bah.is vs Bitly: Why We Built a Better URL Shortener
Bitly charges $348/year for basic features. We built bah.is to prove short links should be free, fast, and ad-free.
Bitly was the king of URL shortening for over a decade. But somewhere along the way, they forgot who they were serving.
Why Bitly’s URL Shortener Lost Its Edge
- 5 free links per month. Five. That’s not a free tier — that’s a free trial.
- $348/year for the starter plan. For a URL shortener.
- Ads on free links. Your audience sees Bitly’s interstitial ads before reaching your content.
These are not minor inconveniences — they’re hidden costs that quietly erode your marketing. When your audience sees an ad before your landing page, you’ve already lost momentum.
bah.is vs Bitly: Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | bah.is | Bitly |
|---|---|---|
| Free links | 100 | 5/mo |
| Domain length | 5 chars | 6 chars |
| Ads on links | Never | Yes (free tier) |
| Analytics | Included | $348/yr |
| QR codes | Free | Paid |
Every feature in the table above — including full link analytics and QR code generation — comes free with bah.is. According to G2 user reviews, pricing is the number one complaint Bitly users have.
A Short Domain That Works for You
At just 5 characters, bah.is is as compact as bit.ly and far shorter than tinyurl.com (11) or rebrand.ly (10). A short domain means cleaner links, simpler QR codes, and more room for descriptive slugs.
Free URL Shortener with No Ads: Our Promise
No ads. Ever. No surprise price hikes. Transparent pricing. And a generous free tier that actually lets you get work done. Our privacy-first analytics mean your audience’s data isn’t sold to third parties either.
If you’re looking for branded short links with a custom domain, bah.is supports that too — with setup that takes five minutes, not five meetings.