Bitly alternatives: where to go, and what happens to your links
Six destinations with verified prices, one per reason to leave, and a seven-step plan to move your links and QR codes without breaking the ones already out there.
The short answer: Dub if you want to pull your Bitly links over in a few clicks and keep a free plan with your own domain, Short.io if you want the cheapest branded domain, Rebrandly if your team runs hundreds of branded links across several brands, URLR if your data has to stay in Europe, YOURLS or Kutt if you'd rather host the shortener yourself. One thing to know before you pick: a bit.ly link never leaves Bitly, because Bitly owns the domain. Only links built on your own domain can move. We compared all six destinations and checked their prices and limits in 2026.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why so many people are moving off Bitly
Bitly is still the fastest way to shorten a link, and its click charts are easy to read. That's not why people leave. They leave because the free plan keeps shrinking, an ad page now sits in front of free links, and the bill jumps the moment you want your own domain. Here are six reasons, each checked against Bitly's own pages in 2026.
An ad-supported preview page in front of free links
Since 2025, section 1.4 of Bitly's terms says a "Destination Preview" page may be shown to anyone who clicks or scans your link. On a free account that page can carry ads, and the only way to turn it off is a paid plan. Users who ran into it report that it hits every link on a free account, including ones created years ago. That's one extra click between your reader and your page, and some of them won't make it.
A free plan cut to 5 links a month
Bitly Free now gives you 5 links and 2 QR codes per month, plus 3 custom back-halves (the part after "bit.ly/"). There are no click analytics and no way to change where a link points. Not long ago the figure was 10 links a month. One developer even retired a public package because the free quota no longer covered it.
Your own domain starts at $29 a month
A link like go.yourbrand.com/webinar earns more clicks than a bit.ly. At Bitly it only comes with the Growth plan: $29 a month billed annually, so $348 a year. Core at $10 doesn't include it. Compare that with Dub, which takes 3 custom domains on its free plan, or Short.io, which takes 5.
Core is annual-only and auto-renews
The Core plan is sold on yearly billing only: $120 up front. It renews automatically, and section 2.2 of the terms rules out refunds if you cancel mid-term. A recurring complaint from customers is that no reminder arrived before the charge. Put the renewal date in your calendar the day you pay.
Changing a link's destination is rationed
Editing where an existing link points is what saves a printed flyer when your landing page moves. Bitly meters it monthly: none on Free, 5 on Core, 20 on Growth, 110 on Premium. Restructure your site with thirty printed links to update, and you're looking at Premium at $199 a month, or several months of waiting.
Leaving costs money, because export is paid
Exporting your links as a CSV file is limited to paid plans, and competitors' migration tools need a Bitly Growth account or higher to connect. Click history is short as well: 30 days on Core, 120 on Growth, one year on Premium. No destination can import it, so whatever you don't export before leaving is gone.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Bitly alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually one row fits. Each card jumps to the full write-up below.
Built-in Bitly import over OAuth, 3 custom domains on the free plan.
You want a branded domain for under $10 a monthShort.io1,000 links and 5 domains free, Hobby plan at $5 a month.
Your team manages hundreds of branded linksRebrandlyMultiple domains and workspaces, bulk import from Professional up.
Your click data has to stay in EuropeURLRFrench vendor, analytics hosted in France, dedicated Bitly migration guide.
You never want to depend on a vendor againYOURLSOpen-source and self-hosted: your server, your domain, your data.
You're a developer who wants a clean APIKuttModern open-source shortener, SQLite by default, custom domains.
Bitly alternatives, one by one
For each tool: why move there, who it's for, its catch, how to bring your Bitly links over, and what it costs. Prices are what each vendor listed in 2026, before tax, in the currency the vendor shows. We left out tools whose official pricing we couldn't read, such as TinyURL and BL.INK.
Dub: the smoothest way out of Bitly
Fastest migrationWhy move to Dub. Dub ships a built-in Bitly importer. You connect your Bitly account, pick the domain, and Dub brings over each link's destination, short slug, creation date, tags and archived status. Nothing else on this list gets you out faster. Dub is open source, and its API is close enough to Bitly's that rewiring your scripts is mostly find-and-replace.
Who it's for. Marketing and product teams that want out this week, want to stay on a free plan, and want their own domain without paying for it.
Who should skip it. Anyone creating hundreds of links a month on a zero budget: the free cap will bite fast.
The catch. Free gives you 3 domains but only 25 new links a month, 1,000 tracked events and 30 days of analytics. Pro is $27 a month (10 domains, one year of analytics, 3 seats), and the next step, Business, is $81. Annual billing saves 10%.
How to migrate. Run Dub's Bitly import, then connect your domain last. Dub says so itself: configure the domain only after every link is in, or links that haven't landed yet will 404. Past clicks don't come across.
