Choosing the right link management platform can make or break your marketing campaigns. Bitly, the established leader since 2008, offers reliable link shortening with extensive integrations and proven enterprise features. Dub, the modern newcomer launched in 2022, brings fresh innovation with open-source flexibility, advanced analytics, and developer-friendly tools.
Both platforms excel at creating short links, tracking performance, and managing marketing campaigns, but they take distinctly different approaches. This head-to-head comparison breaks down their key features and capabilities to help you determine which solution aligns with your goals, whether you’re a solo creator, growing startup, or enterprise marketing team.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
Bitly vs Dub: Key differences at a glance
| Feature | Bitly | Dub |
| QR Code Types | Dynamic or Static QR Codes with extensive customization (colors, logos, frames, patterns) | Basic QR Codes are auto-generated with each short link, and a free QR code API is available |
| Branded Domains | Custom domains included in paid plans | Custom domains included in paid plans, plus a complimentary domain |
| Link-in-Bio Tools | Bitly Pages: Mobile-optimized landing page builder with templates | Currently not available |
| Analytics Depth | Real-time tracking with location, device, and UTM referrer data. Up to 1 year history | Advanced analytics with native integrations (Segment, GTM), custom reports, and flexible filtering |
| API & Integrations | Comprehensive API, 800+ integrations, including major platforms | REST API with focus on developer experience, growing integration ecosystem |
| Bulk Operations | Bulk link/QR code creation via CSV/Excel upload | API-focused bulk operations, programmatic creation |
| UTM Management | UTM builder included | UTM builder with reusable templates |
| Ideal Use Cases | Marketing teams, enterprises, and established businesses | Developers, startups, tech-savvy marketers |
Bitly focuses on providing a comprehensive, user-friendly platform for marketing teams and businesses of all sizes. It offers extensive QR code customization options and detailed real-time analytics. The platform prioritizes ease of use with drag-and-drop interfaces, a one-and-done URL shortener, and pre-built templates.
Dub takes a developer-first approach, emphasizing modern infrastructure and API-driven workflows. As an open-source platform, it offers transparency and customization that appeals to technical teams. While it has fewer traditional marketing features like link-in-bio tools, it excels in providing clean, fast link infrastructure with advanced attribution capabilities.
Ultimately, Dub is suitable for developers and technical teams, with fewer plug-and-play marketing features, while Bitly takes a broader approach with tools designed to let everyone at every level create short links, QR Codes, and landing pages without any web dev team involvement.
Feature comparison: Where Bitly and Dub differ most
Bitly and Dub both offer strong core functionality, but when you zoom in on the features, their differences become clear. Below, we break down the biggest points of contrast to help you choose the link management platform that fits your goals.
Link shortening and branded links
When it comes to how to shorten a URL, both Bitly and Dub support short links and custom links, but Bitly offers deeper domain customization and more robust analytics out of the box.
- Bitly:
- Supports multiple custom domains
- Offers branded short links with tracking and UTM support
- Integrates branded links into Bitly Pages, Campaigns, and QR Codes
- Connects to tools like HubSpot and Canva via integrations in the Bitly Marketplace
- Provided template file makes it easy to shorten links in bulk
- Supports multiple custom domains
- Dub:
- Supports branded short links
- Ideal for developers who want to build a custom frontend or self-hosted solution
- No template file provided for bulk link generation, just build-your-own instructions
- Supports branded short links
Branded links can increase click-through rates by up to 34% compared to generic URLs, making them a key driver for engagement and link trust.
QR Code capabilities
QR Codes are a standout difference, especially at scale.
- Bitly:
- Supports Static and Dynamic QR Codes
- Provides mass generation via a bulk QR Code generator
- Offers customizable QR Code templates (color, shape, logo, border)
- Uses trackable scans that are automatically tied directly to the Bitly Analytics dashboard
- Supports Static and Dynamic QR Codes
- Dub:
- Generates Static and Dynamic QR Codes
- No bulk generation UI; requires code or API setup
- No visual design tools or templates included
- You may need to configure analytics manually or via GitHub integrations
- Generates Static and Dynamic QR Codes
If you need scalable, high-quality QR Code workflows with visual branding for common use cases like packaging, in-store signage, localized campaigns, and event marketing, Bitly provides everything immediately, with no laborious back-end technical setup.
Analytics and performance tracking
Short URL click tracking analytics is where Bitly truly leads the way.
