Pipeline planLink Console vs Bitly: when short links need naming rules behind them
By Hojabr Sattari. Updated .
Bitly is a link shortening and QR code platform; Link Console is a UTM builder with governance that includes short links and QR codes. Pick Link Console if the goal is clean attribution: naming rules, approved values and approvals on every plan, unlimited short links and an optional branded short domain on Pro for $49 a month, and audits of live Google Ads and Microsoft Ads URLs. Pick Bitly if you need link-in-bio landing pages, very high QR code volumes or the Bitly brand your audience already recognizes. Bitly lists Core at $10 a month (100 links), Growth at $29 (500 links) and Premium at $199 (3,000 links), billed annually.
At a glance
| Criterion | Link Console | Bitly |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | UTM governance for marketing teams, with short links and QR codes included | Link shortening, QR codes and landing pages at scale |
| Free plan | Builder with naming rules and approved values, unlimited links, 100 short links a month, up to 3 users | 5 links and 2 QR codes a month, 3 custom back-halves, 2 custom landing pages |
| Paid plans (USD) | Pro $49 per workspace per month with 10 users, then $5 per extra user; Enterprise $12 per user, billed annually, from 25 users | Core $10 a month ($120 a year), Growth $29 ($348 a year), Premium $199 ($2,388 a year), billed annually; Enterprise custom |
| Short links a month | Unlimited on Pro | Core 100, Growth 500, Premium 3,000 |
| QR codes | QR designer on every plan (colors, dot style, frame); logo on Pro; editable destinations | Core 5, Growth 10, Premium 200 a month |
| Custom domain | Your own branded short domain on Pro | Complimentary custom domain from Growth |
| UTM builder | Every plan, with naming rules, approved values, locked and required parameters | Included on Core |
| Approvals | Value requests and approvals on every plan | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Click data | By day, country, device and referrer; no IP addresses stored | Kept 30 days on Core, 4 months on Growth, 1 year on Premium, 2 years on Enterprise; city and device type on Premium |
| Bulk creation | Pro, with every row checked against your rules | From Growth: 100 links per upload; Premium 3,000 |
| Live ad URL audit | Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, hourly (Pro) | Not listed on the pricing page |
Where Link Console wins
- Naming rules, approved values and approvals behind every short link, so clicks land in clean GA4 rows
- Unlimited short links on Pro at $49 a month; Bitly lists 500 links a month on Growth ($29) and 3,000 on Premium ($199)
- 100 free short links a month, against 5 on Bitly’s free plan
- Editable destinations and a QR designer on every plan
- Hourly audits of live Google Ads and Microsoft Ads URLs, a daily link health monitor and a GA4 or CRM drift report
- Your own branded short domain on Pro, switched on with one CNAME record
Where Bitly wins
- A widely recognized short domain and brand
- Custom landing pages, including on its free plan
- Higher QR code volumes on Premium (200 a month) and at-scale generation on Enterprise
- A complimentary custom domain with registration included on Growth
- Longer analytics retention on higher plans (1 year on Premium, 2 years on Enterprise) and city-level data on Premium
How to switch from Bitly
- List the Bitly links your team still uses, with their long destination URLs.
- Create a free Link Console workspace and set your naming rules and approved values.
- Paste the destinations (with their UTMs) into the spreadsheet import and check to see what breaks the convention, then import the cleaned links.
- Create new short links and QR codes in Link Console for new campaigns; on Pro, connect your own short domain.
- Keep your Bitly account while printed QR codes and older short links still point through it.
How we checked
Every fact about Bitly on this page comes from Bitly’s own public pricing, product and help pages, checked on November 2, 2026, and listed under Sources. Prices are in USD as published that day and change over time, so confirm them with Bitly before you buy. Where a feature is described as not listed, we did not find it on those pages; it may exist elsewhere.
Which one fits your team
Choose Link Console when
- Short links are part of campaign tracking, and reports depend on clean UTMs
- You create more than 500 short links a month and do not want a per-link ceiling
- Several people and agencies build links and need the same rules
- You also want live ad URLs and destinations checked
Choose Bitly when
- You mainly need short links and QR codes for consumer audiences who recognize Bitly
- You want link-in-bio landing pages
- You need hundreds of QR codes a month or two years of click history
Frequently asked questions
Is Link Console a Bitly alternative?
For marketing teams that shorten tagged campaign links, yes: it includes short links, QR codes and click counts, with naming rules behind them. For link-in-bio pages or very high QR volumes, Bitly offers more.
Does Link Console integrate with Bitly?
No. Link Console has its own short links on go.planconversion.com, or your own branded domain on Pro.
How many short links do I get?
Link Console: 100 a month free, unlimited on Pro. Bitly, per its pricing page: 5 free, 100 on Core, 500 on Growth and 3,000 on Premium.
Can I edit a QR code’s destination?
Yes. In Link Console, destinations are editable on every plan, so printed QR codes can point to a new page.
Sources
Competitor pages checked on .
- Bitly pricing (bitly.com/pages/pricing)
- Bitly branded links (bitly.com/pages/landing/branding)
