries, text suggestions and auto-replies.
- Team admin dashboard
- Admins add team members, activate and reassign products, manage phone numbers, bulk-edit pages and publish a team directory.
Plans
Haystack
Personal$0
For sole operators: unlimited cards, shares, contacts and AI card scans, with logo, photos and social links.
Pro$4.50
per user / month, billed annually ($7.95 billed monthly)
Custom card design, user permissions, custom links, smart email signatures, CRM integrations and analytics. Currency not stated.
Business$2.50
per user / month, billed annually ($4.95 billed monthly)
For teams of 10 or more: everything in Pro plus teams for organizing shared contacts. Currency not stated.
EnterpriseCustom
For 250+ users: usage-based pricing, HRIS integrations, custom fields, contract terms and dedicated customer success.
Linq
Free$0
A Linq page in the app that shows only your 5 most recent contacts. Cards and other NFC products cannot be activated.
Linq One$29
per user / month, billed monthly ($249 per user billed yearly)
2 pages per seat, lead forms, card scanner, enrichment, a second number with call transcription and AI summaries, CRM links and admin tools.
Linq Card$14.99
one-time, per card
NFC and QR card that opens your Linq page; needs Linq One to activate. Custom printed $34.99, metal $39.99, engraved metal $59.99.
Ways to pay less
Haystack
- Annual discount
Up to 40% off with annual billing
Haystack's pricing page marks annual billing -40%: Pro is $4.50 per user a month billed annually against $7.95 monthly, Business $2.50 against $4.95.
Linq
- Annual discount
Save 29% with yearly Linq One
Linq One is $29 per user a month, or $249 per user a year, which Linq's page says saves 29%.
- Other savings
15% to 60% off products ordered in bulk
Orders of 10 to 24 products get 15% off, rising by tiers to 30% at 100, 50% at 1,000 and 60% at 10,000 or more, applied automatically at checkout.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Haystack or Linq?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Haystack is cheaper to start with: $2.50 a month for each person, against $29 a month for each person for Linq. Haystack starts at $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users), and Linq starts at $29 per user / month (Linq One).
Which has a free plan, Haystack or Linq?
As of Oct 24, 2026, both Haystack and Linq have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.