- Free
- 25 links/mo, 3 domains
- Paid
- Pro $27/mo
- Best for
- moving fast, no retyping
- Catch
- click history not imported
Short.io: the cheapest branded domain
CheapestWhy move to Short.io. The math is simple. Bitly charges $348 a year for one custom domain. Short.io takes 5 domains on its free plan, with 1,000 branded links and 50,000 tracked clicks a month. If all you need is links on your own domain, free is often enough.
Who it's for. Freelancers, small teams and online stores that want branded links on no budget, then a cheap paid tier when they grow.
Who should skip it. Larger teams: free is one seat, and unlimited seats only come with Team at $48 a month.
The catch. Hobby at $5 a month raises you to 2,500 links and 7 domains. Pro at $18 unlocks unlimited links on 10 domains. Annual billing takes 17% off, but the pricing page doesn't print the yearly totals, so check at checkout.
How to migrate. Short.io has a link import. For Bitly, the safe route is your CSV export, imported with the same slugs, with your domain switched over last.
- Free
- 1,000 links, 5 domains
- Paid
- Hobby $5/mo
- Best for
- branded links on no budget
- Catch
- one seat on free
Rebrandly: for teams with lots of branded links
For teamsWhy move to Rebrandly. Rebrandly was built around branded links from day one: several domains per account, team workspaces, and bulk import starting on Professional. Its Bitly import guide is designed for a no-downtime switch, with the domain verified at the very end.
Who it's for. Marketing teams juggling several brands or countries, each with its own short domain.
Who should skip it. Anyone who needs to edit links for free: the free plan can't change a link's destination, and its QR codes carry a watermark.
The catch. The public price grid isn't crystal clear. Essentials (250 links, 2 domains) shows $8 a month billed yearly and $11 month to month. Professional (1,500 links, 3 domains) shows $22 or $32, and Growth (3,500 links, 10 domains) $104 or $149. Rebrandly advertises up to 31% off on annual billing. Confirm the exact total at checkout, or ask for a quote if your volume is above these plans.
How to migrate. Follow Rebrandly's Bitly import guide: links first, domain verification last. Tip: ask support to force the DNS verification right before you switch, so the window where links don't resolve stays as short as possible.
- Free
- 10 links/mo
- Paid
- Essentials $8 to $11/mo
- Best for
- several brands, several domains
- Catch
- monthly vs yearly pricing unclear
URLR: a European option with data hosted in France
EU dataWhy move to URLR. URLR is a French link shortener that leans on GDPR compliance and hosts its analytics in France. Bitly is a New York company. If your legal team asks where the data of the people clicking your links ends up, URLR gives a shorter answer. Prices are in euros, before VAT.
Who it's for. European companies, public bodies and agencies with customers in the EU who want their links on their own domain and their data on European soil.
Who should skip it. US-only teams paying in dollars: the European hosting is the main reason to pick it.
The catch. Free is capped at 10 links a month and 1,000 tracked visits, with no custom domain. Your first domain comes with Starter at €16 a month for 300 links. Pro (€33, 2,000 links, 2 domains) is the tier you need for the Bitly migration guide.
How to migrate. URLR publishes a migration guide just for Bitly. It needs Bitly Growth or higher on the way out and URLR Pro or higher on the way in. Analytics don't come along, so export them first. Tip: the 14-day trial needs no credit card, which is enough to run the migration and check your links before paying.
- Free
- 10 links/mo, no domain
- Paid
- Starter €16/mo
- Best for
- EU data residency
- Catch
- Bitly import needs Pro
YOURLS: your shortener, on your server
Self-hostedWhy move to YOURLS. After Bitly's ad page landed, the most common advice in developer threads was blunt: run your own shortener. YOURLS has been around for years, it's free under the MIT license, and it runs on plain PHP with a MySQL database, the same kind of hosting as a small WordPress site. Your links live on your domain with no quotas, no ads and no price hikes.
Who it's for. Teams that already have hosting and someone to look after it, and want printed links that still work in ten years.
Who should skip it. Anyone without a person to apply updates: a neglected public shortener attracts spammers quickly.
The catch. Analytics are basic and the admin screen is spartan. Extras like QR codes or imports come from plugins, and plugin quality varies.
How to migrate. Export your Bitly links to CSV, then load them with an import plugin or a short script that calls the YOURLS API, keeping the same slugs. The real cost is your hosting and your time.
- Free
- yes, MIT license
- Paid
- your PHP and MySQL hosting
- Best for
- long-lived printed links
- Catch
- you handle maintenance
Kutt: the open-source shortener for developers
For developersWhy move to Kutt. Kutt is a newer open-source shortener (MIT license) with more than 11,000 stars on GitHub. It runs on Node.js 20 or later, uses SQLite out of the box, and ships a REST API plus custom domains.
