BetterQR vs Bitly: which is better for QR codes on print?

What is the difference between BetterQR and Bitly?

Bitly is a link management platform. Short links are the core product, and QR codes are a scannable version of those links, with limits counted per month. BetterQR is a QR code tool for print and out-of-home advertising. Each printed placement gets its own dynamic code, and the analytics are organised around comparing those placements.

That difference shows up in the limits. Bitly counts new QR codes and destination changes per month. BetterQR gives you a set number of dynamic codes and lets you edit them as often as you need.

How do the plans compare?

The table below compares BetterQR's free plan and Pro plan with Bitly's Free plan and its cheapest paid plan. Bitly's prices are in US dollars and BetterQR's are in pounds, so we haven't converted them.

What do you get on Bitly's free plan?

Bitly's Free plan includes 2 QR codes a month, 5 links a month and unlimited clicks and scans. The plan is labelled “With Ads” on Bitly's pricing page, and Bitly's help centre explains that free accounts now get an interstitial page showing a preview of the destination and an ad. Changing where a code points (Bitly calls this a custom redirect) is not included on Free.

That is a reasonable deal for trying the product. For a printed campaign it is less suited: you can't fix a typo in the destination after printing, and anyone scanning may see an ad before reaching your page.

BetterQR's free plan works differently. It makes static QR codes, which store your URL inside the pattern itself, so a scan goes straight to your page with nothing in between. The trade-off is that static codes can't be edited and don't record scans. Our guide to static and dynamic codes explains the difference.

Is BetterQR cheaper than Bitly for QR codes?

It depends how you count. Bitly's Core plan is $10/month billed annually and lets you create 5 QR codes a month, with 5 destination changes a month. BetterQR Pro is £11/month and gives you 15 dynamic codes in total, which you can edit as often as you like. Deleting a dynamic code frees its slot straight away.

Say you are launching a poster campaign across 12 sites and want one code per site. On BetterQR Pro you can create all 12 on day one. On Bitly Core, with 5 QR codes a month, it would take three months to create them, so you would probably move to Growth ($29/month billed annually, 10 QR codes a month) or higher.

Bitly is more generous on scans. Every Bitly plan lists unlimited clicks and scans, while BetterQR Pro includes 50,000 scans a month. Full BetterQR limits are on the pricing page.

Which tracks print placements better?

BetterQR is built around the placement. You give each poster, flyer or billboard its own dynamic code, group them into campaigns and compare them side by side by scans and time of day. You can add UTM parameters to destinations so visits also show up in Google Analytics 4, and download print-ready PDF and EPS files for the printer. Business adds location and device data, CSV export and bulk upload of one code per venue from a spreadsheet. The billboard tracking guide walks through the setup.

Bitly can do per-placement tracking too: create one link or QR code per placement and compare their clicks. Bitly's Core plan includes a UTM builder and 30 days of click and scan data, and higher plans keep data for longer. The difference is focus. Bitly's reports are designed around links across every channel, while BetterQR's are designed around printed placements.

Can you ask an AI about your scans in BetterQR or Bitly?

In BetterQR, yes. Business and Enterprise include two AI features, both in beta. The in-app assistant answers plain-English questions such as “which poster got the most scans last week?” or “where are people scanning the bus shelter codes?”, draws the chart, and can draft new QR codes, campaigns or a CSV report for you to confirm.

The remote MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT and other MCP-compatible assistants read your QR codes, campaigns and scan data, so you can ask about a campaign from the assistant you already use. It is read-only and connects through a sign-in you approve. While both features are in beta, access is on request.

Bitly is further ahead on AI. Bitly Assist, its in-app chat, is included from Core, and its hosted MCP server offers 27 tools, including creating links and QR codes, on every plan including Free. BetterQR's assistant is narrower: it answers questions about campaigns and printed placements rather than links across every channel.

When is BetterQR the better choice?

• You want one code per placement from day one. BetterQR has no monthly creation limit, so you can make all 12 codes for a 12-site poster campaign on Pro before it launches.
• You want to edit destinations freely after printing, for example to swap an offer mid-campaign.
• You want to pay monthly. Every BetterQR plan can be billed monthly; Bitly Core is billed annually.
• You want free QR codes with no interstitial. BetterQR's free static codes go straight to your page.
• You want reports organised by campaign and placement rather than by link.

When is Bitly the better choice?

Bitly is the better choice if:

• Short links are your main need. Bitly's plans include from 100 links a month on Core up to 3,000 on Premium, plus custom back-halves. BetterQR doesn't sell a link shortener.
• You want a branded short domain. Bitly's Growth plan includes a complimentary custom domain and branded links.
• You expect very high scan volumes on a small plan. Bitly lists unlimited scans on every plan, including Free.
• You need a long analytics history. Bitly's Premium plan keeps a year of click and scan data, and Enterprise two years.
• You want AI tools on a cheaper plan. Bitly Assist comes with Core, and the Bitly MCP server works on Free.
• Your team already uses Bitly for social, email and SMS links and wants QR codes in the same place.

How do I switch from Bitly to BetterQR?

You can't move a printed Bitly QR code to another provider, because the short link inside it belongs to Bitly. For codes already in print, the simplest approach is to leave them where they are and use BetterQR for new placements. For anything you reprint, create a new BetterQR dynamic code per placement and test it with the QR code tester before it goes to the printer.

How did we check these details?

We read Bitly's public pricing page, help centre and AI pages on 20 October 2026 and linked each source under the table. We haven't tested Bitly's paid plans ourselves. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we'll correct it.