Bitly
A free, privacy-friendly Bitly alternative
JTU.ME gives you short links with QR codes, passwords, expiration dates and full click statistics - free, without forcing an account, and hosted in Europe. Bitly is a solid tool, but its free plan has become tight. Here is what changes when you switch.
JTU.ME and Bitly compared
A feature-by-feature look at what you get on each platform, based on their publicly available free plans.
| Feature | JTU.ME | Bitly |
|---|---|---|
| No account required | Account required | |
| Free plan Shorten links without worrying about a monthly cap | Generous free tier | Capped monthly link quota |
| QR code generation | ||
| Click analytics Total, unique, geographic map, browser & device | Full, free | Limited on the free plan |
| Access password protection | ||
| Expiration dates | ||
| Direct redirect No interstitial page for your visitors | Plus & Pro | |
| Text pastebin included | ||
| Link-in-bio profile included | ||
| 2FA & passkeys Account security | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| European hosting, Swiss development |
Why switch from Bitly to JTU.ME?
Everything you use Bitly for, plus tools you would normally pay extra for.
Shorten links without an account
Paste a URL, get a short link and its QR code in seconds - no sign-up, no credit card, no monthly quota to count.
Analytics that are actually free
Every link gets click statistics: total and unique clicks, a geographic map, browsers and devices.
A pastebin in the same place
Share text, notes and code with the same tool - up to 100,000 characters, protected by passwords and expiration dates if you want.
Your link-in-bio is included
Get a public profile at jtu.me/@username with your links, bio and avatar - free with an account.
Privacy by design
Hosted in Europe and developed in Switzerland, JTU.ME does not run an advertising business on your links.
QR codes for every link
Each short link comes with a matching QR code, ready for flyers, menus and posters.
Switching takes minutes, not days
Shorten your first link
Try JTU.ME right now on the homepage - no account needed. Create a free account to keep a dashboard of all your links.
Recreate the links you care about
Point the links you actively share to JTU.ME. Your old Bitly links keep working, so nothing breaks while you move.
Upgrade only if you need more
Direct redirects without a waiting page and exclusive profile options? Plus and Pro unlock them - and support the service.
Hosted in Europe, developed in Switzerland
JTU.ME is an independent European service, built and maintained in Switzerland. Your links and pastes are hosted on servers located in Europe - not scattered across advertising networks.
- Hosted on servers located in Europe
- Developed and maintained in Switzerland
- GDPR-friendly: minimal data, no ad tracking
- No selling of personal data
Built in Switzerland
Hosted in Europe
Frequently asked questions
Is JTU.ME really free?
Yes. You can shorten links and create pastes without any account. A free account adds a dashboard, statistics for all your links, a public profile and more. Plus and Pro unlock extras like custom short IDs and direct redirects.
Will my existing Bitly links keep working?
Yes. Short links you created with Bitly keep redirecting exactly as before. You can create new links on JTU.ME and move over at your own pace - nothing breaks.
Do I need to install anything?
No. JTU.ME works in any browser on desktop and mobile. An optional mobile app lets you shorten links and create pastes on the go.
Where is JTU.ME hosted?
JTU.ME is developed in Switzerland and hosted in Europe. Your links and pastes stay under European jurisdiction, away from the large advertising ecosystems.
Does JTU.ME show ads to my visitors?
No. Your links lead straight to their destination (with a brief waiting page on the free tier), and your pastes are clean and ad-free.
Ready to make the switch?
Try JTU.ME once and you will see how simple it is. Shorten a link in seconds - no account required - and decide later if you want to move more.
Comparisons are based on publicly available information about each service and may change over time.