linkutm vs Bitly: More Links, Better UTM Tracking, Lower Price
Bitly is the most popular link shortener, but it was never designed for UTM management. linkutm gives you 5x more free links, built-in UTM templates, naming convention enforcement, and up to 5 years of analytics at a lower price point.
Why Marketing Teams Switch from Bitly
No Built-in UTM Management
Bitly shortens links but does not help you build, organize, or enforce UTM parameters. Marketing teams still rely on spreadsheets to manage campaign tracking.
Expensive for What You Get
Bitly's Growth plan starts at $35/month for just 500 links and basic analytics. linkutm's Growth plan gives you 1,500 links, 3 custom domains, and full UTM management for $29/month.
Limited Free Plan
Bitly's free plan offers only 5 links per month with no custom domains and no analytics history. linkutm gives you 25 links per month with a UTM builder and Chrome extension included.
Short Analytics Retention
Bitly retains click data for just 30 days on its Core plan and 4 months on Growth. linkutm keeps your analytics for up to 5 years so you can track campaign performance over time.
linkutm vs Bitly: What You Need to Know
Link shortening vs campaign management: two different tools
Bitly was built to shorten URLs. It does that well, with a recognizable brand and billions of links created. But shortening a link and managing a campaign are different tasks. Marketing teams need UTM parameters for attribution, templates for consistency, and naming rules to keep GA4 data clean. Bitly does not offer any of these. You end up shortening links in Bitly and managing UTMs in a spreadsheet, which doubles your workflow and introduces errors.
The pricing tells the story
Bitly's free plan includes just 5 links per month with 30-day analytics retention. Their Growth plan at $35/month gives you 500 links with 4-month analytics. linkutm's Growth plan at $29/month includes 1,500 links (3x more), 3 custom domains, team collaboration for 3 users, and password-protected links. For marketing teams creating campaign links regularly, linkutm delivers more at a lower price.
When Bitly is still the better choice
Bitly has advantages for enterprise teams that need SSO, advanced permissions, and a large integration ecosystem. If your organization already uses Bitly across thousands of users and needs enterprise-grade security features, the switching cost may not be worth it. Bitly also has stronger brand recognition, which matters if your short links are visible to end users. For everyone else focused on UTM tracking and campaign management, linkutm is the better fit.
linkutm vs Bitly: Feature Comparison
A detailed look at how linkutm and Bitly compare across the features that matter most to marketing teams.
| Feature |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| UTM Builder | ||
| UTM Templates | Up to 50 | |
| UTM Naming Rules | ||
| Dynamic UTM Variables | ||
| Branded Short Links | ||
| Custom Domains | Up to 10 | 1 (Growth+) |
| QR Code Generator | ||
| Click Analytics | ||
| Analytics Retention | Up to 5 Years | 30 Days - 1 Year |
| Chrome Extension | ||
| Bulk Link Import | ||
| Password Protection | Premium ($199/mo) | |
| Team Collaboration | Up to 5 Users | Enterprise Only |
| CSV Data Export | Premium ($199/mo) | |
| Free Plan Links/Month | 25 | 5 |
| Starting Price | $9/mo | $10/mo (no custom domains) |
UTM Builder
UTM Templates
UTM Naming Rules
Dynamic UTM Variables
Branded Short Links
Custom Domains
QR Code Generator
Click Analytics
Analytics Retention
Chrome Extension
Bulk Link Import
Password Protection
Team Collaboration
CSV Data Export
Free Plan Links/Month
Starting Price
Why Choose linkutm Over Bitly
Purpose-Built UTM Management
linkutm was built from the ground up for campaign tracking. Create UTM links with templates, enforce naming conventions, and keep your GA4 data clean without spreadsheets.
More Links, Lower Price
Get 3x more links per month at a lower price point. linkutm's Growth plan includes 1,500 links for $29/mo compared to Bitly's 500 links for $35/mo.
Longer Analytics Retention
Track campaign performance over months and years with up to 5 years of analytics retention. Bitly limits data to 30 days on Core and 4 months on Growth.
Built-in Chrome Extension
Create UTM-tagged links from any webpage without leaving your browser. The Chrome extension is included free on every plan.
Pricing: linkutm vs Bitly
See how linkutm and Bitly compare on pricing and what you get at each tier.
PricingFree
$0- 25 Links/Mo
- UTM Builder
- Chrome Extension
- 25 QR Codes
Personal
$9/mo- 250 Links/Mo
- 1 Custom Domain
- UTM Rules
- CSV Export
Growth
$29/mo- 1,500 Links/Mo
- 3 Custom Domains
- 3 Users
- Password Protection
Agency
$79/mo- 3,500 Links/Mo
- 10 Custom Domains
- 5 Users
- 5 Year Analytics
PricingFree
$0- 5 Links/Mo
- No Custom Domains
- No Analytics History
- 2 QR Codes
Core
$10/mo- 100 Links/Mo
- No Custom Domains
- 30 Day Analytics
- 5 QR Codes
Growth
$35/mo- 500 Links/Mo
- 1 Custom Domain
- 4 Month Analytics
- 10 QR Codes
Premium
$199/mo- 3,000 Links/Mo
- Custom Domains
- 1 Year Analytics
- 200 QR Codes
Which Tool is Right for You?
Best ForMarketing teams that need UTM tracking, naming conventions, branded links, and long-term campaign analytics in one platform.
Try linkutm freeBest ForUsers who need a simple, well-known link shortener with basic click tracking and do not require UTM management.
Visit BitlyThe Bottom Line
Bitly is a great link shortener but not a UTM management tool. If your marketing team builds campaign links with UTM parameters, linkutm replaces both Bitly and your UTM spreadsheet. You get 5x more free links, templates that enforce naming conventions, and analytics that last 5 years instead of 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about switching from Bitly to linkutm.
Yes. linkutm offers everything Bitly does for link shortening plus built-in UTM management, naming convention enforcement, and longer analytics retention at a lower price. Marketing teams that need campaign tracking choose linkutm because it replaces both Bitly and their UTM spreadsheets.
linkutm is more affordable at every tier. The Free plan includes 25 links/month (vs Bitly's 5), the Personal plan starts at $9/month with a custom domain (Bitly charges $35/month for that), and the Growth plan offers 1,500 links for $29/month compared to Bitly's 500 links for $35/month.
Yes. You can export your existing short links and recreate them in linkutm with custom domains. Our team can also help with bulk migration for larger accounts. Contact us for migration support.
Yes. linkutm supports custom branded domains on all paid plans. You can create short links using your own domain, just like Bitly, but with the added benefit of UTM tracking built in.
linkutm includes a UTM builder with templates, naming convention enforcement, dynamic UTM variables, a Chrome extension, bulk import, and up to 5 years of analytics retention. Bitly focuses on link shortening without UTM management tools.
It depends on your needs. Bitly is better for enterprise teams needing SSO and a large integration ecosystem. linkutm is better for marketing teams that need UTM management, naming conventions, and campaign analytics at a lower price.
Bitly's paid plans are worth it if you only need link shortening and QR codes. But if you also need UTM management, linkutm's paid plans offer more features at a lower price, starting at $9/month vs Bitly's $10/month.
Ready to switch from Bitly?
Start with our free plan and see why marketing teams choose linkutm for UTM management, branded links, and campaign tracking.
Compare linkutm with Other Tools
See how linkutm stacks up against other popular link management and URL shortening platforms.