CLYK vs Bitly
A link shortener that respects your links.
CLYK gives you fast redirects, permanent QR codes, and no ads on free links. Ever.
What Bitly does well
Bitly built the category. For more than a decade it has been the default answer to "I need a short link." The bit.ly domain has genuine brand recognition. Their enterprise tier has stayed sturdy through a lot of platform change, and their integrations list is long.
Their link analytics are mature. Teams that have used Bitly for years know exactly where to click to find a campaign report. If a marketing organization needs a tool that every stakeholder has already heard of, Bitly is a safe pick.
We respect the road they paved. CLYK exists because we think the free and mid-tier experience has drifted away from the creators and developers who made that road worth paving. Our goal is not to replace Bitly for every buyer — it is to offer a better option for the ones who feel that drift.
Where CLYK is different
No ads on free links.
In February 2025 Bitly began injecting ads on free-tier links. CLYK will not do this on any tier, ever. This is written into our pricing page as a commitment, not a feature. The link your audience clicks should lead to your destination. Nothing else.
QR codes that do not expire.
Bitly's free QR codes stop working after 14 days. CLYK QR codes stay live for the life of the link. Print them on packaging, stickers, posters, business cards. They still work next year.
Your data stays yours.
We hash every visitor IP with SHA-256 before it hits our database. No raw IPs are stored. You can export your full click history any time, in CSV, with no upgrade required.
Fast redirects by design.
Our redirect handler runs on Vercel Edge, with a <10ms target at the nearest point of presence. Your audience clicks. They land. That is the whole job.
Bio pages included.
CLYK is a shortener and a link-in-bio platform in one account. Same dashboard, same analytics, one bill. You do not need two tools for a problem one tool can solve.
Feature comparison
| Feature | CLYK Free | Bitly Free |
|---|---|---|
| Ads injected on links | Never | Yes (as of Feb 2025) |
| QR code lifetime | Permanent | 14 days |
| Custom short domain | On Creator ($12) | On paid tiers |
| Bio / landing page | Included | Not offered |
| Raw IP storage | Never (SHA-256 hashed) | Not disclosed |
| CSV export of clicks | Yes | Limited on free |
| REST API access | Read-only, free | Metered |
Migrating from Bitly
If you are already on Bitly, moving is not the chore it looks like. Export your links from Bitly's dashboard, import the CSV into CLYK, and point your custom domain at us with one DNS record. Existing QR codes keep working if you re-point the underlying short link. Most solo creators and small marketing teams we have helped are switched over in an afternoon. Bulk import is included on Business; CSV self-import works on every paid tier.
Ready for a shortener that does not rent out its own links?
Start free on CLYK. No card required. Five minutes to your first short link.