Bitly vs Rebrandly

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Bitly

The best-known link shortener, now a full platform for branded links, QR codes and link-in-bio pages.

Free plan + paid

Visit Bitly Bitly profile

Rebrandly

A link management platform built around branded short links on your own custom domains.

Free plan + paid

Visit Rebrandly Rebrandly profile

The short answer

Bitly suits marketing teams that want a recognisable shortener with dynamic QR codes, link-in-bio pages and a large set of integrations. Rebrandly suits brands and agencies that want every link on their own domain and need compliance paperwork such as SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA. The biggest difference is focus: Bitly is a broad marketing toolkit, Rebrandly is built around branded domains.

Bitly or Rebrandly: our take

Both tools shorten links, track clicks and generate QR codes, but they start from different places. Bitly built its name on the generic bit.ly domain and has grown into a wider connections platform: dynamic QR codes you can edit after printing, simple landing pages, a link-in-bio page, UTM building, bulk creation and integrations with Shopify, Canva and HubSpot. Rebrandly assumes you want links like go.yourbrand.com from day one, handles the custom domain and SSL setup for you, and adds routing, password-protected links, expiry and link galleries on top.

Pricing follows a similar volume-based model, with monthly caps on links. Bitly's free plan is very limited, at 5 links a month with ads on the redirects, so it is mainly a trial; paid plans run from Core at $10 a month to Growth at $29 and Premium at $199 a month, all billed annually. Rebrandly also has a free plan, though its QR codes carry a watermark, and its Professional plan includes 1,500 links a month. Both get expensive at higher tiers.

For teams, Rebrandly offers workspaces, permissions, audit logs, an API and webhooks, and it cites SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, HIPAA and CCPA compliance, which is why it shows up in regulated industries. Bitly has a mature API too, and its enterprise plans add SSO and custom domains at scale. Both are web-based with browser extensions; Bitly also has iOS and Android apps.

Pick Bitly if you want one account for short links, QR codes and a bio page, with integrations into common marketing tools. Pick Rebrandly if branded domains are the point, you run several of them, or your security team needs compliance documentation before approving a link tool.

Choose Bitly if…

Marketing teams that want a trusted, widely recognised short-link and QR code platform
You need iOS and Android, which Rebrandly doesn't list
Recognisable, trusted short links
Dynamic QR codes and link-in-bio in the same account

Choose Rebrandly if…

Brands and agencies that want short links on their own domains with strong compliance
Excellent custom domain support
Compliance certifications for regulated industries

What is Bitly?

Bitly is the default name in short links. Paste a long URL and you get a short bit.ly link, or a branded one on your own domain, with click analytics showing where, when and on what device people opened it. Over the years it has grown into a broader connections platform: dynamic QR codes you can edit after printing, simple landing pages, a link-in-bio page, UTM building, bulk creation, an API and integrations with tools such as Shopify, Canva and HubSpot. Large companies use it for campaign tracking, and its enterprise plans add SSO, custom domains at scale and support. The free plan is now very limited, with a handful of links and QR codes a month and ads on its redirects, so it is only good for trying the service. Paid plans are priced by monthly link and QR code volume, with the best value on annual billing. It runs in the browser with iOS and Android apps and a browser extension.

What is Rebrandly?

Rebrandly is a link shortener aimed at brands that want every link on their own domain, such as go.yourbrand.com, rather than a generic shortener. It handles custom domain setup and SSL, then adds the usual link management features: click analytics with audience data, UTM tagging, QR codes, link galleries for link-in-bio pages, link editing and expiry, password-protected links and traffic routing. Teams get workspaces, permissions and audit logs, and developers get an API and webhooks. It highlights compliance, citing SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, HIPAA and CCPA, which makes it common in regulated industries. There is a free plan with limits and watermarked QR codes, and paid plans are priced by monthly link volume, from individual tiers to Growth and Enterprise, with discounts on annual billing. It is web-based with browser extensions. Smaller users may find it pricier than simpler shorteners once they go past the free tier.

Side by side

Attribute	Bitly	Rebrandly
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension	Web, Browser extension
Best for	Marketing teams that want a trusted, widely recognised short-link and QR code platform	Brands and agencies that want short links on their own domains with strong compliance
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	Bitly	Rebrandly
Free plan	5 links/month, with ads	Yes