Who it's for. Technical teams that create links from code (transactional emails, an app, an internal tool) and want everything in-house.
Who should skip it. A marketing team with no developer: setup and updates need someone comfortable with a server.
The catch. There's no Bitly importer and no advanced QR code management. Analytics stay simple.
How to migrate. Write a script that reads your Bitly CSV and recreates each link through the Kutt API with the same slug. It's a few dozen lines, and a good moment to rewire your integrations.
- Free
- yes, MIT license
- Paid
- your Node.js hosting
- Best for
- links created from code
- Catch
- no Bitly importer
The 6 alternatives side by side
Take the most common case: you want your links on your own domain for a year. On Bitly that means Growth, so $348. On Dub it's free as long as you create fewer than 25 links a month. On Short.io it's free up to 1,000 links, or $60 a year on Hobby paid monthly. On Rebrandly, budget $96 to $132 for Essentials depending on billing. On URLR, Starter comes to €160 a year with the two free months on annual billing. One row per tool below: the free plan on the left, the first paid price and the migration path on the right.
| Free plan | First paid tier and migration | |
|---|---|---|
| BitlyWhere you're starting | 5 links and 2 QR codes a month, no analytics, preview page possible | Core $10/mo, annual only; custom domain from Growth, $29/mo |
| DubFastest migration | 25 links a month, 3 domains | Pro $27/mo; built-in Bitly import, past clicks not carried over |
| Short.ioCheapest | 1,000 links, 5 domains, one seat | Hobby $5/mo; CSV import |
| RebrandlyFor teams | 10 links a month, destination locked | Essentials $8 (yearly) or $11 (monthly); bulk import from Professional |
| URLREU data | 10 links a month, no custom domain | Starter €16/mo; Bitly guide from Pro (€33) |
| YOURLSSelf-hosted | Open source, no quota | Your hosting cost; plugin or script import |
| KuttFor developers | Open source, no quota | Your hosting cost; script import from CSV |
Entry prices before tax as listed by each vendor in 2026, subject to change. Always check against your real link volume.
Leave Bitly in seven steps
Order matters. A botched Bitly migration doesn't show up on day one. It shows up three months later, when someone scans a poster and gets an error page. Each step below protects one specific thing: your printed links, your data, or your domain.
Sort your links into three groups
Day 1Start by splitting your links. Group one: bit.ly links. Group two: links on your own domain connected to Bitly. Group three: QR codes, especially printed ones (business cards, packaging, posters, menus).
Why bother? Because each group ends up somewhere different. Links on your domain can move. bit.ly links stay at Bitly forever. Printed QR codes follow whatever domain is baked into them. Add a "printed: yes or no" column to your spreadsheet and you'll avoid the nasty surprise.
- Time
- one hour to half a day
- Risk if rushed
- a forgotten printed QR code
Export links and analytics before any downgrade
Day 1CSV export needs a paid plan, and the migration tools from Dub or URLR connect to a Growth account or higher. So export before you downgrade, never after. The file arrives by email and can take around thirty minutes on a large account.
Export your click analytics too: no destination imports history. Store the files outside Bitly. If you're on Free, Bitly's free API allows 1,000 calls a month, which may be enough to pull your links with a script depending on your volume.
- Plan needed
- paid, Growth for import tools
- What stays behind
- click history
Check who owns your short domain
Day 1Growth includes a complimentary domain from Bitly. Bitly registers it. If you downgrade, it isn't renewed, and when it expires every link on it stops working. The expiry date shows up on the screen where you confirm the downgrade.
Look up the registrar holding your domain. If it's in your name, you're fine. If Bitly manages it, ask whether it can be transferred before you leave. If not, its links have an end date, and you need to replace them before then.
- Trap
- complimentary domain not renewed
- Check
- who holds the domain
Decide what happens to your bit.ly links
Week 1A bit.ly link can't leave Bitly. You have two options. Leave it alone: Bitly commits to keeping free links active, but they may show the ad-supported preview page. Or change its destination inside Bitly so it points to a page on your own site that won't move again.
Tip: before downgrading, spend your monthly redirects (5 on Core, 20 on Growth) on the bit.ly links that matter most, the printed ones and the ones that still bring traffic. Point them at a page on your domain. If they ever need to change again, you'll do it on your side, without Bitly.
- Redirects
- 5/mo on Core, 20 on Growth
- Free
- links live, preview possible
Import into the new tool with the same slugs
Week 1Import your custom-domain links into the destination and keep every slug exactly as it was ("/webinar", "/summer-sale"). That's what keeps printed links alive after the switch. Dub does it by connecting to your Bitly account; Short.io, Rebrandly and YOURLS through a CSV file; Kutt through a script.
