Bitly QR Code Pricing and Limits vs Honest QR
Bitly is primarily a link management platform that sells QR codes as part of its link plans, with a limit on how many QR codes you can create each month. As of October 2026 the plans are Free (2 QR codes a month, no redirects, with ads), Core at $10/month billed annually only ($120 a year, 5 QR codes a month), Growth at $29/month billed annually or $35 billed monthly (10 a month), Premium at $199/month billed annually or $300 billed monthly (200 a month), and custom-priced Enterprise. Honest QR is built for QR codes, with Starter, Pro, and Business plans covering up to 12, 200 and 600 dynamic codes in total, monthly or annual billing, and a 7-day free trial. See current pricing at honestqr.net/#pricing. Here's how they compare.
Bitly QR Code Pricing and Limits
Bitly's pricing page lists these plans (figures as of October 2026; check bitly.com for the latest). The QR code limit is the number of QR codes you can create per month, and a redirect is a change to the destination of a link or QR code:
- Free: $0, 2 QR codes a month, no redirects, limited color options, no custom logo, labelled "With Ads" (Bitly says free accounts show an interstitial page with a preview of the destination and an ad)
- Core: $10/month, annual plan only (an annual charge of $120), 5 QR codes a month, 5 redirects a month, 30 days of click and scan data, advanced QR code customizations
- Growth: $29/month billed annually (an annual charge of $348) or $35/month billed monthly, 10 QR codes a month, 20 redirects a month, branded links, a complimentary custom domain, bulk link and QR code creation
- Premium: $199/month billed annually (an annual charge of $2,388) or $300/month billed monthly, 200 QR codes a month, 110 redirects a month, 1 year of click and scan data
- Enterprise: custom pricing
Scans are unlimited on every Bitly plan, and PNG, JPEG and SVG downloads are available on every plan, including Free. The pricing page does not mention a free trial of the paid plans. QR codes are part of Bitly's broader link management platform, so every plan also covers short links.
Honest QR counts a different thing: the total number of dynamic QR codes on your account, not the number you create each month. The Starter tier covers up to 12 dynamic codes; Pro adds up to 200 dynamic codes and a year of scan history; Business goes up to 600 dynamic codes with unlimited scan history. Every paid plan can be billed monthly or annually and starts with a 7-day free trial (your card isn't charged until the trial ends). Honest QR's entry tier costs less per year than Bitly's Core plan. See current pricing at honestqr.net/#pricing. If you value Bitly's link shortening features, that's a legitimate reason to choose them. To see how our honest pricing compares across every major QR provider, read honestqr.net/blog/honest-qr-vs-subscription-services. Scans are capped at 50,000 a month on Starter and Pro and 500,000 a month on Business.
Bitly is the more generous of the two when you stop paying. Its help centre says that after a downgrade you keep your plan's features until the end of the billing period and your bit.ly links continue to work after that, and that QR codes follow the same rule as short links. The exception it gives is links on a complimentary custom domain, which stop once that domain's registration lapses. With Honest QR, dynamic codes keep working as normal until the end of the paid period. After that, editing, new dynamic codes and scan tracking pause until you resubscribe, and the codes keep redirecting as normal for a 7-day grace period, with an email before it ends. After the grace period scans pass through a short Honest QR notice before continuing to the destination. Nothing is deleted, and resubscribing removes the notice and restores editing and tracking for the same codes and short links.
Feature Comparison
Bitly's strength is its link management platform. Its QR codes are built on top of Bitly links: the help centre describes each QR code as a scannable form of a short link, and the plans report click and scan data together. Paid plans add custom logos and advanced QR code customizations, and Growth adds branded links, a complimentary custom domain and bulk link and QR code creation.
Honest QR is purpose-built for QR codes. Customization covers dot styles, marker shapes, gradients, and frames, and every paid plan includes PNG, SVG and PDF export, bulk ZIP export and Avery label sheets. Its scan tracking includes device and geographic data on the Business plan. The trade-off: Honest QR doesn't include link shortening as a separate feature. The free tier also covers static QR codes that never expire. For help choosing between static and dynamic codes before committing to any platform, see our guide at honestqr.net/guides/static-vs-dynamic-qr-codes.
Who Should Choose Bitly?
