ScanMePlz vs Bitly
Bitly is a link-management platform where QR codes are an attached feature. Here is how the two compare on the things that decide it — price, limits, and what happens to a printed code when billing goes wrong.
Side by side
| ScanMePlz | Bitly | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 3 dynamic codes, unlimited static, no scan cap | 2 QR codes per month, 5 links, no analytics history |
| Entry paid price | $4/month | $10/mo (Core, billed annually) |
| Top published price | $35/month | $300/mo (Premium, monthly) or $199/mo billed annually |
| Scan recording | Never capped, any plan | Uncapped |
| Monthly billing | Yes, every paid plan | Yes |
| Code limits | 3 → 25 → 500 → unlimited | 2 → 5 → 10 → 200 per month |
| Codes if you stop paying | Keep resolving, frozen not disabled — in our Terms | See their terms |
| Static backup export | Yes, on every plan including free | Not offered |
| Custom domain | Included from $12/month | Higher tiers |
Choose Bitly if
• The best-known link shortener, with a long operating history
• Scans and clicks are unlimited on every tier — only creation is capped
• Salesforce and HubSpot integrations on higher tiers
• If you already pay for Bitly for links, QR codes come along with it
Choose ScanMePlz if
• You print codes onto things that are expensive to reprint, and you want a written
commitment that they keep resolving if your card fails or you downgrade.
• You do not want scan analytics to stop recording at a threshold.
• You want monthly billing and a price under $15 for a custom domain and API
access.
• You want to be able to export static fallbacks of every code, so the decision is
reversible without reprinting.
The code ladder jumps from 10 to 200
Bitly's QR allowance runs 2 → 5 → 10 → 200 per month. Anyone who needs a unique code per table, per product or per property hits the ceiling almost immediately, and closing the gap between Growth and Premium costs an extra $164–265 a month. It is the widest pricing cliff we found in the category.
Bitly plans as published
| Plan | Price | Codes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 QR/mo | No data history |
| Core | $120/yr ($10/mo) | 5 QR/mo | 30-day history |
| Growth | $348/yr ($29/mo) or $35 monthly | 10 QR/mo | 120-day history |
| Premium | $2,388/yr ($199/mo) or $300 monthly | 200 QR/mo | 1-year history |
Is ScanMePlz cheaper than Bitly?
At the entry tier, yes: ScanMePlz Starter is $4/month against Bitly’s $10/mo (Core, billed annually). Our free plan also includes 3 dynamic codes with no scan cap, against Bitly’s 2 QR codes per month, 5 links, no analytics history. Checked 2026-10-04.
Can I move my Bitly codes to ScanMePlz without reprinting?
Yes, and you do not have to choose immediately. Point each Bitly dynamic code at the matching ScanMePlz code's address. Your printed codes still scan, they just route through Bitly to us. Once you are happy, reprint from the new codes at your own pace — or do not, and leave the chain in place.
What does Bitly do better?
Genuinely, several things — see “Choose Bitly if” above. We are not trying to be the best platform for everyone, and pretending Bitly has no strengths would just tell you this page is not worth reading.