Bitly Free Plan Now Shows Ads? Here’s an Ad-Free Alternative on Your Own Domain
Bitly now shows ads on free accounts. According to Bitly’s own support center, free links open an interstitial page with a destination preview and an ad before visitors reach your content. The free plan is also limited to 5 links per month, with no custom domain and no destination editing, according to Bitly’s pricing page (checked 26 September 2026).
To remove the ads, Bitly asks you to upgrade to a paid plan. As of 26 September 2026, Core costs $10/month billed annually, and a complimentary custom domain starts on the Growth plan at $35/month, or $29/month billed annually. Prices change, so check Bitly’s pricing page for current figures.
Why Ads on Your Links Hurt Your Brand#
Every link you share is a first impression. When someone clicks a Bitly free link, they see an ad page before they see your content — with promotions you didn’t choose, from advertisers you don’t know.
This creates three problems:
- Trust erosion. Generic short links followed by an ad page can look spammy, especially to people who don’t know you yet.
- Extra friction. An extra page between the click and your content adds a step exactly when you want the experience to be clean.
- No control. You don’t choose which ads appear or whether they’re relevant to your audience.
If you’re sharing links for a business, a campaign, or any professional purpose, it’s worth keeping someone else’s ads out of the path between you and your audience.
Bitly vs RedirHub for Ad-Free, Branded Links#
Here’s how Bitly’s free and Growth plans compare with RedirHub Core (Bitly figures from its pricing page, checked 26 September 2026):
- Price: Bitly Free is $0 with ads; Bitly Growth is $35/month ($29/month billed annually); RedirHub Core is $49/month, with a 14-day free trial.
- Links: 5 per month on Bitly Free and 500 per month on Growth; 2,500 managed links on RedirHub Core.
- Custom domains: none on Bitly Free and one complimentary domain on Growth; 25 domains on RedirHub Core.
- Ads: an interstitial ad page on Bitly Free; no ads on any RedirHub plan.
- Destination editing: not available on Bitly Free; available on RedirHub, so you can change where a link points at any time.
If you only share a few links a month and don’t mind the ad page, Bitly Free may be enough. If you need ad-free links on your own domains, compare Bitly’s paid plans with RedirHub Core — and use RedirHub’s 14-day free trial to test with your own domain first.
What You Get With RedirHub#
RedirHub is a redirect management platform, not just a link shortener. On the Core plan you get:
- 25 domains and 2,500 managed links — enough for a campaign, a site migration, or months of marketing links, with capacity you can expand as you grow.
- Custom domains with automatic HTTPS — use your own branded domain so links read yourbrand.co/offer instead of a generic short link. Certificates are provisioned and renewed automatically.
- Frame and path-based redirects — go beyond simple shortening. Keep your source URL visible with frame redirects, or route different paths to different destinations.
- Destination editing — change where a link points at any time.
- API and MCP server — integrate redirects into your workflow or let AI agents manage them. MCP access is included on every plan.
- No ads and no third-party branding.
It’s built for site migrations, campaign tracking, domain parking, and everything in between.
How to Move From Bitly to RedirHub#
Moving your links is straightforward:
- Export from Bitly. Go to your Bitly dashboard, select your links, and export them as a CSV.
- Start a RedirHub free trial. Start a 14-day free trial at redirhub.com.
- Add your domain and links. Add your custom domain, point DNS, and recreate your links from the export.
- Test and switch. Click through your most important links, then start sharing the new ones.
If you have a large number of links, check the pricing page for bulk import and capacity options before you migrate.
More on Branded Links and Campaigns#
If you’re running marketing campaigns, branded links help recipients recognize your brand in the URL before they click. Learn more about how RedirHub supports campaign link management on our marketing campaigns page.
For a full breakdown of plans and capacity, see RedirHub pricing.
And if you’re managing domains without hosting, check out our guide on redirecting a domain without hosting — it covers how to point any domain with no server required.
Keep Ads Out of Your Links#
Bitly chose to fund its free plan with ads. That’s its business model — but you don’t have to put an ad page in front of your audience.
RedirHub doesn’t show ads on any plan. Core starts at $49/month with 25 domains and 2,500 managed links, and both Core and Pro come with a 14-day free trial, so you can test with your own domain before you pay.
Take your links back. → Start your 14-day free trial
TC is the Operations Manager at RedirHub, leading the company’s operational strategy and execution to ensure reliable, scalable redirect infrastructure. He oversees internal processes, cross-team coordination, and platform readiness while supporting customers through complex redirect implementations. With a strong understanding of large-scale domain operations and real-world edge cases, TC plays a key role in aligning product and customer success to deliver stable, high-performance redirection solutions.
