SmartLinks vs Polytag
Connected products need to work for their whole lifecycle — not just the recycling bin.
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Feature comparison
Side-by-side on the capabilities that shape a connected product programme.
| Feature | SmartLinksUs | Polytag |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free until you go live · transparent plans | Custom pricing (sales call required) |
| Free until you go live | Yes | No |
| GS1 Status | GS1 UK Approved Partner (official) | GS1 certified / GS1 partner |
| AI Product Assistant | Per-product RAG/MCP | No |
| Digital Product Passport (ESPR) | Built-in, self-service | Partial |
| Owner Registration | Yes | No |
| Ownership Capture | Yes | No |
| NFC Support | Yes | No |
| RFID Support | Yes | No |
| Recycling & EPR Tooling | Partial | UV tags + MRF network (strong) |
| Consumer Engagement | Full lifecycle experiences | Partial |
| Target Market | SME to Enterprise, D2C + B2B | Enterprise FMCG & grocery |
Comparison based on publicly available information at September 2026. Competitor pricing and features change — tell us if anything here is out of date: hello@smartlinks.app. Competitor names and trade marks belong to their owners and are used for identification only.
SmartLinks vs Polytag: the real cost
Polytag doesn't publish pricing — you'll need a sales call, a scoping exercise, and a procurement cycle before you see a number.
SmartLinks is free until you go live and you can start today and transparent public plans. No sales call required. No payment until you're live.
Free until you go live. Only pay when you go live and you're happy with your setup.
Shortlisting connected product platforms?
The quick verdict
Three differences that matter most for enterprise buyers.
Self-service, live in an hour
SmartLinks has transparent plans and is free until you go live. Polytag is fully sales-gated — every path goes through a callback form.
AI product assistant built in
Every SmartLinks product ships with a per-product AI assistant, RAG- and MCP-ready. Polytag doesn't offer AI product assistants.
Whole lifecycle, not just recycling
SmartLinks covers repeat purchase, ownership, B2B catalogue, resale and AI support alongside DPP. Polytag is optimised for recycling-facility data and EPR reporting.
“SmartLinks are our GS1 Approved Partner, supporting businesses in implementing GS1 standards with innovative SmartLinks solutions.”
A GS1 UK Approved connected product platform.
Live customer work published in full: Vinca Wines (EU wine e-labelling) and Transformulas (health & beauty engagement) — from first product to full DPP rollout.
Key differences
The story behind the table — why enterprise buyers pick SmartLinks.
End-of-life data alone leaves the rest of the lifecycle unmonetised
Polytag's strength is invisible UV tags read at Materials Recovery Facilities — real recycling infrastructure for large FMCG brands. But end-of-life data is one moment in a product's life. The scans that capture owners, deflect support tickets, sell replacements, and enable resale sit outside the platform. SmartLinks covers the whole lifecycle on one identifier.
Whole-lifecycle identity — included on every SmartLinks plan, starting free.
Your connected product strategy shouldn't wait for a callback form
Polytag has no public pricing, no trial and no self-serve path — every CTA is a callback form. That's an enterprise evaluation timeline measured in quarters. SmartLinks has transparent plans and is free until you go live; you can be live in under an hour and only pay when you're happy with your setup.
Free to start. Only pay when you're live.
One carrier for consumers = one touchpoint. Three carriers = every touchpoint.
Polytag supports QR for consumers and its own invisible UV tags for recycling. If you need NFC for premium tap experiences or RFID for warehouse and retail workflows, you're bolting on a second vendor. SmartLinks supports QR, NFC and RFID from one platform, so the same identity travels across shelf, warehouse, service and consumer.
One identity, every carrier — included on every SmartLinks plan.
Every scan that doesn't capture an owner is revenue you'll never see
Polytag has no owner-registration flow or AI product assistant — the levers that turn a scan into a customer, a repeat sale or a deflected ticket. SmartLinks ships per-product AI and ownership capture as core features on every plan.
AI and ownership included at every SmartLinks tier — no upsell.
Shortlisting connected product platforms?
Who should choose SmartLinks over Polytag?
- If your platform only meets your product at the recycling bin, every scan before that moment is data you're leaving on the table.
- Every scan that doesn't capture an owner is revenue you'll never see — a recycling-first stack has nowhere to put ownership, upgrades or resale.
- Every product question a customer can't self-serve is a £5–15 support ticket — an AI assistant on scan changes that unit economic.
- If pricing requires a callback form before you see a number, your evaluation timeline is measured in quarters, not weeks.
Shortlisting connected product platforms?
Talk it through with us, or start building your first product page today — it's free until you go live.
GS1 UK Approved Partner · ESPR compliant · No payment until live