Bitly is the best-known link shortener, but its free plan has become hard to justify: 5 links per month, an ad shown before your link resolves, and the features you actually want locked behind a ~$35/month plan. If you just want clean short links, QR codes, and analytics without overpaying, lynkily is the better-value alternative.
Why switch from Bitly?
- Tiny free plan: 5 links/month, plus ads on your links.
- Expensive first tier: the practical marketer plan is ~$35/month for 500 links.
- Feature gates: link-in-bio, custom domains and longer analytics history all cost extra.
lynkily vs Bitly — feature & pricing
| Feature | lynkily | Bitly |
|---|---|---|
| Free links / month | 50 | 5 (+ ads on links) |
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/mo | ~$35/mo |
| Full analytics from | $5/mo | ~$35/mo |
| Dynamic QR codes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Link-in-bio page | ✅ included | Limited / paid |
| UTM campaign builder | ✅ from $5/mo | Paid |
| Custom domain | ✅ Growth ($30/mo) | Paid |
| Editable (dynamic) links | ✅ from $5/mo | Paid |
What lynkily gives you
- ✅ 50 free short links every month — 10× Bitly's free cap, with no ads.
- ✅ Dynamic QR codes for your links.
- ✅ Link-in-bio page built in — a free Linktree-style page.
- ✅ Full analytics from just $5/month — clicks, devices, locations and referrers.
- ✅ Editable links, UTM builder and branded domains as you grow.
What you give up (almost nothing)
Bitly's real edge is enterprise scale and 800+ integrations. For everyday shortening, QR codes, campaigns and a bio page, lynkily covers the same jobs for far less.
How to switch in under a minute
- Open the link creator and paste your long URL.
- Grab your short link and its QR code.
- Add a branded domain or UTM tags if you need them.
Compare plans on the pricing page, or read the deeper lynkily vs Bitly comparison.