Linq has reshaped its offer: its card products now sit under a single Linq One subscription pitched as a mobile-first CRM. We compare it with Calenix's free digital cards, booking pages and scheduling.
Quick answer
If you want NFC cards and badges tied to a mobile CRM with calling and texting features, Linq One is built for that. If you mainly want a free or low-cost digital card that turns new contacts into booked meetings, Calenix is the simpler and cheaper fit.
Before comparing features, it helps to know that Linq's business has changed, which affects what you are actually buying.
What has changed at Linq
Linq began as a digital business card brand, and many people still know it that way. Today, its main website at linqapp.com leads with communication APIs for messaging and voice, aimed at businesses building conversational products.
The card products have not disappeared. They are sold through a separate store at buy.linqapp.com, and the subscription behind them is called Linq One. Linq's own blog says Linq One consolidates its previous tiers (Linq Pro, Linq Pro Plus and Linq for Teams), and the Linq One page describes it as "a lightweight, mobile-first CRM".
Two practical points follow. First, Linq's store states that its products need an active subscription before they can be activated, and that buying a card does not include account access. Second, if you read older reviews describing free or tiered Linq plans, they may no longer reflect what Linq sells today.
What each tool is built for
Linq One is a subscription for entrepreneurs and teams that combines Linq pages and NFC products with CRM-style features: contact enrichment, bulk management, an admin dashboard view, a second phone number, call forwarding, call transcription, AI call summaries, text auto-reply and CRM/marketing integrations.
Calenix is a scheduling and professional presence platform. Digital business cards sit alongside booking pages, landing and service pages, email signatures, a LinkDock link page and AI business-card scanning. Its focus is helping people who meet you move to a booked conversation.
Feature comparison
Based on each vendor's official pages at the time of writing.
| Feature | Calenix | Linq |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free plan available | Linq One subscription required |
| Digital card / profile pages | 1 card free, 3 on Individual | 2 Linq pages per seat |
| Physical NFC products | Not currently listed | Cards, metal cards, badges, hubs |
| Business card scanner | Yes, AI scanning in 30+ languages | Linq business card scanner listed |
| CRM features | Contact notes, tags, export; HubSpot and Salesforce integrations | Mobile-first CRM, enrichment, bulk management |
| Calling and texting tools | Not listed | Second number, call forwarding, transcription, AI summaries |
| Booking pages and scheduling | Yes, built in | Not listed |
| Email signatures | Yes | Not listed |
Growing a network versus managing a pipeline
"Growing your network" can mean two different jobs. One is meeting more people and keeping their details organised. The other is turning those people into conversations that lead to work.
Linq One leans towards the first job, with a sales twist. A field sales rep who taps an NFC badge at a trade stand, enriches the contact, calls them from a second business number and gets an AI summary of that call is using Linq as intended. For mobile-heavy sales roles that live on the phone, that bundle is coherent.
Calenix leans towards the second job. Say a Brisbane business coach meets a potential client at a networking lunch. They share a Calenix card by QR code, and the card's main button opens a booking page for a free 30-minute discovery call. The client chooses a time, gets an email confirmation and a reminder, and the coach never has to chase. Our explainer on what a digital business card is and what to include has more on choosing that primary action.
Contacts, scanning and follow-up
Both tools can capture details from paper cards. Calenix's scanner includes 10 scans a month on the Free plan and 100 on Individual, with recognition in more than 30 languages, offline scanning that syncs later, duplicate detection, and export to vCard, CSV or Excel. Contacts can be tagged, given notes and grouped by event, with follow-up reminders.
Linq lists its own business card scanner as part of its product range, plus contact enrichment and integrations to send new leads to a CRM. If your team already runs a CRM and wants every card tap to flow into it, compare how each tool's integration maps to your setup. Calenix's integrations page lists HubSpot and Salesforce, plus Zapier.
For sales teams in particular, the meeting is where pipeline really starts. Our guide to scheduling software for sales teams covers routing and round robin, both of which Calenix's Professionals plan supports.
Questions to ask before you switch
If you are an existing Linq customer reviewing your options, or weighing Linq against Calenix for the first time, these questions help separate the two:
- Do your team members actually use calling features such as a second number and call transcription, or mainly share their details?
- How do new contacts currently book a meeting with you, and how many replies does that usually take?
- Would a free tier cover your solo or part-time staff, or does everyone need a paid seat?
- Do you need physical NFC cards and badges, or would QR codes and links shared by email or text be enough?
If the answers point to phone-led selling with hardware, Linq One is designed for that. If they point to booking more meetings at a lower cost per person, Calenix is likely the better match.
Pricing compared
From each vendor's official pages at the time of writing (October 2026). Check current pricing before you decide.
Linq (USD)
- Linq One: US$29/month per user, or US$249/year per user.
- Hardware: priced separately in Linq's store. Examples at the time of writing include the standard card at $14.99 and the laser-engraved metal card at $59.99, with badges, mini cards and hubs also available.
- Products require an active subscription to activate.
Calenix (AUD)
- Free: A$0, including 1 digital card, 1 booking page and 10 card scans a month.
- Individual: A$12/month billed annually, or A$15 month to month.
- Professionals: from A$29/month billed annually, for teams.
- Enterprise: custom quote.
Where Linq is the stronger choice
Linq suits sales-led teams who want branded NFC hardware, a phone-centric CRM and calling features such as a second number, call transcription and AI call summaries in one subscription. If your reps spend most of their day on the road and on calls, that combination is hard to replicate with a card-and-booking tool.
Where Calenix is the stronger choice
Calenix suits consultants, advisers, coaches and small teams who want contacts to book time without back-and-forth. You can start free, and the same account covers digital cards, booking pages, reminders, paid sessions, email signatures and LinkDock. Calenix is a newer platform and does not currently list NFC products or calling tools, so it is not a like-for-like replacement for Linq One's phone features.
Frequently asked questions
Is Linq still a digital business card company?
Linq's main website now describes it as a communications API company and says it is no longer a digital business card company. However, card and NFC products are still sold at buy.linqapp.com and need a Linq One subscription, which Linq positions as a mobile-first CRM.
Can I use a Linq card without a subscription?
Linq's store states that all products require an active subscription before they can be activated, and that product purchases do not include account access.
Does Calenix have a free digital business card?
Yes. Calenix's Free plan includes one digital business card, one booking page, one email signature, one LinkDock page and 10 business-card scans a month, with Calenix branding.
Next step
Want new contacts to book a call rather than sit in your phone? Start free with Calenix, link your digital card to a booking page and test the flow from your own phone. When you are ready to compare plans, visit the Calenix pricing page.