Bitly alternative
A free Bitly alternative that does more on the free plan
Change where links point, see their clicks and scans, and make unlimited QR codes, all free and with no ads. Shorten one now; the comparison below cites Bitly's own pages, cell by cell.
- 10 free links a day
- QR code included
- Links don't expire
Plan by plan, from their own pages.
What each free plan and first paid plan includes. Snip Pro costs less than Bitly's first paid plan.
| Feature | Bitly | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ||
| Short links | 10/day without an account; 100 saved free[1,2] | 5/mo[3] |
| Update destination | Any link, anytime[4] | Paid only[5,6,7] |
| QR codes | Unlimited static, no expiry[8,9] | 2/mo[10] |
| Click & scan stats | 30 days[11] | Paid only[12] |
| Ads / watermarks | None[13] | Ad page before redirect[14] |
| First paid plan | ||
| Price | $3/mo yearly, $4 monthly[15] | $10/mo, yearly only[16,17] |
| Includes | 5,000 links, a year of stats[18,19] | 100 links + 5 QR codes/mo[20,21] |
Checked 20 Oct 2026. Superscript numbers link to the quote on Bitly's page.
Sources and evidence21 quotes from 5 pages, read 20 Oct 2026
Each quote opens at the passage itself, and each page was captured when we read it: a screenshot with the quoted words highlighted and a full copy of the page.
- 1.
Snip, Pricing No date shown
Shorten up to 10 links a day without an account; a free account keeps them, lets you change where they point, shows their clicks and scans, and includes the API.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
Bitly, How to change your destination URL with a Bitly redirect Updated 15 Apr 2026
A link redirect is the process of changing the destination URL of an existing short link
- 7.
Bitly, How to change your destination URL with a Bitly redirect Updated 15 Apr 2026
Redirect features are available on paid Bitly plans.
- 8.
- 9.
Snip, Free QR code generator No date shown
Free QR codes that never expire.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
Bitly, Why are there ads on my links? Updated 12 Jan 2026
As part of the update, we introduced an interstitial page that includes a preview of the link destination and an ad.
- 15.
Snip, Pricing No date shown
Pro is $36 a year instead of $48 paid monthly: $3 a month, 3 months free.
- 16.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
Switching over
No migration day. Use both for as long as you like.
- 01
Keep your old links. Links you already shared live on Bitly's domain, so they keep working the way Bitly runs them. Nothing you sent breaks.
- 02
Bring your destinations. Import on the Links page takes a list or a CSV with a url column (long_url works too), and keeps endings and titles when they are free.
- 03
Share the new ones. Each link has a QR code, a preview page (add a plus to the end) and its stats from the first click.
Questions
About switching from Bitly.
Is Snip really free?
Yes. A free account keeps 100 links with custom endings, lets you change where they point at any time and shows 30 days of clicks and scans. Static QR codes are free and unlimited without an account. No card, no ads and no watermarks.
Can I move my Bitly links to Snip?
The short links themselves stay on Bitly's domain, so they keep working as they do today. Import on the Links page brings your destinations over in one paste, and new links go out on Snip.
What does Snip Pro cost?
$4/month, or $36 a year. Pro is for volume: 5,000 links, a year of stats, clicks by hour and click-by-click exports. See pricing.
Does Snip count link previews and bots?
No. When a link is pasted into iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack or a social app, the app fetches it to draw a preview; those fetches, crawlers and prefetches are left out, so clicks and scans are people. Bitly's own help says its reports may still contain some clicks generated by bots.
Will Snip tell me if a link stops working?
Yes, on every plan. Every link's destination is checked every few days, and you get an email when one stops answering, before the people you shared it with notice.
Does Snip have an API?
Yes, on every plan. The REST API creates, edits and deletes links, up to 50 at a time, and reads their stats. ChatGPT and Claude can use Snip through the MCP server.