Why is Bitly no longer free?

Bitly reduced its free plan to just 10 links per month and 5 custom back-halves. This makes Bitly essentially unusable for most marketers and businesses without paying $35+/month.

What is the best free Bitly alternative?

Clifo is one of the best free Bitly alternatives. It offers unlimited link creation on the free plan, real-time click analytics, QR code generation, custom domains, and team workspaces — all without Bitly's restrictive limits.

Does Clifo have a free plan?

Yes. Clifo's free plan never expires and includes URL shortening with click analytics. No credit card required. Paid plans start at $7/month for advanced features like QR codes, custom domains, and CSV export.

Can I migrate from Bitly to Clifo?

Yes. You can export your links from Bitly and recreate them in Clifo. Clifo supports custom aliases so you can maintain consistent link patterns.

Bitly Alternative — 2026

Clifo vs Bitly — Free URL Shortener Without the 10-Link Limit

Bitly cut its free plan to just 10 links per month. Clifo gives you unlimited free links, real-time analytics, QR codes, and custom domains — no credit card required.

Switch to Clifo — It's Free See Full Comparison

Free Plan Comparison

Bitly Free 10 links/month

Clifo Free Unlimited links

Clifo Free Plan

$35+

Bitly Core/month

Clifo vs Bitly — Feature Comparison

How the two platforms stack up across the features that matter most

Feature	Clifo	Bitly
Free links per month	Unlimited	10 links
Free plan expires?	Never	Never, but very limited
Click analytics	Free — all plans	Paid only (Core $35/mo)
QR code generator	PNG + SVG	Paid only
Custom domain	From $7/month	From $35/month
Team workspaces	From $15/month	From $200/month
Custom link aliases	All plans	5 aliases free, paid after
UTM builder	Built-in, all plans	Available
API access	Corporate plan	Paid plans only
CSV analytics export	Pro & Corporate	Paid only
Starting paid price	$7/month	$35/month
Credit card for free plan	Not required	Not required

Why people are switching from Bitly to Clifo

Bitly used to be the default. Then they changed the rules.

Bitly's free plan is now basically unusable

10 links per month and 5 custom back-halves isn't enough for a single campaign. Bitly wants you to pay $35/month for what used to be free. Clifo keeps the free plan genuinely unlimited.

5× cheaper for teams

Bitly's team plans start at $200+/month. Clifo's Corporate plan with full team workspaces, roles, and API is $15/month.

Clifo $15 vs Bitly $200+

Analytics included free

On Bitly, click analytics require a paid plan. On Clifo, every free account gets real-time click analytics — country, device, browser, referrer.

QR codes — free with PNG

Bitly charges for QR codes. Clifo generates PNG QR codes for every link, with SVG available on paid plans from $7/month.

No vendor lock-in

Your data belongs to you. Clifo lets you export analytics to CSV at any time. We believe in transparent pricing and no surprise plan changes — unlike what happened with Bitly's free tier.

Custom domain from $7/month

Bitly charges $35/month for a branded domain. With Clifo Professional at $7/month you get your own domain, advanced analytics, QR codes, and CSV export.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Bitly limit the free plan to 10 links?

Bitly significantly restricted its free tier to push users toward paid plans starting at $35/month. The free plan now allows only 10 short links and 5 custom back-halves per month — not enough for regular use.

Is Clifo really unlimited on the free plan?

Yes. Clifo's free plan has no monthly link limit. You can create as many short links as you need, track click analytics in real-time, and generate PNG QR codes — all at no cost, with no credit card required.

How do I migrate my links from Bitly to Clifo?

Export your links from Bitly's dashboard, then recreate them in Clifo using the same aliases (where available). Clifo supports custom aliases on all plans so you can maintain link consistency.

Does Clifo have custom domains like Bitly?

Yes. Clifo supports branded custom domains starting at $7/month (Professional plan). Bitly requires $35/month for the same feature. The setup takes about 5 minutes with a CNAME record.

What analytics does Clifo provide vs Bitly?

Both platforms track clicks by geography, device, and referrer. The key difference: Clifo includes this analytics on the free plan. Bitly requires a paid Core or Growth plan to access analytics.