Bitly is a better fit if you need:
- Link shortening as your primary use case, with QR codes as a secondary feature
- Short links on the bit.ly domain, or branded links and a custom domain (Growth and up)
- Short links and QR codes managed on one platform
- Codes that keep working normally after you stop paying, since Bitly says its links continue to work after a downgrade
- A couple of free QR codes a month with unlimited scans and SVG download
If your primary need is QR codes, especially for printed materials, packaging, or signage, Honest QR's plans are sized by total dynamic codes instead of codes created per month, and its entry tier costs less per year than Bitly's Core plan. Considering other QR-focused tools? See how Honest QR compares to Flowcode at honestqr.net/compare/flowcode and to QR Code Generator Pro at honestqr.net/compare/qr-code-generator-pro.
The Bottom Line
Bitly is a link management platform that also sells QR codes, and it is generous in places: unlimited scans, SVG downloads on the Free plan, and links that keep working after a downgrade. Its QR limits are counted per month (2 on Free, 5 on Core, 10 on Growth, 200 on Premium), and its Core plan is annual only. Honest QR is a QR code platform built for that specific purpose, with plans sized by total dynamic codes, monthly or annual billing on every plan, and cancellation terms stated plainly up front. If link shortening is your core need and QR codes are a bonus, Bitly makes sense. If QR codes are what you're after, compare the two kinds of limit against how many codes you run. Our comprehensive comparison at honestqr.net/blog/best-qr-code-generator-comparison-2026 covers all the top platforms in one place.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Honest QR | Bitly QR |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic QR Codes | Yes | Yes |
| QR Code Limit (entry paid plan) | Up to 12 dynamic codes in total | 5 new QR codes a month (Core) |
| URL Editing | Yes | Paid plans (5 redirects a month on Core) |
| Scan Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Branding | Yes | Paid plans |
| Link Shortening | Short links only | Full platform |
| Logo Embedding | Yes | Paid plans |
| Export Formats | PNG, SVG, PDF (all paid plans); PNG on Free | PNG, JPEG, SVG (all plans, including Free) |
| QR Dot Styles | Multiple | Limited on Free, Advanced on paid plans |
| Billing | Monthly or annual on every plan | Core annual only; Growth and Premium monthly or annual |
| On Cancellation | Works to period end; then editing and tracking pause, 7-day grace, then scans pass through a short notice. Never deleted. | Links and QR codes keep working after a downgrade |
| Pricing | Monthly or annual subscription (see pricing) | Core: $10/mo, annual only ($120/year) |
| 5-Year Cost (entry plan) | Lower than competitor (see pricing) | $600 (5 x $120) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create QR codes with Bitly's free plan?
Yes. Bitly's Free plan includes 2 QR codes a month with unlimited scans and PNG, JPEG and SVG download, and Bitly labels it With Ads: its help centre says free accounts show an interstitial page with a preview of the destination and an ad. Color options are limited, there is no custom logo, and there are no redirects, so you cannot change where a code points. Custom logos, advanced customizations and redirects need a paid plan, starting with Core at $10/month billed annually ($120 a year). Honest QR's free tier offers up to 10 static QR codes with PNG download. For dynamic QR codes with scan tracking, Honest QR's Starter plan is billed monthly or annually, with a 7-day free trial and cancel-anytime billing. See current pricing at honestqr.net/#pricing.
Is Honest QR better than Bitly for QR codes?
It depends on what you need. Honest QR is purpose-built for QR code generation, with dot styles, marker shapes, gradients, and frames, and plans sized by total dynamic codes (up to 12, 200 or 600). Bitly is better if you primarily need link shortening and want QR codes as an additional feature on the same platform, if you want a free plan with SVG download, or if you want codes that keep working normally after you stop paying.
How much does Honest QR cost compared to Bitly?
Bitly's Core plan is $10/month, billed annually only ($120 a year), and includes 5 QR codes a month. Growth is $29/month billed annually ($348 a year) or $35 billed monthly. Honest QR's static tier is free forever (up to 10 codes). Dynamic QR codes are a monthly or annual subscription across the Starter, Pro, and Business tiers, with a 7-day free trial on every paid plan (your card isn't charged until the trial ends), and the entry tier costs less per year than Bitly's Core plan. See current pricing at honestqr.net/#pricing. If you cancel Honest QR, your codes keep working as normal until the end of your billing period, then editing and scan tracking pause until you resubscribe, and after a 7-day grace period scans pass through a short Honest QR notice before continuing to the destination. Nothing is deleted, so resubscribing removes the notice and restores editing and tracking for the same codes. Bitly says its links and QR codes continue to work after a downgrade.
All pricing, features, and product details for Bitly QR are based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Pricing and features may have changed since this page was last updated. We recommend verifying current details on Bitly QR's official website before making a purchase decision.
All product names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Use of these names is for identification and comparison purposes only and does not imply endorsement or affiliation.
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