Bitly review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Link shortener and QR code platform with click and scan analytics
Black Friday: is there a Bitly sale?
Bitly report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for short links and QR codes with click counts
Bitly makes short links and dynamic QR codes and counts the clicks and scans. The free plan has ads and allows 2 QR codes and 5 links a month, Core at $10 is annual only, and branded links wait on Growth at $29. Monthly caps are what you will hit first.
Who Bitly is for
- Fits if you want links and QR codes counted in one dashboard
- Works for a marketer who needs short links next to the codes
Who Bitly is not for
- 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
Why Bitly gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyCore 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.
- CFree plan and trialFree for 2 QR codes and 5 links a month, 2 landing pages and unlimited clicks and scans, with ads.
- BFeaturesDynamic QR codes, short and branded links, click and scan analytics, landing pages and 2D barcodes. The limits are monthly caps rather than missing parts.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. A web app with links, codes, pages and domains to set up.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with Shopify, Canva and HubSpot integrations and an API.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Bitly's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Bitly? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/bitly#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/bitly.svg" alt="Bitly: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Bitly stands among QR code generators
Bitly's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 5 of the 22 other QR code generators we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on features (B, above 13 of 22) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 10 of the 19 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 23 QR code generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Bitly’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 22, level with 4
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 22, level with 13
- BFeaturesAbove 13 of 22, level with 9
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 22, level with 17
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 22, level with 9
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 23 QR code generators. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Bitly, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of Bitly you could make: qR codes, reports and digital business card. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 13 of the 22 other QR code generators grade higher. It costs $120 a year.
What you could make
- QR codes, reports and digital business card: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, Shopify, Canva and HubSpot among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Bitly’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Bitly?
Bitly is a link and QR code management platform. It shortens and brands links, creates dynamic QR codes and link-in-bio pages, and reports clicks and scans. Plans are limited by how many links and QR codes you can create each month, and the free plan shows ads on its landing pages.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Bitly pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bitly has a free plan, and paid plans start at $10 per month, billed annually ($120 a year; Core is annual only).
- Starts at
- $10 per month, billed annually ($120 a year; Core is annual only)
- Free plan
- 2 QR codes and 5 links a month, 2 custom landing pages, unlimited clicks and scans, with ads.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $10per 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 | $29per 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 | $199per 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. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom volumes, multiple users and group permissions, SSO, webhooks, a dedicated customer success manager and priority support. |
Read from bitly.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Bitly before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 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.
Stated on bitly.com
Works with
Bitly alternatives
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- Bitly vs QR Code Generator PRO
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
- Bitly vs QR TIGER
Free plan · from $7/mo
- Bitly vs Flowcode
Free plan · from $25/mo
Common questions
Does Bitly have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Bitly is listed for Web.
Does Bitly have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Bitly is listed for Web.
Is Bitly open source?
Bitly is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Bitly have an API?
Yes. Bitly offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.