Bitly Free Plan Limits in 2026, and What to Use Instead

The short answer

In October 2026, Bitly's free plan gives you 5 short links and 2 QR codes a month. Bitly's pricing page lists the plan as "With Ads", with no click data history and no custom domain. That is enough to test Bitly, but not enough to run a campaign or measure results. If you need click data or no ads, use a free alternative, or a paid plan that costs less than Bitly's.

What the Bitly free plan includes

These facts come from Bitly's pricing page (checked October 8, 2026):

• Links: 5 a month.
• QR codes: 2 a month.
• Ads: the plan is listed "With Ads". Visitors can see an ad page before they reach your destination.
• Click data history: none.
• Custom domain: not included.
• Landing pages: 2 Bitly Pages.

What Bitly's paid plans cost

The jump that hurts most people: a custom domain (links on your own domain, like go.yourbrand.com) starts at $29 a month.

Is the Bitly free plan enough for you?

Yes, if you make a few links a month, you do not need to know who clicked, and ads before your destination are acceptable.

No, if any of these are true:

• You want to see clicks by country, device or source.
• You share links for your business, and an ad page before your site looks unprofessional.
• You want links on your own domain without a $29 plan.
• You make more than 5 links in a busy month.

The URLyte free plan, compared honestly

We make URLyte, so we are not neutral. Here are the facts, including where Bitly is better:

Where Bitly free is better: its 5 links reset every month, so over a year you can make more links than on URLyte's free plan, whose limits are totals. If you need many links and do not care about data or ads, Bitly free can be the better fit.

Where URLyte free is better: real click data, no ads, a QR code for every link, and a branded name in every link.

If you need more: compare the paid plans

• URLyte Pro, $5/mo (or $50 a year): 10 namespaces with 100 links each, 100 short links, 1 custom domain, 12 months and all-time click history, and the API. Pro starts with a free month.
• Bitly Core, $10/mo (billed yearly): 100 links a month, 30 days of data, no custom domain.
• Bitly Growth, $29/mo: 500 links a month, 120 days of data, 1 custom domain.

Bitly's monthly link counts are higher on the large plans. If you create hundreds of new links every month, compare carefully. For most small businesses and creators, who reuse a set of links and want data and a custom domain, a $5 plan is enough.

How to move your links from Bitly

1. List the Bitly links that people still click (posts, printed QR codes, bios).
2. Create the same links in URLyte with readable names.
3. Replace the links where you can edit them: bios, websites, email signatures.
4. Keep your Bitly account active for printed links that you cannot change.

Next time, use a custom domain for printed links. Then you can move the domain to any service later. See which URL shortener is most reliable.

Frequently asked questions

How many links can I make on Bitly for free?

5 links and 2 QR codes a month, according to Bitly's pricing page in October 2026.

Does the Bitly free plan show ads?

Bitly lists its free plan as "With Ads". Visitors can see an ad page before your destination.

Does Bitly free include analytics?

Bitly's pricing page lists no click data history for the free plan. Click history starts with Core (30 days).

What is the cheapest way to get a custom domain for short links?

On Bitly, the Growth plan at $29 a month. On URLyte, the Pro plan at $5 a month includes 1 custom domain. See our Bitly alternative page for a full comparison.