Bitly has been synonymous with link shortening since 2008. When someone says “use a bit.ly link,” they’re using the brand as a verb—the ultimate sign of category dominance.
But dominance doesn’t mean best value. Here’s what Bitly actually offers in 2026.
What is Bitly?
Bitly is a link management platform that shortens URLs, generates QR codes, and tracks click analytics. The core product condenses long URLs (especially those with UTM parameters) into short, shareable links.
The platform serves:
- Marketing teams tracking campaign performance
- Social media managers needing clean links
- Enterprises requiring branded short domains
- Anyone wanting basic link analytics
Pricing Breakdown
Free Plan ($0/month)
- 5 links per month
- 2 QR codes per month
- 2 custom landing pages
- Unlimited clicks and scans
- 3 custom back-halves per month
- Basic QR customizations
- No custom domain
The free tier is essentially unusable for any serious work. Five links per month won’t cover even a single social media campaign.
Core Plan ($10/month)
- 100 links per month
- 5 QR codes per month
- 5 custom landing pages
- 30 days of analytics history
- UTM builder
- Advanced QR customizations
- Link redirects
- Still no custom domain
At $120/year billed annually, you get more links but still can’t use your own branded domain. The 30-day analytics retention means you lose historical data quickly.
Growth Plan ($29-35/month)
- 500 links per month
- 10 QR codes per month
- 10 custom landing pages
- 4 months of analytics history
- One complimentary custom domain
- Branded links
- Bulk creation (100 links per upload)
This is where Bitly becomes functional for marketing teams. The custom domain alone justifies the upgrade for brand-conscious organizations. Pricing is $29/month annual or $35/month-to-month.
Premium Plan ($199-300/month)
- 3,000 links per month
- 200 QR codes per month
- 20 custom landing pages
- 1 year of analytics history
- City-level and device type tracking
- Mobile deep linking
- Bulk creation (3,000 per upload)
At $199/month annual ($300 monthly), you finally get a full year of analytics. The granular location and device data helps with serious campaign analysis.
Enterprise (Custom)
- Unlimited links, QR codes, and landing pages
- 2 years of analytics history
- Webhooks and API access
- SSO integration
- Dedicated success manager
- 99.9% SLA uptime guarantee
Enterprise pricing requires sales conversation. Expect significant investment for unlimited usage.
Key Features
Link Shortening
The core product. Paste a long URL, get a short one. Add UTM parameters, and Bitly preserves them while hiding the ugly query strings.
QR Code Generation
Every short link can become a QR code. Customize colors and add logos on paid plans. Track scans alongside link clicks.
Custom Domains
On Growth and above, use your own domain (brand.link, go.company.com) instead of bit.ly. Branded links build trust and increase click-through rates.
Analytics Dashboard
Track clicks over time, geographic distribution, referral sources, and devices. Depth of data increases with plan tier—free users see almost nothing, Premium users see city-level detail.
Link-in-Bio
Bitly offers landing pages that aggregate multiple links. Useful for Instagram and TikTok profiles where you get one clickable link.
Bulk Operations
Premium users can create thousands of links via CSV upload. Essential for large campaigns with many destination URLs.
The Pricing Problem
Bitly’s pricing has become its biggest criticism. The platform that once offered generous free tiers now restricts basic features behind increasingly expensive paywalls.
What you lose on free:
- Custom domains (requires Growth at $29/month)
- Meaningful analytics history (30 days on Core, 4 months on Growth)
- Reasonable link limits (5/month is absurd)
- Clean experience (free users see interstitial ads)
The math gets ugly:
- Want 1 year of analytics? Pay $199/month ($2,388/year)
- Want a custom domain with decent limits? Pay $29/month minimum
- Want unlimited links? Enterprise pricing only
For comparison, newer competitors offer custom domains and year-long analytics retention at a fraction of the cost.
Who Should Use Bitly?
Good fit for:
- Enterprises already invested in the ecosystem
- Teams needing extensive QR code features
- Organizations requiring 99.9% uptime SLAs
- Non-technical marketing teams wanting drag-and-drop simplicity
Poor fit for:
- Budget-conscious startups (alternatives cost less)
- Developers wanting API-first tools (Dub.co is better)
- Anyone needing more than 5 links/month for free
- Teams wanting long-term analytics without Premium pricing
Bitly vs Alternatives
vs Dub.co: Dub offers custom domains on free tier, 1-year analytics retention at $25/month (vs Bitly’s $199), and modern UI with real-time updates. Dub targets developers; Bitly targets marketing teams.
vs Short.io: Similar pricing to Bitly but with more generous limits. Better for teams wanting Bitly-like features at lower cost.
vs TinyURL: Free and simple, but lacks analytics depth. Fine for casual use, not for marketing measurement.
vs Rebrandly: Strong on custom domains and team features. Worth evaluating for brand-focused organizations.
The Bottom Line
Bitly built the link shortening category and remains the most recognized name in the space. The platform works well, the analytics are solid, and enterprise features are mature.
But the pricing no longer reflects market reality. Competitors offer more generous free tiers, cheaper paid plans, and modern features that Bitly lacks. The interface feels dated compared to newer tools, and analytics don’t update in real-time.
If you’re starting fresh, evaluate alternatives before defaulting to Bitly. If you’re already on Bitly, calculate whether you’re paying for brand recognition or actual value. The $199/month required for basic year-long analytics is hard to justify when competitors charge $25/month for the same capability.
Bitly is still a capable tool. It’s just no longer the obvious choice it once was.