Bitly vs RedirHub (2026): Pricing, Features & Best Fit
Bitly is the better start for quick links or QR codes without a domain. RedirHub fits once that domain must also forward visitors or you manage links and redirects across domains.
We build RedirHub. We point out where Bitly is the better buy, and how to check against your own setup.
The short answer
Choose RedirHub if
- Branded links and QR destinations need to coexist with redirects on domains you own
- Includes an old brand domain you can't let lapse
- You have a link domain plus a second domain to forward
Choose Bitly if
- You have no domain yet
- You want a quick, low-cost start
- You need short links, QR codes, landing pages and campaign analytics
The answer in 30 seconds#
Create a few short links or QR codes without owning a domain
Free includes five new links and two new QR codes per month.
Run campaigns with links, QR design, landing pages and marketing reports
Its campaign toolkit and landing pages fit that workflow.
Publish links on one domain you own
Both support branded links. The difference is whether you also need to manage the domain's other traffic and URL rules.
Use a link domain and also redirect an old brand domain
That already makes two owned domains; Core includes 25 domains and 2,500 active managed links. Bitly lists multiple custom domains under Enterprise.
Redirect retired domains or existing website URLs
Domain forwarding and migration mappings are part of the same product.
If you do not own a domain, start with Bitly#
A short link on a Bitly domain is often enough for a first campaign. You can create it without buying a domain or setting up DNS. Bitly Free offers five new links and two new QR codes each month, two landing pages, and unlimited clicks and scans. The Free plan does not include click and scan data history or destination changes.[1]
If you want a branded short domain without buying one separately, Bitly Growth includes a complimentary custom domain. It costs $35/month on monthly billing and includes 500 new links and 10 new QR codes per month. The tradeoff is ownership: Bitly says its complimentary domain cannot be transferred to you or another owner.[2] If owning the domain matters, buy one yourself; Bitly can also make branded links on a domain you own.
Our call
If you have no domain and want to get links or QR codes live, choose Bitly.
A domain-led RedirHub plan is unlikely to be the right starting price for that job.
If you run marketing campaigns, compare the whole workflow#
Bitly is more than a link shortener. It combines short links, QR codes, landing pages, UTM tools and analytics. Growth adds branded links and country and platform routing; Premium adds further routing and mobile deep linking. If your team needs one place to launch and review campaigns, those tools matter.
RedirHub offers branded links and dynamic QR destinations on connected domains, along with redirect management and click and scan data. Core includes 90 days of click and scan history. This can fit a team whose campaign links must coexist with brand domains, old URLs or other redirect rules. But if landing pages and Bitly's campaign workflow are your main requirements, we would choose Bitly.
Our call
List the work you do each week.
If it is mostly creating campaigns and reading their results, start with Bitly. If it is managing links and redirects across domains you own, compare RedirHub's included capacity. Both products document AI or MCP integrations, so that is not a deciding difference by itself.
If you own a domain, ask what else it needs to do#
Suppose you use a domain you own for branded campaign links. Both products support this. Bitly Growth starts at $35/month on monthly billing and brings landing pages and campaign tools with it. If that is the whole job, we would choose Bitly Growth over RedirHub Core at $49/month.
Now add a second job: you use a branded link domain for campaigns and own an old product domain that still receives visitors. You need those visitors forwarded while continuing to make branded links and QR destinations. RedirHub Core covers up to 25 connected domains and 2,500 active managed links in one plan. A root domain and its www version count as one RedirHub domain; a basic whole-domain redirect does not consume a managed link. Individual branded links, QR destinations and migration mappings do.
Bitly supports custom domains, a root router and an invalid-link destination for a short-link domain. But its public pricing table lists multiple custom domains under Enterprise. That is a meaningful difference once you need a second domain; ask Bitly for an Enterprise quote before assuming a price comparison. RedirHub's published Core price lets you start sizing that setup immediately.[3]
Already using Bitly? You can keep existing Bitly campaign links and put a separate owned domain on RedirHub first. There is no need to move every link to find out whether RedirHub solves the extra domain work.
