The case for switching
Why people leave Bitly
Bitly did not get worse at redirecting links. It moved upmarket, and the plans most people used were trimmed along the way. These are the four changes that show up in every "Bitly alternative" search.
Reason one: five links a month, with ads
Bitly's free plan allows five short links and two QR codes a month. The pricing page labels the plan "With Ads", meaning people who click your links can see an interstitial before the destination loads. No analytics history is kept. For someone who shares a handful of links a week, the quota runs out by Tuesday.
For comparison, ReSlug's free plan is 500 active links with no ads, Short.io's is 1,000 links, and Cuttly's is 30 a month. All three include a custom domain.
Reason two: the first paid plan is annual-only
Core is listed at $10 a month, but it can only be bought as $120 up front. It includes 100 links a month and 30 days of analytics, and still no custom domain. A small business testing a shortener for one campaign cannot pay for one month. Every alternative on this site that has a paid plan bills monthly, including ReSlug Pro at $9, Short.io Hobby at $5 and Dub Pro at $27.
Reason three: the domain costs $348 a year
A branded short domain is the main reason to pay for a shortener. On Bitly it arrives with Growth at $29 a month billed annually, which is $348 a year for 500 links a month and 120 days of history. Five of the tools on this site include a custom domain on their free plan. Short.io includes five.
| Bitly plan | Price | Links | Custom domain | Analytics history | Ads on links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 per month | No | None | Yes |
| Core | $10/mo, billed annually only ($120/yr) | 100 per month | No | 30 days | None |
| Growth | $29/mo, billed annually ($348/yr) | 500 per month | 1 complimentary | 120 days | None |
| Premium | $199/mo, billed annually ($2,388/yr) | 3,000 per month | Yes | 1 year | None |
From bitly.com/pages/pricing, read 8 November 2026. Monthly-billed prices for Core are not offered; Growth's monthly-billed price is higher than the annual rate shown.
Reason four: quotas reset, unused links vanish
Bitly counts links per month. A quiet month does not bank credit for a busy one. Short.io counts lifetime totals on its lower tiers, ReSlug counts active links so deleting one frees a slot, and TinyURL free does not count at all. For bursty use, a campaign launch followed by weeks of nothing, monthly quotas are the most expensive model.
What Bitly still does well
Fairness matters here. Bitly has the most recognised brand in the category, a long uptime record, mobile deep linking, a polished QR designer and an enterprise tier with SSO and two years of history. Its integration catalogue reaches almost every marketing platform. If your reason for staying is any of those, the enterprise entry is the honest comparison. If your reason for leaving is any of the four above, the ranked alternatives will fix it.
Questions & answers
Does Bitly's free plan really show ads?
Yes. Bitly's own pricing page labels the free plan 'With Ads'. Paid plans from Core upward remove them.
Can I buy Bitly Core month to month?
No. Core is billed annually only, at $120 a year, per the Bitly pricing page read on 8 November 2026.
How much is a custom domain on Bitly?
A complimentary domain is included from Growth, which is $29 a month billed annually, so $348 a year.
Did Bitly used to be more generous?
Historically the free plan allowed far more links and did not show ads. The current limits reflect Bitly's move toward enterprise customers.
Sources for this entry
- Bitly pricing page bitly.com/pages/pricing
- ReSlug pricing page reslug.com/pricing
- Short.io pricing page short.io/pricing
- Cuttly pricing page cutt.ly/pro-pricing
Checked 8 November 2026. Vendor pages change; the date is the claim.
Cite this entry
Best Bitly Alternatives. "Why people leave Bitly". Reviewed 8 November 2026. https://bestbitlyalternatives.com/why-people-leave-bitly/