Don't connect your domain yet. First check that the number of imported links matches your export, then open ten links at random to confirm where they land.
- Rule
- identical slugs
- Check
- link count matches the export
Switch the domain last
Switch dayOnce every link is in, update your short domain's DNS record (usually a CNAME, the line that tells the internet which server your domain points to) so it points to the new tool. Dub and Rebrandly both recommend this order: domain last, or links that haven't been imported yet will fail.
Propagation takes from a few minutes to a few hours. Meanwhile, open your most important printed links from your phone on mobile data, off the office wifi, to see exactly what a real visitor sees.
- Time
- minutes to a few hours
- Order
- import first, DNS second
Rewire your tools, then downgrade without rushing
Week 2Your integrations still call Bitly's API: a Zapier or Make scenario, your CMS, a homegrown script. Swap them for the new tool. From now on, create every new QR code on your own domain, never on one you don't control.
Finally, drop Bitly to Free instead of closing the account, so your bit.ly links keep resolving. Write down your renewal date so you don't pay for another year by accident.
- To rewire
- Zapier, Make, CMS, scripts
- Bitly account
- kept on Free
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a Bitly migration go wrong
The same mistakes show up again and again in forums and in vendors' import guides. None of them is really technical. They're mistakes of order or ownership, and each one gets paid for later, when a printed link stops answering.
Downgrading before exporting
Free can't export anything. Drop to Free first and you'll pay for another month just to get your links back. Export first, downgrade second.
Connecting the domain too early
If DNS points to the new tool before the import is done, every missing link returns an error. On a subway poster, you'll never know.
Assuming the free domain comes with you
The domain bundled with Growth belongs to Bitly. It expires after you downgrade, and its links go with it. A domain registered in your own name costs a few dollars a year.
Forgetting printed QR codes
A Bitly dynamic QR code holds a bit.ly address. As long as your printed pieces are out there, keep the Bitly account alive. One user reports scans stopping a few weeks after creation with a subscription prompt: don't bet 5,000 labels on it.
Renaming slugs
Using the move to "tidy up" slugs breaks every piece already printed. Keep slugs identical and tidy up your tags instead.
Leaving an integration on Bitly
A forgotten automation keeps creating bit.ly links for months. Search for "bitly" across your automation tools and CMS before downgrading.
- Links sorted: bit.ly, your domain, printed QR codes
- CSV of links and analytics saved outside Bitly
- Owner of the short domain confirmed
- Monthly redirects spent on the most important bit.ly links
- Links imported with identical slugs, count checked
- Domain switched last, links opened on mobile data
- Zapier, Make, CMS and scripts rewired
- New QR codes created on your own domain
- Bitly dropped to Free, renewal date noted
Bitly alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Bitly?
Short.io if you want your own domain: its free plan keeps 1,000 links on 5 domains. Dub if you create few links but want to import your Bitly ones: 25 links a month on 3 domains. YOURLS and Kutt are free with no quota, but you need hosting. Bitly's own free plan stops at 5 links a month.
Why does Bitly show a page before my link?
That's the Destination Preview page, allowed by Bitly's terms since 2025 on free accounts. It can show ads. You remove it by moving to a paid plan (Core, $10 a month billed yearly) or by recreating your links elsewhere.
Will my Bitly links stop working if I cancel?
Not bit.ly links: Bitly commits to keeping them active, even on Free. Links on a Bitly complimentary domain will, eventually, because that domain isn't renewed after a downgrade. Links on a domain you own keep working as long as your DNS points to a service that knows them.
Can I transfer bit.ly links to another shortener?
No. Bitly owns bit.ly, so no competitor can take those links over. You can only change their destination inside Bitly, on a paid plan. Point them at a page on your own site and handle everything after that on your side.
What happens to my printed Bitly QR codes?
They point to whatever address is encoded in them. If that's a bit.ly address, they depend on your Bitly account: keep it while the print is in circulation, and never delete the linked short link. If it's your domain, they follow your DNS switch. For new print runs, our roundup of QR code generators covers the options.
Do Bitly links expire?
No. Bitly says free links stay active indefinitely, and QR codes made in Bitly never expire unless you delete the code or its link. What changes over time is what sits in front of them (the preview page on free accounts) and the domain: a complimentary domain dies when it isn't renewed.
Can I keep my Bitly click history?
Not inside the new tool: no destination imports it, not Dub, not URLR. Export your analytics before downgrading and keep the files. Going forward, track link traffic in your analytics tool; our guide to switching from Google Analytics compares the options.
How do I automate short links after leaving Bitly?
Every destination has an API, and Dub's is the closest to Bitly's. If your links are created inside a workflow today, see our pages on Dub in Make and Rebrandly in Make, plus Bitly in Make to spot the modules you need to swap.
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