Free plans only
Free Bitly alternatives
If you never paid Bitly and the five-link limit pushed you out, you do not need to start paying now. Six tools give you more on their free plans, and five of them include a custom domain.
Free plans compared with Bitly free
| Tool | Free links | Custom domain (free) | Ads on free links | Analytics (free) | Paid from | Custom domains (paid) | QR codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReSlug | 500 active links | Yes | None | 30 days | $9/mo ($6.58/mo annual) | 10 | Yes |
| Short.io | 1,000 links (lifetime) | Yes | None | Not documented | $5/mo | 7 | Yes |
| Cuttly | 30 links/mo | Yes | None | 30 days | $12/mo ($11/mo annual) | 1 | Yes |
| Dub | 25 links/mo | Yes | None | 30 days | $27/mo ($24.30/mo annual) | 10 | Yes |
| Linkly | 100 links/mo | Yes | None | Country-level | $15/mo ($15/mo annual) | Not documented | Starter and up |
| TinyURL | Unlimited basic links | No | None | None | $9.99/mo | Up to 3 branded domains | Yes |
| Bitly | 5 links/mo | No | Yes | None | $10/mo ($10/mo annual) | 0 (Growth plan and up) | Yes |
Limits and prices from each vendor's public pricing page, verified 8 November 2026. "Free links" is the published free-plan quota; "Ads" means interstitial or branded ads shown to people who click your links.
ReSlug: the free plan that replaces Bitly Growth
500 active links, 1,000 tracked clicks/mo, one custom domain with SSL, a QR code per link, link expiration, a bio page and 30 days of analytics with bot clicks removed. No ads, no card, no trial clock. On links and domains that is more than Bitly's $348 Growth plan. The single ceiling is 1,000 tracked clicks a month; links keep working past it.
Short.io: five domains for nothing
1,000 links, five custom domains and 50,000 tracked clicks a month, with the API included and commercial use allowed. The link quota is a lifetime total, so it will run out eventually, and analytics retention is not published. Still the best free plan if you have several brands.
Cuttly: enough for a creator
Thirty links a month, one branded domain, 30 days of analytics, a QR code and a bio page with five links. Free links carry a Cutt.ly label in the dashboard. Six times Bitly's quota plus a domain.
Dub: 25 links, three domains, an API
Small on links but generous on domains and tooling: 25 links a month, three custom domains, 1,000 tracked events, 30 days of retention, QR codes, UTM templates and API access with SDKs. The free plan for someone who scripts their links.
Linkly and TinyURL: free with caveats
Linkly gives a custom domain and API free but caps you at 500 clicks a month and pauses links beyond that. TinyURL gives unlimited basic links with no ads and no account, but no analytics and no editing. Both beat Bitly free; neither beats the four above.
Questions & answers
Which free shortener gives the most links?
TinyURL has no link limit but no analytics. Among tools with analytics and a custom domain, Short.io gives 1,000 lifetime links and ReSlug 500 active links.
Do any free Bitly alternatives show ads?
None of the six here. Bitly's free plan is the only one in this comparison labelled as showing ads.
Can I use a free plan for a business?
Yes. Short.io explicitly allows commercial use on free, and ReSlug's free plan has no non-commercial restriction.
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
- Dub pricing page dub.co/pricing/links
- Linkly pricing page linklyhq.com/pricing
- TinyURL pricing page tinyurl.com/app/pricing
Checked 8 November 2026. Vendor pages change; the date is the claim.
Cite this entry
Best Bitly Alternatives. "Free Bitly alternatives". Reviewed 8 November 2026. https://bestbitlyalternatives.com/free-bitly-alternatives/