Pipeline planLink Console vs UTM.io: governed UTMs without paying for the top tier
By Hojabr Sattari. Updated .
Pick Link Console if you want naming rules, approved values and an approval workflow on the free plan, plus checks of your live Google Ads and Microsoft Ads URLs, for $49 per workspace on Pro with 10 users included. Pick UTM.io if you want unlimited users on every plan, its Bitly integration, an SSO add-on or advanced rule features such as dynamic variables and pretty names. On UTM.io’s pricing page, limited rules start on Plus ($19 a month), standard rules and the API on Professional ($69) and custom parameter rules on Business ($159), with “UTM conventions” listed under Enterprise.
At a glance
| Criterion | Link Console | UTM.io |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free forever: builder, naming rules, approved values, approvals, unlimited links, 100 short links a month, 5 templates, up to 3 users | Starter, free: UTM builder, Chrome extension, UTM.guru shortener, dynamic QR codes, 3 templates; the plan card lists 25 new links a month |
| Paid plans (USD a month) | Pro $49 per workspace with 10 users, then $5 per extra user; Enterprise $12 per user, billed annually, from 25 users | Plus $19 ($16 billed annually), Professional $69 ($58), Business $159 ($133), Enterprise on request |
| Trial | 2 months of Pro on every new workspace, no credit card | 14-day free trial with Enterprise features |
| Users | Free: up to 3; Pro: 10 included, then $5 per extra user a month; Enterprise: from 25 users | Unlimited on every plan |
| Naming rules | Rules, approved values, locked and required parameters on every plan | Limited rules (campaign, medium, source) from Plus; standard rules from Professional; custom parameter rules from Business; UTM conventions on Enterprise |
| Value requests and approvals | Free on every plan | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Short links and QR codes | 100 a month free, unlimited on Pro; editable destinations and QR designer on every plan; branded domain and QR logo on Pro | UTM.guru shortener and dynamic QR codes from Starter; branded shorteners and custom QR design from Plus |
| Bulk and custom parameters | Pro | Bulk builder from Plus; custom URL parameters from Professional |
| API and automation | REST API and webhooks for Zapier and Make on Pro | API and Zapier from Professional |
| Bitly integration | No | From Plus |
| Live ad URL audit | Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, hourly (Pro) | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Broken link and GA4 or CRM checks | Daily link health monitor (Pro); GA4 export check (free); HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive (Pro) | UTM cleaner on Business |
| Single sign-on | SAML on the roadmap, ask us | Add-on on Business and Enterprise |
Where Link Console wins
- Naming rules for every parameter, approved values, locked and required parameters on the free plan; on UTM.io, rules for all standard UTMs start at Professional ($69 a month)
- A value request and approval workflow, free, so agencies cannot invent new sources
- An hourly, read-only audit of every live Google Ads and Microsoft Ads final URL, tracking template and URL suffix
- A daily link health monitor and a GA4 or CRM drift report that sizes the sessions and pipeline on off-convention values
- Pro at $49 per workspace includes the bulk builder, custom parameters and API that UTM.io puts on Professional ($69 a month), and a clean-up of existing UTM data and rules on custom parameters that it lists on Business ($159)
- Same login and workspace as Pacing Console, so links and budgets live together
Where UTM.io wins
- Unlimited users on every plan, including the free Starter plan; Link Console includes 3 users on Free and 10 on Pro, then $5 per extra user
- A Bitly integration with click tracking from Plus, useful if your short links already live in Bitly
- SSO listed as an add-on on Business and Enterprise; single sign-on (SAML) is on Link Console’s roadmap
- Advanced rule features on higher plans: dynamic variables, pretty names, UTM groupings and smart routing
- More workspaces and several branded shorteners on Business and Enterprise
- Published API rate limits (20 requests a minute, 600 an hour, 7,200 a day, per its FAQ)
What the same setup costs
Take a team that wants rules on every standard UTM, custom parameters and an API. On UTM.io’s published pricing that is the Professional plan, $69 a month or $58 billed annually. In Link Console it is Pro, $49 per workspace per month with 10 users included and $5 per extra user, after 2 free months. Up to 14 people, Link Console Pro costs less; from 15 people, UTM.io Professional costs less on seats alone because its users are unlimited, while Link Console Pro also includes the ad account audit, link health monitor and GA4 or CRM drift checks. UTM.io’s rules on custom parameters and its UTM cleaner sit on Business at $159 a month. Teams of up to 3 can use Link Console’s rules on the free plan.
How to switch from UTM.io
- Export your link history from UTM.io as a CSV (its pricing table lists CSV import and export).
- Create a free Link Console workspace and set your separator, lowercase and required parameters.
- Upload the CSV to the spreadsheet import and check: see which values break the convention and download the fixed version.
- Turn the cleaned source and medium lists into approved values, and import the links into the shared history.
- Recreate your templates, invite the team and agencies, and paste the read-only audit script into Google Ads and Microsoft Ads on Pro.
- Keep your UTM.io account while short links created there are still in use, because they redirect through UTM.io’s shortener.
How we checked
Every fact about UTM.io on this page comes from UTM.io’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 UTM.io 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
- You want naming rules and approvals enforced without paying for a top tier
- Your paid media runs on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads and you want live ad URLs checked
- You need to show leadership how much traffic and pipeline sits on bad UTM values
- You already use or plan to use Pacing Console
Choose UTM.io when
- Your short links already live in Bitly and you want UTM.io to sit on top of it
- You need single sign-on today
- You rely on dynamic variables, pretty names or smart routing
Frequently asked questions
Is Link Console a UTM.io alternative?
Yes. Both are UTM builders with rules, short links, QR codes and a Chrome extension. Link Console puts rules, approved values and approvals on the free plan and adds ad account audits, link health and GA4 or CRM drift checks on Pro.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on the features you need. For rules on every standard UTM plus an API, UTM.io lists Professional at $69 a month with unlimited users; Link Console Pro is $49 per workspace with 10 users, then $5 per extra user. Link Console is cheaper up to 14 users, UTM.io Professional from 15. Both have free plans.
Does Link Console integrate with Bitly like UTM.io?
No. Link Console has its own short links on go.planconversion.com, or your own branded domain on Pro.
Can I bring my UTM.io history?
Yes. Export it as a CSV and use Link Console’s spreadsheet import and check, which flags off-convention values and imports the links into one history.