- Bitly:
- Centralized Bitly Analytics dashboard for all links, QR Codes, and landing pages
- Real-time data on referrer, location, device type, and channel
- Custom reports for marketing teams to measure campaign ROI
- Optimized for enterprise link management workflows
- Centralized Bitly Analytics dashboard for all links, QR Codes, and landing pages
- No need to debate Bitly vs Google Analytics; both systems work seamlessly together to provide a holistic picture
- Dub:
- Basic link-level analytics
- Requires GitHub or an external analytics tool integration to provide the same functionality
- No centralized dashboard without self-hosting or a custom build
- Basic link-level analytics
Research has shown that teams using real-time analytics can enjoy click‑through rate (CTR) gains of 42 to 137%, along with 16 to 60% improvements in cost per click. Monitoring and optimizing marketing efforts on the fly, whether you’re honing ad targeting, budget allocation, or creative messaging, can dramatically boost engagement and efficiency.
Link-in-bio tools
Both platforms offer link-in-bio functionality, but the experience differs.
- Bitly:
- Includes Bitly Pages, a built-in link-in-bio and landing page solution designed to help you showcase multiple links and content types, all from one customizable, mobile-friendly page
- Supports QR Code generation
- Designed for easy social media promotion
- Drag-and-drop templates for quick setup
- Includes Bitly Pages, a built-in link-in-bio and landing page solution designed to help you showcase multiple links and content types, all from one customizable, mobile-friendly page
- Dub:
- No native link-in-bio tool
- Users can build a link-in-bio page and accompanying short link using the API or a custom frontend
- Better suited for developers than marketers
- No native link-in-bio tool
With Bitly Pages, anyone can create a mobile-optimized, fully customizable landing page that houses all their most important links, whether to products, social media, blog posts, or promotions. Bitly makes managing your link-in-bio experience intuitive, scalable, and measurable.
Integrations and ecosystem support
Both platforms offer APIs, but Bitly connects to a wider ecosystem right away.
- Bitly:
- Connects with HubSpot, Canva, Zapier, Salesforce, and more
- Offers an open API for custom workflows
- Scales well across teams, with workspace-level controls
- Explore options via the Bitly Marketplace
- Connects with HubSpot, Canva, Zapier, Salesforce, and more
- Dub:
- Highly extensible for developers
- Open-source and supports self-hosted deployment
- Requires more technical lift to integrate with external tools
- Highly extensible for developers
For non-technical teams, Bitly is the more user-friendly and functional choice, while Dub.co gives devs the flexibility to build exactly what they want.
Which platform is right for your needs?
Both Bitly and Dub are powerful in their own right, but they’re built for different audiences. Use the lists below to find your best fit based on your workflow, technical preferences, and scalability needs.
Choose Bitly if you:
- Run cross-channel or multi-team marketing campaigns
- Want to use branded short links, custom domains, and scalable QR Code tools
- Need real-time, centralized analytics across links, QR Codes, and landing pages
- Prefer a no-code, user-friendly interface
- Need to create link-in-bio landing pages with no developer overhead
- Work on a team or manage clients, and want robust workspace permissions
- Want fast access to integrations with tools like HubSpot, Canva, or Shopify
Choose Dub if you:
- Are a solo developer, startup founder, or technical user
- Need full open-source, self-hosted control over your link shortener
- Prefer to build your own dashboards or integrate deeply via API
- Prioritize customization, GitHub workflows, or data ownership over accessible prebuilt tools
- Want a lightweight alternative to Bitly
Whether you need enterprise-ready link management or a flexible open source alternative, there’s a solution that can meet your requirements.
Final takeaway: Bitly brings scalability, simplicity, and insight
If you’re looking for an all-in-one link management platform that scales effortlessly, streamlines your team’s workflows, and delivers real-time analytics across short links, QR Codes, and landing pages, Bitly delivers. Whether you’re managing campaigns across social media, email, or print, Bitly provides the automation, organization, and insights to help you move faster and smarter.
With branded short links, custom domains, and native support for link-in-bio tools like Bitly Pages, you can create a seamless, trackable journey for every click. Plug-and-play integrations with platforms like HubSpot, Canva, and Shopify make it easy to launch and optimize campaigns without needing custom development.
Ready to elevate your strategy with branded, optimized links? Log in to Bitly today to find the best fit for your business.
