Do Bitly QR codes expire?

Bitly does not publish an expiry date. Its codes are short links and short links keep working after a downgrade, but the terms do not say what happens to codes when an account is cancelled.

How many QR codes does Bitly allow?

The free plan allows 2 a month and Core, the cheapest paid plan, 5 a month, per the pricing page.

Is there a Bitly alternative for a one-time payment?

Yes: €9 once per editable code here, with no monthly cap and no account tier.

Alternative

A Bitly QR code alternative with no plan or monthly cap

Bitly QR codes are scannable short links: the free plan allows 2 QR codes a month with ads, and the cheapest paid plan, $10 a month billed annually, allows 5 a month. A qrkept.com editable code is €9 once, with no monthly cap. Launch price €6.30 until 22 November 2026, then €9.

What happens to your code when the trial or plan ends?

Bitly says a QR code is “basically a scannable form of a short link” and behaves like one, and links keep working after a downgrade. Its terms say access ends on termination or non-payment but do not say what happens to existing QR codes, so cancellation behaviour is not confirmed by us. We could only read this help article through a search summary. (Bitly help)

Side by side

As of 4 November 2026, read from the vendor's own pages (every row links its source).

	Bitly	qrkept.com
Cheapest paid plan	Core, $10 a month, annual only ($120 a year): 5 QR codes a month, 30 days of scan data (pricing)	€9 once per editable code, no plan
Free plan or trial	Free: 2 QR codes a month, with ads, no data history; no trial (pricing)	Static codes free, no account, no trial
When you stop paying	Links are said to keep working after a downgrade; cancellation not confirmed (terms)	Nothing to stop paying: there is no renewal, so there is no lapse
Static codes	Not published / not confirmed	Free, and they never touch our servers
Analytics, branded domains, bulk	Scan history (30 days to 1 year), UTM builder, branded domains, bulk, SSO, API (pricing)	None: we store nothing about a scan

Where Bitly is better

A full link platform: scan history, UTM builder, branded domains, bulk creation and an API. We make QR codes, nothing else.
If you already pay Bitly for links, the QR codes are included and sit with the rest of your campaign data.

When to stay with Bitly

If your QR codes are one part of a link-tracking setup, with UTMs and a branded domain, stay with Bitly. Switch only if you want a few printed codes that never depend on a plan.

Make a code that stays

Questions people ask

Do Bitly QR codes expire?: Bitly does not publish an expiry date. Its codes are short links and short links keep working after a downgrade, but the terms do not say what happens to codes when an account is cancelled.
How many QR codes does Bitly allow?: The free plan allows 2 a month and Core, the cheapest paid plan, 5 a month, per the pricing page.
Is there a Bitly alternative for a one-time payment?: Yes: €9 once per editable code here, with no monthly cap and no account tier.