Bitly vs QR TIGER (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick QR TIGER: it is first in our ranking of QR code generators, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
QR TIGER grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bitly
Link shortener and QR code platform with click and scan analytics
QR TIGER
Dynamic QR codes with a free plan, bulk creation and an API
Which one is for you
Pick Bitly if
- Fits if you want links and QR codes counted in one dashboard
- Works for a marketer who needs short links next to the codes
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you are staying free: 2 QR codes and 5 links a month, with ads
- Watch out: Core is annual only, and Premium is $300 a month if billed monthly
- Pricey if you want branded links, which start on Growth at $29
- Watch out: only Premium keeps a year of data and city and device-level detail
Pick QR TIGER if
- Fits if you want a few dynamic codes on a plan you can pay month to month
- Works for marketers who tag scans with UTM codes and read them in Google Analytics
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, as each dynamic code stops at 500 scans and every scan shows a QR TIGER popup
- Pricey if you need bulk codes, Google Analytics, Zapier or HubSpot, which start on Advanced at $192 a year
- Watch out: only Regular can be paid monthly; Advanced, Premium and Professional are billed yearly
- Watch out: refunds are decided case by case, according to the FAQ
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABitlyFair | 3.0GPAQR TIGERVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DCore is $10 a month billed annually for 5 QR codes, Growth $29 for 10, Premium $199. Branded links and the included custom domain start on Growth, well above the $10 category middle. | BRegular is $7 a month, or $65 a year (about $5.42 a month), inside this category's cheaper quarter of $6.08, for 12 dynamic codes and unlimited scans. Bulk, Google Analytics and Zapier start on Advanced at $16 a month, billed yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for 2 QR codes and 5 links a month, 2 landing pages and unlimited clicks and scans, with ads. | CUnlimited static codes and 3 dynamic codes free, with no card. But each free dynamic code stops at 500 scans, and every scan shows a QR TIGER logo popup. |
| Features | BDynamic QR codes, short and branded links, click and scan analytics, landing pages and 2D barcodes. The limits are monthly caps rather than missing parts. | BDynamic codes you can edit, clone, expire or lock with a password, multi-link codes, geofencing, scan alerts, UTM tags, bulk batches of 3,000, an API and an MCP server. Nothing in the core job is missing; most of it sits on Advanced and up. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A web app with links, codes, pages and domains to set up. | AQR TIGER rates 4.8 on the US App Store from 1,645 ratings, which is the top of our ease ladder for a tool you sign up to and start using. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Shopify, Canva and HubSpot integrations and an API. | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps, an API and MCP server, and Canva, Google Analytics, Zapier and HubSpot. No desktop app, so it tops out here. |
| Best for | short links and QR codes with click counts | a few dynamic codes paid month to month |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bitly and QR TIGER. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bitly starts at $10 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. QR TIGER starts at $7 a month and scores 3.3.
QR TIGER scores higher and starts $3 a month lower. Of the other QR code generators on the chart, 1 scores higher than Bitly for less, and none scores higher than QR TIGER for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bitly also covers reports and digital business card.
At a glance
| Bitly | QR TIGER | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($120 a year; Core is annual only) | $7 per month, billed monthly (Regular) |
| Free plan | 2 QR codes and 5 links a month, 2 custom landing pages, unlimited clicks and scans, with ads. | Unlimited static codes and 3 dynamic codes with 500 scans each and basic analytics. Scans of free codes show a QR TIGER logo popup. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Bitly | QR TIGER Incorporated Limited |
| Price read from | bitly.com | qrcode-tiger.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bitly
- Monthly caps bind quickly: Free allows 2 QR codes a month, Core 5 and Growth 10.
- Core is sold with annual billing only, and Premium costs $300 a month if billed monthly.
- Branded links and the complimentary custom domain start at Growth; long data history needs Premium.
- The free plan shows ads.
QR TIGER
- Only Regular can be paid monthly; Advanced, Premium and Professional are billed yearly.
- Free dynamic codes stop at 500 scans each and show a QR TIGER logo popup when scanned.
- Refunds are decided case by case, according to the FAQ.
- Regular has no bulk creation, Google Analytics, Zapier or HubSpot; those start on Advanced.