Our call
One domain used only for campaign links: Bitly may be the better buy.
A link domain plus retired, rebranded or other owned domains that must keep forwarding: compare RedirHub first. Count the domains you will connect and the links or QR destinations that must stay active, then check the Core allowance.
Pricing: the numbers measure different things#
| Plan | Price and billing | Published capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly Free | $0 | 5 new links and 2 new QR codes per month |
| Bitly Core | $120/year; annual-only ($10/month equivalent) | 100 new links and 5 new QR codes per month; 30 days of data |
| Bitly Growth | $35/month on monthly billing | 500 new links and 10 new QR codes per month; 4 months of data; branded links |
| Bitly Premium | $300/month on monthly billing | 3,000 new links and 200 new QR codes per month; 1 year of data |
| RedirHub Core | $49/month | 25 connected domains; 2,500 active managed links; 90 days of data |
| RedirHub Pro | $119/month | 250 connected domains; 10,000 active managed links |
Bitly's link allowance is the number of new links created in a month. RedirHub's managed-link allowance is the number of qualifying links, QR destinations and individual migration mappings active at once. They are different units; 500 and 2,500 cannot be compared as if they measure the same thing. For your own comparison, write down (1) how many domains you must connect, (2) how many new links you make each month, and (3) how many RedirHub managed links or QR destinations would need to remain active. RedirHub lets you increase domain and managed-link capacity independently.
Managing links and QR destinations across several domains? See what your current setup would cost on RedirHub.
Calculate your setupBitly also sets separate monthly limits on destination changes: Growth lists 20. That does not mean a link can receive only 20 clicks. Bitly lists unlimited link clicks and QR scans; RedirHub lists unlimited requests on Core and Pro. Review Bitly pricing[1] and RedirHub pricing[3] for current limits.
What if you also need domain redirects or a website migration?#
This is a separate reason to evaluate RedirHub. For example, if the /pricing page on your old domain should lead to the same path on your new domain, a whole-domain redirect with path forwarding may cover the move. If 500 old paths each need a different destination, 500 individual mappings use 500 of Core's 2,500 managed links.
Bitly Growth's allowance of 500 new short links per month does not answer whether existing URLs on your old site will continue to resolve at their original addresses. Bitly's custom-domain root router and invalid-link destination are useful for a short-link domain, but they are different from planning a source-to-destination website migration. If you just need fresh campaign links pointing to the new site, Bitly can do that.
For a simple campaign, keep the decision centered on links, QR codes and reporting.
Choose RedirHub if your links need to coexist with redirects
Your branded links and QR destinations need to coexist with redirects on domains you own, including an old brand domain you cannot let lapse. Have a link domain and a second domain to forward? Check whether your domains and active links fit Core, then connect the first domain. Keep any Bitly campaign links you still use.
Start free trialFrequently asked questions
Not automatically. Bitly has a Free plan, and Growth is $35/month on monthly billing; RedirHub Core starts at $49/month. The value changes when even a second owned domain needs forwarding alongside branded links and QR destinations. Compare the work and the billing units, not just the link totals.
Bitly. You can start with its Free plan. Growth includes a complimentary custom domain, but Bitly says that domain cannot be transferred to you. If ownership matters, buy your own domain and then compare both products.
Yes. Branded custom-domain links start on Growth in Bitly's public pricing. The public comparison table lists multiple custom domains under Enterprise. RedirHub Core includes 25 domains, with each root and www pair counted together.
No. Bitly lists unlimited clicks and QR scans; RedirHub lists unlimited requests on Core and Pro. Bitly's monthly link-creation and destination-change allowances are separate from traffic.
Yes. You can keep existing Bitly campaign links and manage a separate owned domain or a website migration in RedirHub. There is no need to move every campaign link just to evaluate the domain workflow.
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.