BESTÅ vs BILLY – What’s the Difference for Storage at Home?

When it comes to finding the perfect storage solution for your home, IKEA offers two of the most popular options: BESTÅ and BILLY. While both are great for organizing spaces, they serve very different purposes and fit different styles and needs. In this guide, I'll break down the key differences to help you decide which one is right for you.

What is IKEA BESTÅ?

BESTÅ is a modular storage system designed for living rooms, media centers, and versatile storage setups. It's highly customizable, allowing you to choose frame sizes, doors, legs, wall-mount options, and accessories like drawers and glass panels.

BESTÅ is perfect for creating low TV stands, elegant sideboards, and floating wall units. It has a clean, modern look that blends easily into contemporary homes.

Key features of BESTÅ:

• Modular and highly customizable

• Suitable for media storage and general home organization

• Deeper cabinets (around 40 cm depth)

• Options for doors, drawers, legs, or wall-mounting

• More expensive than BILLY but more versatile in design

What is IKEA BILLY?

BILLY is IKEA's iconic bookcase system, first introduced in 1979. It's famous for its simplicity, affordability, and practicality. BILLY is mainly designed for book storage but is often used for displaying decor, organizing office spaces, or creating home libraries.

BILLY units are narrow and lightweight, with adjustable shelves that make them easy to personalize based on your needs.

Key features of BILLY:

• Classic open bookcase design

• Fixed frame sizes (narrow and wide versions)

• Shallower depth (about 28 cm)

• Affordable and easy to assemble

• Limited customization compared to BESTÅ

BESTÅ vs BILLY – The Main Differences

Depth and Size
BESTÅ units are deeper and can hold larger items like electronics, baskets, and bulky objects. BILLY is shallower, ideal for books, small decor, and lighter items.

Customization
BESTÅ offers full modular customization — you can build from scratch and design media units, closed storage, and wall-mounted solutions. BILLY, in contrast, is much more standardized, with fewer options beyond adding glass doors or height extensions.

Design and Appearance
BESTÅ has a sleek, modern aesthetic with options for hidden storage behind doors. BILLY is more casual and traditional, often used in home offices, libraries, or simple living rooms.

Price Point
BILLY is significantly cheaper and great for budget-friendly projects. BESTÅ is more of an investment, but it delivers a higher-end look and greater flexibility.

Assembly
Both are relatively easy to assemble, but BESTÅ setups can be more complex if you're combining multiple units, doors, and wall-mounts.

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BESTÅ if you:

• Need deeper storage for electronics, games, baskets, or home media.

• Want a clean, modular look with hidden storage.

• Plan to design a custom wall unit or media center.

Choose BILLY if you:

• Need affordable book storage.

• Want an easy way to organize decor, office supplies, or create a simple home library.

• Prefer open shelving and lightweight furniture.

Final Thoughts

Both BESTÅ and BILLY are fantastic storage solutions, but they serve different purposes. If you're looking for a flexible, customizable system that can act as a centerpiece in your living room, BESTÅ is the better choice. If you simply need reliable shelving for books and smaller items at an affordable price, BILLY remains a classic favorite.

Whichever system you choose, both offer the smart design, quality, and functionality that IKEA is known for — helping you keep your home organized and stylish.

Curious about other IKEA storage systems? Check out my comparison of PLATSA vs PAX here.