QRLynx vs Bitly.
Two QR + link platforms compared honestly. QRLynx wins on free tier and QR-first features; Bitly wins on link-shortening maturity and enterprise polish. Picks below sorted by use case.
If you need a generous free tier, 49 QR code types, and codes that never expire, QRLynx is the better pick. If you need enterprise-grade SSO, audit logs, a mature API ecosystem, or are already standardized on Bitly across a large team, switching costs make Bitly the safer choice. Both run global edge networks; redirect latency is comparable.
- You want a real free tier (no watermark, no monthly reset)
- You need more than basic QR code types — vCard, WiFi, payment, social, event
- You care about codes never expiring after subscription cancellation
- You are an SMB or growth-stage team watching the budget
- You want AI-powered scan analytics on the free plan
- Your team is already on Bitly and switching cost is real
- You need enterprise SSO, audit logs, or a named CSM
- You need a mature, well-documented API with SDKs in every language
- Link shortening (not QR) is your primary use case
- You need custom branded domains at a lower entry tier ($35/mo Premium)
QRLynx vs Bitly — the full matrix
Every dimension below is honestly graded — sometimes a tie, sometimes Bitly wins, sometimes QRLynx wins. Verified against both companies' public pricing and docs as of 2026-05-29.
| Dimension | QRLynx | Bitly | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Genuinely free forever — 5 dynamic QR codes + unlimited static QR codes + 90-day analytics + AI Insights, no watermark, no scan caps. | Free: 5 short links + 2 dynamic QR codes per month. Codes carry the bitly.com branding and the free tier resets monthly. | QRLynx |
| QR code types | 49 (URL, vCard, WiFi, PDF, social, payment, business, event, app store, wallet, lead, and more). | Roughly a dozen — URL, vCard, WiFi, and the most common business types. | QRLynx |
| Link shortening | Smart redirects + custom branded domains, but link shortening is not the primary product surface. | The original short-link platform — 14+ years of maturity, deep integrations with social-media and ad tools. | Bitly |
| Analytics depth | Real-time scan analytics with geo, device, OS, browser, and time-of-day. AI-summarized insights and anomaly detection on every plan including free. | Comprehensive click + scan analytics with longer retention on paid plans. Free tier limits analytics retention to 30 days. | Tie |
| Custom-branded domains | Available on the Enterprise plan ($99/mo) with white-label support. | Available on the Premium plan ($35/mo) and above — Bitly was first-to-market on branded short domains. | Bitly (cheaper entry) |
| Code editability after print | Yes — every dynamic QR code can be re-pointed at any time, even after you have printed it on physical materials. | Yes — same dynamic-code editability on paid plans. | Tie |
| Code longevity | Codes never expire — even after a paid subscription is cancelled, the codes you created keep redirecting. | Codes may expire if the underlying short link is deleted or the account is downgraded below the tier that created them. | QRLynx |
| Watermarks on QR codes | No watermark on any plan — including free. | Bitly branding visible on QR codes generated on the free tier. | QRLynx |
| Redirect latency | Fast worldwide — typically tens of milliseconds. Redirects run on Cloudflare's global edge network. | Sub-100ms typical TTFB worldwide. Bitly runs its own global edge. | Tie (both fast) |
| Starting paid price | Starter+ at $7/mo (15 dynamic codes/month). | Core at $8/mo (1,500 short links + 5 QR codes/mo). | QRLynx (slightly cheaper) |
| Enterprise polish | Enterprise tier ($99/mo) with white-label, API access, team workspaces. Smaller-company product surface overall. | Enterprise sales motion, SSO, audit logs, dedicated CSM — built for Fortune-500 procurement. | Bitly |
| API access | API available on Enterprise plan. | API available on Premium and above — well-documented, mature SDKs in major languages. | Bitly |
| Best for marketing teams | Strong for SMBs and growth-stage teams who want the QR-first feature set without paying enterprise prices. | Strong for enterprise marketing teams already on Bitly across the org — switching cost is real. | Depends on team size |
What does each cost?
Public list pricing only — enterprise contracts vary. Verified 2026-05-29 from qrlynx.com/pricing and bitly.com/pricing.
| Tier | QRLynx | Bitly |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 — 5 dynamic + unlimited static + 90-day analytics + AI Insights | $0 — 5 short links + 2 QR/mo |
| Entry paid | $7/mo Starter+ (50 dynamic codes + SVG/PDF exports) | $8/mo Core (5 QR codes + 1,500 links) |
| Pro | $14/mo (300 dynamic + smart redirects + password + scheduling) | $35/mo Premium (custom domains + 250 QR) |
| Business | $29/mo (1,000 codes + 10-member team + lead capture) | Available via Premium tier |
| Enterprise | $99/mo (5,000 codes + white-label + 100-member team) | Custom quote (SSO + audit logs + CSM) |
Which should you choose?
Seven common scenarios with our honest pick + the reason.
- A small business wants free QR codes for a restaurant menu, a wifi card, and event flyers.
