Why I Switched from Bitly to Dub.co (And Saved $420/Year)

If you're still paying for Bitly in 2026, you might want to read this. I've been using link shorteners for years — tracking clicks on newsletter links, social posts, client campaigns. Bitly was always the default. Then they moved everything behind a paywall. Custom domains? $35/month. Decent analytics? Pay up. Even basic branded links now need a subscription. I finally looked for alternatives and found Dub.co . The Pricing Problem Here's what Bitly charges in 2026: Feature Bitly Dub.co Custom domain $35/mo Free Links per month 100 (free) 1,000 (free) Click analytics Paid only Free API access $29/mo+ Free QR codes Paid Free Team workspaces $199/mo $24/mo That's a $420/year savings just on the basic plan. And Dub.co's free tier is more generous than Bitly's paid starter. What Actually Made Me Switch 1. Free Custom Domains With Bitly, using your own domain (like go.yoursite.com ) costs $35/month. With Dub.co , you get custom domains on the free plan. You just add a DNS record and you're d