Lua vs
Bitly
Bitly invented this category and still runs most of it: the links are fast, the brand is trusted, and a short link that says bit.ly needs no explanation. What it charges for is the part that comes after the click. The free plan caps how many links you can make each month and gives you no custom domain, analytics stop at a rolling window, and the click data older than that window is gone rather than archived. Lua is the same job with the reporting left switched on, and you can run it on your own server if you would rather the click data never left it.
Why people move
The click history does not expire
Bitly keeps detailed analytics for a window that depends on your plan, and a campaign you want to look back on next year is often past it. Lua keeps the events and lets you pick any range.
A custom domain is not the upgrade
A branded short link is the whole point of a short link, and on Bitly it is the thing behind the paywall. Lua treats a domain as configuration, not a tier.
You can run it yourself
Lua is open source and self-hostable, so the record of who clicked what can stay on infrastructure you control. That is not a thing a hosted-only product can offer.
An API and an MCP server, not an add-on
Every action in Lua goes through the same code whether it comes from the screen, the REST API or an AI agent over MCP. Bitly gates API volume by plan.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Lua | Bitly |
|---|---|---|
| Custom domain | Included, unlimited on paid | Paid plans only |
| Click history | Kept, any date range | Rolling window by plan |
| Analytics detail | Country, region, city, device, browser, OS, referrer, UTM | Depends on plan |
| QR codes | Included, scans counted separately | Included, styling by plan |
| REST API | Included | Volume by plan |
| MCP server for AI agents | Included | Not offered |
| Self-hosting | Open source, run it anywhere | Hosted only |
| Link expiry and password | Included | Higher plans |
What it costs
| Where you are | Lua | Bitly |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Free, 5 links | Free, limited links, no custom domain |
| A brand and its domain | Paid plan, domains included | Paid tier for the domain |
| Keeping the data yourself | Self-host at cost | Not offered |
Switch if you
- Want to look at a campaign from last year, not just last month
- Need a branded domain without it being the reason you upgrade
- Would rather the click data sat on your own infrastructure
- Want an AI agent to create and read links through MCP
Stay on Bitly if you
- Need the recognition of a bit.ly link in the wild
- Rely on their integrations directory or an enterprise agreement
- Want link-in-bio pages and campaign management in the same product
- Have no appetite to move links that are already printed somewhere
Try it against your own links
Free to start, no card. Bring a domain when you are ready.
Start for free