- QRLynx
- The free tier covers all three use cases without a watermark and the codes never expire — Bitly's free tier hits its 2 QR/mo limit immediately.
- A 200-person marketing team standardized on Bitly two years ago and wants more QR code types.
- Bitly
- Switching cost outweighs the feature gap. Stay on Bitly and use its QR-code surface; explore QRLynx for new campaigns only.
- A startup needs QR codes for printed materials they cannot reprint.
- QRLynx
- Codes never expire on QRLynx even after subscription cancellation. Bitly's codes can become unreachable if the account downgrades.
- A developer needs an API to generate QR codes programmatically at scale.
- Bitly
- Bitly's API is older, better-documented, and has mature SDKs in most major languages. QRLynx's API is only on the Enterprise plan.
- A growth team wants real-time scan analytics with geographic + device breakdowns.
- Either
- Both deliver this. QRLynx surfaces it on every plan including free; Bitly limits analytics retention on the free tier to 30 days. If you need historical analytics on a budget, QRLynx wins.
- A Fortune-500 enterprise needs SSO, audit logs, and a named customer-success manager.
- Bitly
- Bitly is built for enterprise procurement. QRLynx serves SMB and mid-market — the enterprise polish gap is real.
- A creator wants to embed payment, social, and contact QR codes for fans.
- QRLynx
- 49 code types versus roughly a dozen on Bitly. Payment, social, vCard, and event codes are all native QRLynx surfaces.
QRLynx vs Bitly FAQ
- 01
Yes. The free tier includes 5 dynamic QR codes + unlimited static QR codes + 90-day analytics + AI Insights, with no watermarks and no scan caps. Static codes are unlimited forever; dynamic codes are 5 forever (not 5 per month — 5 total). Bitly's free tier limits you to 2 QR codes per month and carries Bitly branding on the codes.
- 02
It depends on what you need. QRLynx wins on QR-first use cases (49 code types, genuine free tier, codes that never expire). Bitly wins on link-shortening maturity, enterprise polish, and API ecosystem. For most SMBs starting fresh, QRLynx is the better value. For enterprises already on Bitly, switching cost usually outweighs the feature gap.
- 03
Static QR codes are just images — re-generate them on QRLynx and they work identically. Dynamic QR codes are tied to the redirect URL that's printed in the code, so they cannot be migrated without re-printing. Use Bitly for printed legacy codes; move new campaigns to QRLynx.
- 04
Yes, on the Enterprise plan ($99/mo). Bitly's API is older and has wider SDK coverage. If API access is your primary requirement and you can afford Bitly Premium, Bitly's API maturity is the deciding factor.
- 05
Yes. Both generate standard QR codes that scan on every modern iOS and Android device using the built-in camera app. No special app needed for either.
- 06
Yes — all on the free tier. Geographic, device, OS, browser, and time-of-day breakdowns are included on every plan. QRLynx also adds AI-summarized insights and anomaly detection that Bitly does not surface.
- 07
On QRLynx: codes never expire. Even after cancelling, every code you created keeps redirecting. On Bitly: codes may become unreachable if you downgrade below the tier that created them, or if the underlying short link is deleted.
- 08
No. The published plan price is the total — no per-scan fees, no API call surcharges, no add-on costs for the listed features. Bitly's pricing is similarly transparent on their main plans, though enterprise contracts often add line items.
- 09
Yes — QR menus, wifi codes, and table-side payment codes are top use cases. Menujo (also by Jorbox) is purpose-built for restaurant QR menus if that is your only need; QRLynx is the broader QR platform.
- 010
QRLynx is built and operated by Jorbox LLC, an independent product company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, founded in 2012. Jorbox runs five SaaS products end-to-end: QRLynx, Zawjni, Menujo, Lebseh, and CVPoet. No outside investment.
- 011
Yes. Bitly is a legitimate, public-company-class operator with mature security practices. Both Bitly and QRLynx run multi-layer URL validation (DNS reputation, Google Web Risk API, lexical checks) to block malicious destinations.
- 012
Both have free tiers — sign up for both, generate one QR code on each, scan and verify. The free tier on QRLynx is more usable for real-world testing because it does not watermark the output. Run both for 30 days and pick on the basis of which actually fits your workflow.
Is QRLynx really free?
Which is better — QRLynx or Bitly?
Can I migrate my Bitly QR codes to QRLynx?
Does QRLynx have an API like Bitly?
Do QRLynx codes work on every phone like Bitly codes?
Can I track scans by location, device, and time with QRLynx?
What happens to my QR codes if I cancel?
Are there hidden fees with QRLynx?
Does QRLynx work for restaurants and physical retail?
Who is QRLynx made by?
Is Bitly safe to use?
How do I pick between them without committing?
We make QRLynx. We tried to grade Bitly fairly anyway.
This comparison is published by Jorbox LLC, the company that builds QRLynx. We have no commercial relationship with Bitly. Every claim about Bitly is verified against their public pricing and documentation; we update this page quarterly when prices or features change. If we got something wrong about Bitly, tell us and we'll fix it.