The Haystack Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Haystack in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Haystack
The Insider’s Guide
Digital-only business cards with directory sync for large companies
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among digital business cards, read from Haystack’s own pages.
Made by Haystack Australia Pty Ltd · checked Oct 24, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Haystack’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Haystack’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 24, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 7 of the 10 other digital business cards we grade
Haystack makes digital business cards shared by QR code, link, phone widget or email signature, and sells no physical NFC cards. Individuals get unlimited cards and AI card scans free. Paid plans add custom card designs, smart email signatures and CRM integrations, and larger companies sync employee cards from Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace or an HR system.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Haystack, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You make a card in the iOS or Android app and share it by QR, link or widget.
- 1
Best for free digital cards with unlimited card scans
It sells no NFC cards, your own card design and CRM links need Pro, and the prices don't say whether they're US or Australian dollars.
- 2
Paid plans start at $2.50 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users).
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Digital cards
Unlimited cards with a logo, profile image, gallery, theme colors, social and video links, a portfolio, brochures and a calendar scheduler.
- 6
AI card scanner
Scan paper business cards into contacts without limit on every plan, including the free one, and add notes and tags.
- 7
Sharing
Share by QR code, personalized link, iOS and Android home screen widgets, or a smart email signature.
- 8
A 3.0 GPA, above 7 of 10
That is against the other digital business cards we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Haystack you could make: digital business card and email signature. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Haystack at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of Pro and Business; the card is charged only when the trial ends
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Haystack Australia Pty Ltd
- Category
- Digital Business Cards
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for free digital cards with unlimited card scans
Haystack's free plan gives one person unlimited digital cards, contacts and AI card scans, and larger companies can create cards from their staff directory. It sells no NFC cards, your own card design and CRM links need Pro, and the prices don't say whether they're US or Australian dollars.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Pro 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. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Personal 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. |
| Features | C | Unlimited 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. |
| Ease of use | B | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API. No desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Haystack is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Individuals who want a free card and unlimited card scans
- Large companies that want cards created from their staff directory
- Teams that would rather avoid printing and shipping NFC cards
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$2.50
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Haystack has a free plan. Paid plans start at $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users).
Personal is free with no cap on cards, shares, contacts or AI card scans, plus your logo, photos, notes, tags and both phone apps.
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.
Enterprise
Custom
For 250+ users: usage-based pricing, HRIS integrations, custom fields, contract terms and dedicated customer success.
The 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.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of Pro and Business; the card is charged only when the trial ends
Read from thehaystackapp.com on Oct 24, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on thehaystackapp.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Digital-only business cards with directory sync for large companies. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, digital business card, email signature.
The listing's gap: no NFC cards, so a physical card means printing its QR code.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Google Workspace
- Zapier
- Microsoft Teams
- Outlook
Haystack is made by Haystack Australia Pty Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/10
Other digital business cards it is graded above
Haystack's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 7 of the 10 other digital business cards we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 10 of 10) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $2.50 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 0 of the 8 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 11 digital business cards we grade, cut by the letter each got. Haystack’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 7 of 10
- AFree plan and trialAbove 10 of 10
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 10
- BEase of useAbove 4 of 10
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 10
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 9 digital business cards. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Haystack is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Haystack you could make: digital business card and email signature. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 7 of the 10 other digital business cards we grade. It costs $30 a year.
What you could make
- Digital business card and email signature: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace and Zapier among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Haystack’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
HiHello, Blinq, Popl, Wave Connect and Linq
The 5 tools Haystack is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
HiHello
Free plan · from $5/mo
Digital business cards, email signatures and lead capture for teams.
- 3.0GPA
Blinq
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Digital business cards with contact scanning and event lead capture.
- Blinq also covers meeting notes.
- 3.0GPA
Popl
Free plan · from $76.99/yr
- 3.0GPA
Wave Connect
Free plan · from $5/mo
Digital business cards with AI badge scanning on prepaid credits.
- 2.0GPA
Linq
Free plan · from $29/mo
NFC business cards and a pocket CRM with a second phone line.
- Linq also covers business phone line.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Haystack free?
Haystack has a 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.
How much does Haystack cost?
Haystack lists 4 plans. Personal: $0.
What platforms does Haystack work on?
Haystack is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Haystack offer any discounts?
Haystack publicly lists the following: Up to 40% off with annual billing.
Does Haystack have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 24, 2026. Haystack is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Haystack have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 24, 2026. Haystack is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Haystack open source?
Haystack is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 24, 2026.
Does Haystack have an API?
Yes. Haystack offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Haystack integrate with?
Haystack's listing names Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Zapier, Microsoft Teams and Outlook.
Does Haystack have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of Pro and Business; the card is charged only when the trial ends.
Who makes Haystack?
Haystack is made by Haystack Australia Pty Ltd.
What are the alternatives to Haystack?
The closest alternatives to Haystack in our directory are HiHello, Blinq, Popl, Wave Connect and Linq.
How does Haystack compare with other digital business cards?
Haystack's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 7 of the 10 other digital business cards we grade, and level with 3.
Is Haystack good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Haystack B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.50 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 0 of the 8 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Haystack?
The plain part of Haystack you could make: digital business card and email signature.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Haystack’s own pages on Oct 24, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 24, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Haystack's own pages on 24 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Haystack Australia Pty Ltd. Prices change, so check thehaystackapp.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Haystack, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/haystack
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Haystack: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 24, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/haystack
Know someone choosing between digital business cards?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/haystack/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded digital business cards after Haystack, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Digital Business Cards Insider's GuideEvery one of the 11 digital business cards we grade, compared
- Blinq Insider's GuideDigital business cards with contact scanning and event lead capture3.0 GPA
- Popl Insider's GuideDigital business cards and event badge scanning for sales teams3.0 GPA
- Wave Connect Insider's GuideDigital business cards with AI badge scanning on prepaid credits3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Haystack’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Haystack is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Haystack Australia Pty Ltd. Prices and plans change: check thehaystackapp.com before you buy.