Bitly Shortens Links. Linkly Controls Where They Go.
Route visitors by country, cloak affiliate URLs, split-test destinations, and expire links on a schedule — all from a single short link. Linkly gives marketers the control that Bitly doesn't.
Free plan available. No credit card required.
The Features Bitly Doesn't Have
Bitly is a link shortener. Linkly is a link management platform built for marketers who need real control over where their traffic goes.
Link Cloaking
Link cloaking masks your destination URL so only your branded domain appears in the address bar — essential for affiliate marketers protecting commission links. Bitly doesn't offer cloaking at any price. Linkly includes it on the Business plan and above.
Geo-Targeting Redirects
Create one short link, set country rules, and Linkly routes each visitor to the right URL automatically. Bitly records location in analytics but doesn't redirect based on it — a critical gap for international campaigns.
Retargeting Pixels
Add Facebook, Google, and TikTok pixels to any Linkly link — every click builds your retargeting audience without needing a pixel-tagged landing page. Bitly has no retargeting pixel support on any plan.
A/B Split Testing
Linkly's link rotator splits traffic across multiple destinations so you can A/B test landing pages and identify the winner in your analytics. Bitly has no built-in split-testing.
Link Expiration with Fallback Redirect
Set links to expire by date, click count, or schedule — with expired traffic automatically redirected to a fallback URL you specify. Bitly does support basic link expiration, but when a Bitly link expires it shows an error page rather than redirecting visitors — meaning you lose that traffic entirely at the moment it expires.
Custom Domains on Every Plan
Linkly includes custom domain support on every plan, including free. Bitly locks custom domains behind their Growth plan at $29/mo — meaning their cheapest paid tier excludes what most marketers consider essential.
Linkly vs Bitly: Our Honest Assessment
Bitly is one of the most recognised names in link shortening, and for good reason — it pioneered the category and has spent years building a reliable product. If your goal is simply shortening long URLs and tracking how many times each link was clicked, Bitly does that well. The problem is that marketers today need considerably more than a click counter, and Bitly's feature set has not kept pace with what modern performance marketing demands.
The gap becomes most apparent when you look at what Bitly charges for features like geo-targeting and device targeting: those capabilities exist as analytics dimensions — you can see where clicks came from — but Bitly does not let you route traffic based on them. Linkly does. Combined with retargeting pixel support, link expiration rules, and A/B split testing via link rotators, Linkly offers a fundamentally different product category: active link management rather than passive link tracking.
The pricing comparison makes the decision straightforward for most marketers. At $39/mo, Linkly's 25k plan undercuts Bitly's comparable tier by a wide margin while offering features Bitly doesn't include at any price. The main reason to stay with Bitly is brand recognition or if your team relies on a Bitly integration that would be difficult to replace — otherwise, the feature-to-price ratio strongly favours Linkly.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
See exactly how Linkly and Bitly stack up across every feature that matters.
| Feature |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $39/mo 25k Plan | $199/mo Premium Plan |
| Custom Domains | Free on all plans | Growth plan ($29/mo) and above |
| Link Cloaking | Business plan & up | Not available |
| Geo-Targeting Redirects | Route by country | Analytics only |
| Device Targeting | Route by device/OS | Not available |
| Retargeting Pixels | Facebook, Google, etc. | API only on paid plans |
| A/B Split Testing | Link rotator built-in | Not available |
| Link Expiration | Date, clicks, or schedule + fallback | Available (error page on expiry) |
| Click Analytics | Real-time dashboard | Available |
| QR Codes | Included | Included |
| API Access | All plans | Limited on lower tiers |
| UTM Builder | Built-in | Available |
| Team Workspaces | On paid plans | On paid plans |
Based on publicly available documentation and pricing pages as of May 2026.
Linkly or Bitly — Which Is Right for You?
Choose Linkly if…
You run paid social, affiliate, or performance marketing campaigns and need more than basic click counts. Linkly is the better fit if you want to add retargeting pixels to your links, route visitors by country or device, A/B test landing pages, set expiry rules for time-sensitive offers, or cloak affiliate URLs. It's also the clear choice on price — you get more functionality at $39/mo than Bitly offers at $199/mo.
Choose Bitly if…
Your only requirement is branded link shortening with basic click analytics, and you're already deeply integrated with Bitly's ecosystem — CRMs, email platforms, or internal dashboards that pull from the Bitly API. Bitly is also worth considering if your organisation mandates a well-known enterprise vendor for compliance reasons, or if you primarily need QR code generation at scale with a polished management interface.
Trusted by 100,000+ Marketers
Teams and solo marketers choose Linkly for the features Bitly doesn't offer.
““We switched from Bitly to Linkly for the geo-targeting. Being able to redirect users by country from a single link has been a game-changer for our international campaigns.””
Marketing Director
E-commerce Company
““Link cloaking alone made the switch worth it. Our affiliate links look clean, CTRs went up 35%, and the analytics are far more detailed than what we had with Bitly.””
Affiliate Marketer
Performance Marketing
““The A/B split testing feature is something I couldn't find anywhere at this price point. We test landing page variations on every campaign now.””
Growth Lead
SaaS Startup
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate my links from Bitly to Linkly?
Yes. You can recreate your short links in Linkly with your own custom domain. If you use a custom domain with Bitly, simply point it to Linkly instead and your existing short URLs will continue to work.
Does Linkly have a free plan?
Yes. Linkly offers a free plan with 500 tracked clicks per month, custom domain support, and access to core features like analytics and QR codes.
What is link cloaking and why does it matter?
Link cloaking displays your branded domain in the browser address bar instead of the final destination URL. This is essential for affiliate marketers who want to hide commission links, and for anyone who wants their brand to stay visible after the click.
How does geo-targeting work?
You create a single short link and set rules for different countries. When someone clicks the link, Linkly detects their location and redirects them to the appropriate URL — for example, sending US visitors to your English page and Spanish visitors to your Spanish page.
Does Linkly track who clicked my links?
Yes. Linkly's analytics show you detailed data for every click — country, city, device type, browser, operating system, referrer, and timestamp. You can view this in real time on your dashboard or pull it via the API. Hourly breakdowns are available on the Business plan and above.
Does Linkly integrate with my existing marketing stack?
Yes. Linkly integrates with Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), and n8n for no-code automation, and has a full REST API for custom integrations. You can connect Linkly to your CRM, email platform, analytics suite, or any other tool in your stack. We also offer a Google Chrome extension for quickly shortening links while browsing, and a Google Sheets add-on for managing links in spreadsheets.
Is Linkly suitable for enterprise teams?
Yes. Linkly's Business and Enterprise plans are designed for teams — they include multiple team seats, multiple custom domains, webhooks, advanced analytics, and API access. Enterprise customers get custom usage limits, SSO via SAML, audit logs, SLA guarantees, and dedicated support. Contact our sales team to discuss a plan tailored to your organisation's needs.
Ready to Control Where Your Links Go?
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