The best Universe website builder alternative in 2026

Content Writer
Updated 30 Oct, 2026
Regina Davis
Content Writer
Universe lets you build websites with custom designs and sell products online. But if you’re looking for a more affordable option, consider Taplink. It also lets you showcase your services, display your portfolio, collect leads, and sell digital products — but at a lower cost. In this article, we’ll compare both builders’ features and pricing.
Reading time — 5 minutes
Update: Universe shared plans to wind down its service. The platform’s shutdown date is December 31, 2026.

Why Taplink is the best Universe alternative

We consider Taplink the best Universe alternative because it offers Universe’s key features along with these benefits:

  • More affordable plans.
  • Digital product sales with no Taplink commission.
  • An AI builder that creates a page in 15 seconds.

And other features that we’ll cover in the article.

Taplink is a website and page builder. It’s suitable for bloggers, professionals, freelancers, and small businesses. You can showcase services, display a portfolio, collect leads, and sell digital products on your website.

Here are some websites you can create with Taplink:

Nail school website built with Taplink as a Universe website builder alternativeElectronics store website created with Taplink as an alternative to the Universe website builderClothing store website designed with Taplink as a Universe website builder alternative

Let’s compare the two platforms’ features before looking at each in detail.

FeatureTaplinkUniverse
Grid editorYesYes
Ready-made templatesYes, over 100 optionsYes, over 100 options
CustomizationAdvancedAdvanced
Images, videos, and musicYesYes
Internal pagesYesYes
Custom domainYesYes
Digital product salesYesYes
Platform fees on sales0%0%–5%, depending on the plan
Data collection through formsCollects email addresses, phone numbers, messages, and other detailsCollects email addresses
AI toolsGenerate a complete page with text, images, and layoutGenerate images and write or edit text
Built-in analyticsViews, clicks, conversion rates, traffic sources, visitor devices, and locationsPage views
PricingFree plan; paid plans from $4 to $8/month with annual billingFree plan; paid plans from $6 to $41.67/month with annual billing

Now, let’s take a closer look at what makes Taplink the best Universe alternative.

A familiar grid editor

If you’re used to Universe’s grid canvas, you can build your site with Taplink’s built-in graphic editor, Custom block. It lets you freely arrange text, images, buttons, and other elements on a grid. You can create your design from scratch or use a template.

Taplink also has a block-based builder. You can build a website by stacking ready-made blocks vertically. For example, you can add an introduction, social links, a gallery, and contact details.

Below, you can see the grid editor and the block-based builder.

Taplink’s Custom block grid editorTaplink’s website builder with vertically stacked blocks

You can combine both approaches: design a header in the graphic editor, then add ready-made blocks below.

More affordable plans

Taplink’s plans cost less than Universe’s while still offering its core features. Here’s how much Taplink costs. All prices below assume annual billing.

  • Basic — Free: Create and customize a page to introduce yourself and share key information.
  • Pro — $4/month: Expand your page with multimedia and dedicated blocks for presenting services.
  • Business — $8/month: Collect leads, sell digital products, and connect your own domain.
Taplink’s Basic, Pro, and Business plans with annual billing prices

For comparison, Universe’s paid plans range from $6 to $41.67 per month with annual billing.

Selling digital products through Taplink can also cost much less. Here’s why.

No platform sales fees

If you plan to sell digital products through your website, consider the platform’s transaction fees.

Universe charges a fee of up to 5%, depending on your plan. Zero platform fees require Complete, which costs $500 per year, or about $41.67 per month.

Taplink’s Business plan lets you sell digital products without platform fees for $8 per month with annual billing. You only pay the payment provider’s processing fees.

Customers can pay for digital products directly on your website. After payment, they’ll automatically receive the product by email.

Taplink supports over 60 payment providers, including Stripe, PayPal, Paddle, and Revolut. For comparison, Universe supports only PayPal and Apple Pay. With Taplink, you can choose a provider available in your customers’ country.

AI features for creating a page

Taplink AI builds your website’s homepage, including its structure, images, and text. This will help you turn your idea into a finished website faster.

Universe also has AI tools, but they generate individual images and text rather than an entire page from scratch.

To create a page with Taplink AI, you just need to briefly describe yourself and what you want to include on the page. In 15 seconds, it will generate a fully designed page with content. You can then add your work, photos, contact details, and additional website pages if you want.

Below, you can see an example of the original description and the resulting page.

Digital marketing course prompt in Taplink AIDigital marketing course page generated by Taplink AI

Other Taplink features

Taplink offers tools for website design, analytics, and collecting leads. Some of these features are also available in Universe, while others add new capabilities.

  • Ready-made templates: Like Universe, Taplink lets you start with a template. You can choose from over 100 templates for different niches, complete with layouts, text, and images.
  • Flexible design settings: You can change colors, fonts, backgrounds, element sizes, and spacing. There are also over 200 ready-made design themes.
  • Lead collection and CRM: You can collect not only customers’ email addresses, as in Universe, but other data too. With forms, you can ask for phone numbers, countries, project descriptions, and other details. All information is saved in the built-in CRM.
  • Custom domain: The Business plan allows you to connect your own domain to your website. You can then use this address on social media, business cards, and ads.
  • Analytics: While Universe tracks page views, Taplink lets you track more. Its built-in analytics show views, clicks, conversion rates, traffic sources, visitor devices, and locations. You can also connect Google Analytics if you’d like.
  • Internal pages: You can move details to separate pages and keep only the essentials on your homepage. For example, you can have separate pages for your portfolio, services, and customer reviews. Each website supports up to 512 internal pages.

Taplink includes familiar Universe features such as templates, flexible design options, custom domains, and internal pages. Plus, it adds tools to collect orders and inquiries, as well as detailed site analytics.

How to create a website in Taplink

You can create a website using a template or AI.

Using a template

  1. Sign up for Taplink.
  2. Choose a template that fits your needs.
  3. Replace the text and images, and add your links and contact details.
  4. Customize the design if needed.
  5. Publish your website.
For detailed steps, see our guide to creating a website from a template.

Using AI

  1. Sign up for Taplink.
  2. Open Taplink AI and generate a website.
  3. Choose a color scheme and customize the sections.
  4. Add images, links, and contact details.
  5. Publish your website.
For detailed steps, see our guide to building a website with AI.

The bottom line

Taplink is a Universe alternative for anyone who wants to showcase their work, collect leads, and sell digital products without platform fees. It offers a familiar grid editor, ready-made blocks, templates, and AI to help you create a web page quickly. Paid plans start at $4 per month, and you can sell without Taplink fees for $8 with annual billing.

Create your website in Taplink for free and add the paid features you need later.

Create a high-converting landing page with multiple links and features for your Instagram bio. Enhance your bio with Taplink and experience the next level of engagement.