Key features
Bitly
- Dynamic QR codes
- QR codes can be redirected after printing and are customizable, with advanced customization from the Core plan.
- Short and branded links
- Links can be shortened, given custom back-halves, and branded with your own domain from the Growth plan.
- Click and scan analytics
- Clicks and scans are tracked with data history that grows from 30 days on Core to a year on Premium, with city and device detail on Premium.
- Landing pages and cards
- Link-in-bio style custom landing pages and digital business cards sit alongside the links and QR codes.
- Bitly Assist and AI connectors
- Bitly Assist creates links and analyzes performance with AI on Core and above; the site also lists an MCP server for AI agents.
- 2D barcodes
- A GTIN can be added to QR codes made for product packaging.
QR TIGER
- Dynamic QR codes
- Edit a code's link or design after printing, clone codes, set an expiry date and protect a code with a password.
- Scan analytics and alerts
- Advanced scan analytics on every paid plan. Scan notifications, custom UTM parameters, Google Analytics and a retargeting tool start on Advanced.
- Multi-URL codes and geofencing
- One code can send people to different links, and scanning can be limited to a set area with precise location tracking.
- Bulk creation, API and MCP
- Advanced and up create up to 3,000 codes per batch. API allowances run from 500 requests a month on Regular to 50,000 operations on Professional.
- Integrations
- Canva on every paid plan; Google Analytics, Zapier and HubSpot from Advanced.
- Mobile apps
- iPhone and Android apps for creating and scanning codes on the go.
Plans
Bitly
Free$0
2 QR codes and 5 links per month, 2 landing pages, 3 custom back-halves per month and QR code customization. Shown with ads.
Core$10
per month, billed annually ($120 a year)
5 QR codes and 100 links per month, 5 landing pages, 30 days of click and scan data, UTM builder and Bitly Assist. Annual billing only.
Growth$29
per month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
10 QR codes and 500 links per month, 10 landing pages, branded links, a complimentary custom domain, bulk creation and 4 months of data.
Premium$199
per month, billed annually ($300 billed monthly)
200 QR codes and 3,000 links per month, 20 landing pages, 1 year of data, city and device-level data, mobile deep linking and campaign tracking.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom volumes, multiple users and group permissions, SSO, webhooks, a dedicated customer success manager and priority support.
QR TIGER
Free$0
Unlimited static codes, 3 dynamic codes with 500 scans each, basic analytics and a QR TIGER popup on scans.
Regular$7
per month, billed monthly ($65 billed yearly)
One user, 12 dynamic codes, unlimited scans, no ads, Canva integration and 500 API requests a month.
Advanced$16
per month, billed annually ($192 a year)
200 dynamic codes, 3,000 codes per bulk batch, Google Analytics, Zapier, HubSpot, your own domain, geofencing, an AI data chatbot and 3,000 API requests a month.
Premium$37
per month, billed annually ($444 a year)
600 dynamic codes, one white-label domain, 20 MB uploads and 10,000 API requests a month.
Professional$89
per month, billed annually ($1,068 a year)
1,200 dynamic codes, 60 MB uploads, VIP support and 50,000 API and MCP operations a month. Shown under the business tab.
EnterpriseCustom
API and other platforms, plus the company's vCard, form, GS1 and menu products, priced by sales.
Ways to pay less
Bitly
- Annual discount
Save up to 34% with annual plans
The pricing page states annual billing saves up to 34%; Growth is $29 a month annually against $35 monthly, and Premium $199 against $300.
QR TIGER
- Annual discount
Save $19 on Regular with yearly billing
Regular costs $65 for a year instead of $7 a month, or $84 a year.
- Nonprofit
Discounts for NGOs and charities
The FAQ says NGOs and charities get a discount on any yearly plan; no amount is given.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bitly or QR TIGER?
As of Nov 12, 2026, QR TIGER is cheaper to start with: $7 a month, against $10 a month for Bitly. Bitly starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($120 a year; Core is annual only), and QR TIGER starts at $7 per month, billed monthly (Regular).
Which has a free plan, Bitly or QR TIGER?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Bitly and QR TIGER have a free plan.
Which platforms do Bitly and QR TIGER run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only QR TIGER lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.