Yes, Bitly has a free plan you can use for as long as you want, with no credit card needed. Bitly Free includes 5 links a month, 2 QR Codes a month, 2 custom landing pages and 3 custom back-halves a month, with unlimited clicks and QR Code scans. Bitly labels the plan With Ads.
The free plan works for occasional short links. Its real limit isn't clicks, which are unlimited, but how few new links and QR Codes you can create each month, and the fact that changing where a link or QR Code points is a paid feature. That second point matters a lot if you print QR Codes.
What Bitly Free includes
- 5 links a month.
- 2 QR Codes a month.
- 2 custom landing pages.
- 3 custom back-halves a month, so bit.ly/random becomes bit.ly/YourWords.
- Unlimited clicks and QR Code scans.
- QR Code customisations.
Bitly's pricing page says you can use the free plan as long as you want, with no commitment and no card required.
The catch with QR Codes on the free plan
Here's the detail worth knowing before you print anything. On Bitly's pricing page, link and QR Code redirects, the feature that lets you change where an existing link or QR Code sends people, are listed under the paid Core plan. So if you print a free Bitly QR Code on a flyer and the page it points to changes, you can't update the code on Free. You'd need a new code, which is one of only 2 you get a month.
If you need a code you can edit after printing, read my guide to free URL shorteners for alternatives, and make sure any QR Code on printed material points to a page you control and won't move.
Free versus Core and Growth
| Feature | Free | Paid plans |
|---|---|---|
| New links each month | 5 | 100 on Core, 500 on Growth, 3,000 on Premium |
| New QR Codes each month | 2 | 5 on Core, 10 on Growth, 200 on Premium |
| Clicks and scans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Change a link or QR destination | Not listed | From Core |
| Click and scan data history | Not listed | 30 days on Core, more on higher plans |
| Custom domain | Not included | Complimentary custom domain on higher plans |
| Ads | Plan labelled With Ads | Not labelled With Ads |
What Bitly's paid plans cost
Bitly's pricing page lists Core at $120 annually, and notes that Core is annual only. Growth is listed at $348 annually and Premium at $2,388 annually, as of October 2026. Enterprise is custom pricing. Bitly says its annual plans save compared with paying monthly.
Who should stay on Bitly Free
| You... | Free enough? |
|---|---|
| Shorten a few links a month for social posts | Yes |
| Print QR Codes on menus, flyers or packaging | Risky, you can't change the destination on Free |
| Want to know where clicks come from | No, click data history starts on Core |
| Want links on your own brand domain | No, that's on paid plans |
How to get the most from the free plan
- Save your 5 monthly links for links you'll share widely, not quick tests.
- Use a custom back-half so the link reads well, such as bit.ly/YourOffer.
- Point QR Codes at a stable page on your own site, so the code never needs changing.
- If you need lots of QR Codes, note that even Core lists only 5 a month; a dedicated QR tool may suit you better.
For other options, my roundup of the best link shorteners compares Bitly with tools that have bigger free allowances.
What each paid plan adds
Bitly's pricing page builds each plan on the one before it. Core adds link and QR Code redirects and 30 days of click and scan data, and Bitly says its AI helper, Bitly Assist, is included on Core plans and above. Growth adds a complimentary custom domain and 4 months of click and scan data. Premium extends the history to 1 year and adds city-level and device type click and scan data.
| Plan | Click and scan history | Custom domain |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Not listed | No |
| Core | 30 days | No |
| Growth | 4 months | Complimentary |
| Premium | 1 year, with city and device data | Complimentary |
Bitly's plan comparison also lists scheduling links and QR Codes to expire at a set time and date, which suits short promotions; check which plan includes it before you rely on it.
What the free limits add up to
It helps to turn the monthly limits into a year. Five links a month is 60 new short links a year, and 2 QR Codes a month is 24. The clicks and scans on them are unlimited, so a single popular link can be clicked as often as people like without costing anything.
Bitly's own examples show what the custom options do. A custom back-half turns a random link such as bit.ly/2ZonlUz into bit.ly/MyOnlinePage, and you get 3 of those a month on Free. A custom domain, on the higher paid plans, goes further and swaps bit.ly for your own short domain, so bit.ly/2m75BWD becomes something like yourbrnd.co/2m75BWD.
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| Free plan limit | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| New links | 5 | 60 |
| New QR Codes | 2 | 24 |
| Custom back-halves | 3 | 36 |
My advice
Bitly Free is fine for a handful of tidy links a month. Don't use a free Bitly QR Code on anything you'll print in quantity unless the page behind it will never move, because changing the destination is a paid feature. If you need click data or your own domain, you're on a paid plan anyway, and Core is billed annually, so be sure before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitly free?
Yes. Bitly's free plan can be used as long as you want, with no card needed, and includes 5 links and 2 QR Codes a month with unlimited clicks and scans.
How many links can I make on Bitly for free?
Bitly's free plan includes 5 links a month.
Can I change a Bitly QR Code destination for free?
Bitly lists link and QR Code redirects under its paid Core plan, so changing a destination isn't part of the free plan.
Does Bitly Free have ads?
Bitly labels its free plan With Ads on its pricing page.
How much is Bitly Core?
Bitly lists Core at $120 annually, as of October 2026, and says it's annual only.
Can I use my own domain with Bitly for free?
No. Bitly lists a complimentary custom domain on its higher paid plans, starting with Growth, so your links read like yourbrnd.co instead of bit.ly.
Do I need a credit card for Bitly's free plan?
No. Bitly's pricing page says no credit card is needed and you can use the free plan as long as you want.
