Kado Networks vs Linq (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kado Networks grades higher than Linq: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kado Networks grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kado Networks
Digital business cards with lead capture and CRM sync
Linq
NFC business cards and a pocket CRM with a second phone line
Which one is for you
Pick Kado Networks if
- Fits if you are one person who wants a branded digital card for free
- Works for small teams who already run Salesforce or HubSpot
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you are staying free, as Lite is one user with no team management or analytics
- Skip it if you want NFC cards from the maker, as you buy them elsewhere
- Pricey if you need the card scanner, notes, tasks or integrations, which start at Business Developer at $4
- Watch out: Outlook sync is listed as beta and Gmail and Google Calendar sync as coming soon
- Watch out: the Business Developer trial length is not stated
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
| 2.6GPAKado NetworksGood | 2.0GPALinqFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$2.50 per user a month for Networker, inside the cheapest quarter of business card tools, which start at $3. | 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 | BNetworker Lite is free for one user, with full branding, QR codes and contact capture with CSV download. | 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 | CCards, contact capture, scanner and CRM sync. The listing names gaps: no NFC cards of its own, and scanner and integrations sit on Business Developer. | 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 | CNo store rating on record. You set up a profile, link your own NFC cards and connect accounts. | 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 Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics, Outlook and Zapier. No desktop app is listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Zapier, webhooks, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling and Apple Wallet. No desktop app and no native CRM integration. |
| Best for | digital business cards for a small team | 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: Kado Networks and Linq. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kado Networks starts at $2.50 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Linq starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Kado Networks starts $26.50 a month lower. Of the other digital business cards on the chart, none scores higher than Kado Networks 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
- Kado Networks also covers tasks, sales pipeline, workflow automation and qR codes.
- Linq also covers business phone line and email signature.
At a glance
| Kado Networks | Linq | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.50 per user / month, billed monthly (Networker) | $29 per user / month (Linq One) |
| Free plan | Networker Lite: one user, interactive digital cards with full branding and animated backgrounds, video content and buttons, offline QR codes and a contact capture tool with CSV download. | 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 | Business Developer shows a Start Trial button; the trial length is not stated on the pricing page | Free trial on Linq One's monthly plan in the iOS app; the length is not stated |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Kado Networks | Linq, LLC |
| Price read from | kadonetworks.com | linqapp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kado Networks
- KADO does not make or sell NFC cards; you source them from a third party and link them to your profile, and only Enterprise includes partner NFC supply.
- The free plan is for one user and has no team management or analytics.
- The card scanner, notes, tasks and all integrations need Business Developer or higher.
- The pricing page lists Outlook email and calendar sync as beta, and Gmail and Google Calendar sync as coming soon.
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
Kado Networks
- Interactive digital cards
- Cards carry your logo, colors, links and video, and are shared by QR code, link, wallet pass or NFC. A QR code can still be shown offline.
- Contact capture
- A form on each card collects leads. Contacts download as CSV on every plan, including the free one.
- Card scanner
- The Business Developer plan adds an intelligent scanner for QR codes, paper cards and similar sources.
- Contact management
- Business Developer adds notes, tasks, tags, contact grouping, and event rules that tag contacts by campaign.
- CRM and tool sync
- Business Developer syncs with Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics, Outlook and Google Contacts, and offers Zapier webhooks.
- Team administration
- Team plans have branded templates, permission controls and analytics. The vendor lists SOC 2 Type II controls and GDPR-compliant processing.
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
Kado Networks
Networker Lite$0
One user: interactive digital cards, full branding and animated backgrounds, and a contact capture tool.
Networker$2.50
per user / month, billed monthly
Team management, fully branded cards, multiple cards per user, analytics, and user access and permission control.
Business Developer$4
per user / month, billed monthly
Adds notes and tasks, tags, an intelligent card scanner, Outlook and Google Contacts sync, CRM integration and Zapier webhooks.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds a dedicated account manager, premium onboarding, priority support, HRM integration, a subdomain and NFC cards through partners.
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
Kado Networks
- Annual discount
Yearly billing: 2 months free
The pricing page has a Monthly/Yearly toggle labeled 2 months free; the yearly prices are not shown in the page text.
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, Kado Networks or Linq?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kado Networks is cheaper to start with: $2.50 a month for each person, against $29 a month for each person for Linq. Kado Networks starts at $2.50 per user / month, billed monthly (Networker), and Linq starts at $29 per user / month (Linq One).
Which has a free plan, Kado Networks or Linq?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kado Networks 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.