linqr vs Bitly QR codes

linqr vs Bitly at a glance

The short answer: Bitly is a link-management platform where a QR code is one feature among many, and linqr is a dedicated dynamic QR code generator.

Free plan: 2 new codes a month vs 3 editable codes

Both services have a free plan, but they limit different things. Bitly's pricing page lists “2 QR Codes/month” and “5 links/month” on Free, with unlimited clicks and scans. The quota is monthly, so over a year you can create more codes, but each one keeps the destination you gave it on day one.

linqr's Free plan counts active codes instead: you can have 3 at a time, with no trial, no card and no monthly quota. Every one of them is dynamic, so you can point it somewhere else as often as you like.

• Pick Bitly Free if you want many fixed codes over time and never need to change their link.
• Pick linqr Free if you print a few codes (a menu, a flyer, a business card) and expect the link behind them to change.

Changing the link after printing

This is the biggest difference for a small business: on Bitly Free you can't change where a QR code points. On the pricing page, the row “Redirects: Change the destination page for links and QR Codes” shows a dash for Free. Core includes 5 redirects a month, Growth 20 and Premium 110.

Bitly's help center explains that a Bitly QR code is “basically a scannable form of a short link”, which is also how linqr works. Every linqr code encodes a short link, onsonara.com/q/…, and you choose where it goes. Open My codes, choose Change link, paste the new address and confirm. The change is live immediately, it's unlimited on every plan, and your three earlier links wait under Previous links if you want to go back. More in QR codes with no expiration date.

Ads and interstitial pages

Bitly shows ads on some Free traffic, and linqr shows none. Bitly's support article on ads, updated on August 31, 2026, says it uses ads on free accounts through an interstitial page that previews the link destination and shows an ad.

To be precise: that article talks about links. It doesn't say whether scans of Free QR codes get the same interstitial. If it matters to you, make a Free code and scan it on cellular data to see what loads. A linqr code redirects straight to your link on every plan, with no ads and no page in between.

Prices after a year

Bitly's paid plans cost more than linqr Pro, but they also cover short links and landing pages. These are the list prices in USD from Bitly's pricing page on September 25, 2026. Sales tax may apply.

linqr has one paid plan. Pro costs $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year and gives you unlimited codes, unlimited link changes, PDF and EPS files, 4096 px downloads and a full year of stats. There is no monthly quota on new codes or redirects. See linqr pricing for the details.

What happens when you downgrade or cancel

Bitly's help center says your links continue to work after a downgrade, and that the effect is the same for QR codes. One exception it names: if a link uses a complimentary custom domain, the links on that domain stop working when the domain registration expires.

On linqr, codes have no expiration date and the Free plan has no trial, with up to 3 active codes. The terms of service, linked in the footer, set out what happens to linqr codes when Pro ends.

Design, files and statistics

linqr gives you more design options and stats on Free; Bitly keeps a longer history on its top plans. On Bitly Free, “Custom Logo” isn't included and colors, frames and patterns are marked “Limited”. Downloads are PNG, JPEG or SVG on every plan.

On linqr Free you get the full design: your own logo or a quick icon, colors, module and corner shapes, and frames with label text. Downloads are PNG, JPG, WEBP and SVG up to 2048 px; Pro adds PDF and EPS with a print size in centimeters. A real decoder checks the preview and shows Scans correctly before you download.

For stats, Bitly Free has no data history. Paid plans keep 30 days (Core), 120 days (Growth), 1 year (Premium) or 2 years (Enterprise), and city and device data start at Premium. linqr Free shows total and unique scans, a 30-day chart, top 3 countries and devices. Pro keeps 365 days with cities, systems, browsers, languages, a day-and-hour heatmap and CSV export.

Who should pick Bitly, who should pick linqr

Pick by what you actually do with links. Bitly is stronger when QR codes are a small part of a bigger link workflow; linqr is simpler and cheaper when QR codes are the job.

• Bitly fits if you shorten and share many links, want branded short links and landing pages in one place, or need 2 years of history on Enterprise.
• linqr fits if you print a few codes on menus, flyers, packaging or cards and want to change their link for free, without ads and with print files.

For other services side by side, see our QR code generator comparison.

How to switch from Bitly to linqr

You can't move a printed Bitly code to linqr, because it encodes a Bitly short link. Make a new linqr code and replace the old one at your next print run. Bitly says links still work after a downgrade, so there's no rush.

1. Find the destination of your Bitly code

   In Bitly, open the QR code and copy the long destination URL, not the short link.

2. Paste it into the creator on this page

   The creator is also on the free dynamic QR code generator home page. The preview appears right away. Add your logo, colors and a frame, and wait for Scans correctly.

3. Save and download

   Click Download QR code and save it to a free account (Google, or email and password). Pick SVG for the print shop.

4. Test, then reprint

   Scan a test print on two phones. Swap the old code at your next print run, and change the link later in My codes whenever you need to.