Bitly alternative
A Bitly alternative that keeps analytics free.
Shortly does the parts most teams actually use — branded short links, QR codes, and real-time click analytics — without metering them. Try it right here, no account needed.
Shorten a link now to see what you get. Feature and pricing details for other tools change often, so check their current plans before deciding.
- Click analytics included on the free plan
- QR code with every link, no separate product
- No monthly cap on links created
- Custom domains without an enterprise conversation
- Password protection and expiry on the paid plan
- Straightforward pricing with one paid tier
Free where it counts
Analytics and QR codes are part of the free plan rather than upgrade triggers. You can run real campaigns and measure them without a card on file.
The analytics teams use
Clicks in real time, with approximate location, device, browser, and referrer per link. Enough to compare channels and defend a budget, without a reporting suite nobody opens.
Branded links without a sales call
Connect a custom domain with a single DNS record on the paid plan. No minimum seats, no annual commitment, no procurement process.
How to switch
Switching shorteners is mostly about the domain. Plan it once and the rest is routine.
Keep old links alive
Leave existing links running wherever they are today. Short links are permanent in the wild, so never delete a live campaign link — let it keep resolving while you move new work over.
Point a domain at Shortly
Connect a custom domain or subdomain with one DNS record. If you already used a branded domain elsewhere, move it once you are ready for all new links to use it.
Create new links here
Start issuing new campaign links from Shortly and let the old ones age out naturally as campaigns end.
What Shortly includes
A summary of Shortly's plans. Other providers change their packaging regularly — check their current pricing page before making a decision, rather than relying on any comparison table, including this one.
| Shortly free | Shortly paid | |
|---|---|---|
| Short links | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Click analytics | Yes | Yes |
| QR code per link | Yes | Yes |
| Custom alias | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain | No | Yes |
| Password-protected links | No | Yes |
| Link expiry | No | Yes |
| Link-in-bio page | Yes | Yes |
| Credit card to start | No | No |
Who this suits
Small marketing teams
You need branded links and click data, not an enterprise link governance platform with a per-seat licence.
Agencies
Connect a domain per client and keep each client's links and analytics cleanly separated.
Print-heavy campaigns
QR codes come with every link rather than as a separately priced product line.
Teams sharing sensitive links
Password protection and expiry are available on a normal paid plan rather than a bespoke tier.
What to check before you switch shorteners
The single most important consideration is your domain. If your short links currently run on a branded domain, that domain is the asset — links printed on packaging or embedded in old emails depend on it resolving. Any migration plan has to start with where that domain points and what happens to links already in the wild.
The second is historical data. Click history generally does not transfer between providers. Export whatever reporting you need before you stop using a tool, because access usually ends with the subscription.
The third is link permanence. Short links live in places you cannot edit — printed material, old social posts, other people's bookmarks. Never delete a link that is still in circulation just because you have moved providers. Let old links keep resolving and route new work to the new tool.
Being straight about the trade-offs
Shortly is a focused product. It handles shortening, QR codes, analytics, custom domains, password protection, expiry, and link-in-bio pages, and does those well. It is not an enterprise platform: there is no SSO, no granular role-based permissions, no SLA, and no dedicated account management.
If your organisation requires those, a larger vendor is the right answer and we would rather you knew that now than after a migration. If you are a small team that mainly needs reliable branded links with real analytics and does not want a per-seat contract, Shortly is built for exactly that.
Details of other tools' plans change frequently. We deliberately avoid quoting their prices and features here, because a comparison table that is wrong is worse than none. Check their current pricing page directly.
Bitly alternative FAQ
Is Shortly free?
Yes. Unlimited short links, QR codes, click analytics, and a link-in-bio page are all on the free plan, with no credit card required. Custom domains, password protection, and link expiry are on the paid plan.
Can I import my existing links?
Short codes are tied to the domain that serves them, so links cannot be transferred between providers directly. The practical approach is to keep existing links running where they are and create new ones in Shortly.
Will my old short links keep working if I switch?
Only if you keep the original account or domain active. Never delete links that are still in circulation — printed codes and old posts cannot be updated.
Can I use my own domain?
Yes, on the paid plan. Connect a domain or subdomain with one DNS record and issue branded links from it.
Does Shortly have an API?
Shortly exposes a GraphQL API for creating and managing links programmatically.
Does Shortly offer SSO or enterprise features?
No. There is no SSO, role-based access control, or SLA. If your organisation requires those, a larger enterprise vendor is a better fit.
Try it now
See if Shortly covers what you actually use.
Shorten a link above, check the analytics, and decide from there. The free plan needs no card and has no trial countdown.