Bitly alternative
Branded short links from $9/month — without the Bitly price tag.
Custom domains, click analytics, link editing, QR codes — same core feature set as Bitly Growth ($29/mo) for $9/mo. Built by an indie operator in the EU, not a public company.
Start free — 5 links, no cardGlu.Onl vs Bitly — honest comparison
We're not going to pretend Bitly has no advantages. Here's the full picture so you can pick what actually fits.
| Feature | Bitly | Glu.Onl |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 5 links/mo, no custom domain | 5 links forever, default domain |
| Cheapest plan with custom domain | $29/mo annual (Growth) | $9/mo (Starter) |
| Custom slugs on cheapest custom-domain plan | Growth tier features | Yes — included in Starter |
| Unlimited custom domains | Premium ($199/mo annual) | $29/mo (Pro) |
| Advanced analytics | Premium tier | $29/mo (Pro) |
| Real-time analytics | Enterprise tier | $99/mo (Business) |
| Session tracking | Enterprise tier | $99/mo (Business) |
| QR codes | Core+ | $29/mo (Pro) |
| Link editing | Core+ (paid only) | $9/mo (Starter) |
| EU-based, GDPR-native | US-based | Yes |
| Brand recognition | Massive | Indie / new |
| Enterprise SLAs | Yes | No |
| Bulk integrations (Zapier, Salesforce, etc.) | Extensive | API only |
Bitly numbers from their public pricing page; verify before switching.
Why I built Glu.Onl.
Bitly works fine if you have a marketing budget for it. I didn't, and the small businesses I work with don't either. So I built Glu.Onl: same core feature set — branded short links, custom domains, click analytics — at a fraction of the price. EU-based, GDPR-native, no investor pressure.
Switching from Bitly to Glu.Onl
We don't have an automated CSV import yet — but moving 50–100 links by hand takes about an hour. Here's the playbook.
- 1
Export your Bitly links
In your Bitly dashboard, export to CSV. You'll get every short link, its destination URL, click count, and creation date.
- 2
Sort by click count
Most accounts have 80% of clicks coming from 20% of links. Move the top 20% manually; let the long tail die naturally.
- 3
Add your custom domain to Glu.Onl
Starter plan ($9/mo) supports 1 custom domain. Add it in your dashboard, point an A record at our IP, and Caddy issues TLS automatically.
- 4
Recreate the high-traffic links
For each link in the top 20%, create the equivalent in Glu.Onl with a custom slug matching the Bitly slug (Starter+ supports custom slugs).
- 5
Update your link in published places
Newsletter, social bio, email signature, anywhere a Bitly link is hardcoded — swap it for the new Glu.Onl version. The Bitly link stays alive on Bitly until you cancel, so there's no rush.
Common switching questions
Will my Bitly links break if I switch?
No. Existing Bitly links keep working as long as your Bitly account is active. You only break a link by deleting it on Bitly or letting your custom Bitly domain expire.
Can I keep my Bitly custom domain?
Yes — point its A record at Glu.Onl's IP after canceling Bitly. New links resolve through Glu.Onl. Existing Bitly slugs on the same domain stop working unless you recreate them in Glu.Onl with the same slug.
Is your free plan really free?
Yes — 5 links forever on the default glu.onl domain, no credit card. Useful for testing the platform before paying.
What if I only need 10–20 links?
Stay on Bitly. The migration effort isn't worth the $9/mo difference at that volume. The point of switching is custom domains and analytics access at a fraction of the price — most valuable above ~50 active links.
Where is my data stored?
EU (Supabase, EU region). IndieGoWeb Ltd is a UK-registered company operated from Greece. We don't sell click data, don't run third-party trackers on your link redirects.
Ready to switch?
Sign up free5 links free forever. Upgrade to Starter ($9/mo) for your custom domain.