Stan is a creator store, US-first, and takes a percentage of sales. It is not built to be your WhatsApp-native business front with bookings and a CRM behind it.
| What matters | cthe.link | Stan Store |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp button | ✓One tap opens WhatsApp with a message pre-written for you. | –Not WhatsApp-native — a plain outbound link at best. |
| Take bookings inline | ✓Book an appointment or slot → instant WhatsApp confirmation. | –Links out to a separate scheduler you pay for. |
| Sell in ₹ (UPI / GPay / Razorpay) | ✓India-native checkout. Money lands in your own account. | –Card-first / USD-first checkout, awkward for Indian buyers. |
| Cut of your sales | ✓Zero — ever. You keep 100% of what customers pay you. | –Takes a percentage of your sales. |
| Lead becomes a CRM contact | ✓Every tap can become a WhatsApp lead in a real CRM. | –An email-list export at best. |
| Instagram comment → auto-DM | ✓Rolling out via Meta’s official API — activates on approval. | –Not offered. |
| Reel-style storefront | ✓Full-screen, swipeable, Instagram-style feed of your work. | –A vertical link list or a basic grid. |
| AI writes your bio | ✓Drafts your tagline, bio and trust line in seconds. | –Limited or unavailable. |
| Themes | ✓17 themes incl. the time-shifting Aurora — free ones included. | –Templates, with the good ones behind the paywall. |
| Built for India | ✓INR-first, WhatsApp-native, GST-ready via Studio. | –US-first — currency, payments and defaults assume a US audience. |
| Grows into a full business OS | ✓Upgrade to Studio: CRM, invoicing, POS, campaigns, inventory. | –It stays a link page. |
| Free plan | ✓Free forever — WhatsApp button, 10 links, 3 themes, view counts. | –Free tier exists, but the essentials are usually paid. |
Comparison reflects publicly-available information about Stan Store at the time of writing and focuses on cthe.link's differentiators for the Indian market. Stan Store may have shipped features since — check their site for the latest before deciding.
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