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Make a short link
OpenApps Links

Free alternative to Bitly

Short links and QR codes that never expire.

Links is a free Bitly alternative. Paste a long link and get a short one with its QR code. Change where it goes any time, even after printing. No ads, no monthly cap, no sign-up.

  • Unlimited links, QR codes and custom endings
  • Clicks per day for every link
  • No ad page before your link opens

How it works

  1. Paste a link

    Paste the long address. Pick an ending like /spring-menu, or let Links choose a short random one.

  2. Share it or print it

    Copy the short link, or download its QR code as a PNG or SVG in your color, ready for menus, flyers and packaging.

  3. Change it any time

    Your private edit link lets you point the link somewhere new and see its clicks for each day. The QR code keeps working.

Free, with no catch

A short link should not need a subscription, and a printed QR code should not stop working when a trial ends. Links is free because it costs almost nothing to run: each click is one tiny read and write, and OpenApps pays for it.

LinksBitly free
Short linksUnlimited5 a month
QR codesUnlimited2 a month
Custom endingsUnlimited3 a month
Change where a link goesAny time, freeNot on free
Clicks per dayYes, 30 days on the page, 90 in the APINot on free
Export your linksCSV, freeNot on free
Page before the link opensNeverAn ad page
Your own domainNoNot on free
Account neededNoYes
API for AI assistantsYes, no keyAccount and token needed
PriceFreePaid plans from $10 a month, billed yearly

From Bitly's pricing page and its help article on ads. QR Code Generator switches off dynamic codes made in its 14-day trial when the trial ends (its help center). Checked October 2026. Already printed Bitly codes? Keep them running and use Links for everything new.

What Links does not do: custom domains, reports by country, device or referrer, a campaign tag builder, or bulk upload in the page (the API makes one link per call). For a link-in-bio page, use Bio.

For AI assistants

Your assistant can shorten links too.

Links has a public API with no key and no account. One call returns the short link, its QR code and an owner key. With the owner key, an assistant can read clicks per day and change the link later.

Full reference: llms.txt and openapi.json. The owner key lets anyone edit the link, so treat it like a password.

An assistant that can only send links can send links-free.openapps.xyz/?url= followed by the address: the shortener opens filled in.

# Shorten a link ("code" is an optional custom ending)
curl -X POST https://functions.bounded.sh/apps/3151231032497ed786b88a0a/api/links \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com/menus/autumn-2026",
       "code": "autumn-menu"}'

# Point it somewhere new, with the ownerKey from above
curl -X PATCH https://functions.bounded.sh/apps/3151231032497ed786b88a0a/api/links/autumn-menu \
  -H 'x-owner-key: OWNER_KEY' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com/menus/winter-2026"}'

# Clicks: the total and each of the last 90 days
curl https://functions.bounded.sh/apps/3151231032497ed786b88a0a/api/links/autumn-menu \
  -H 'x-owner-key: OWNER_KEY'

Questions

Is there a free alternative to Bitly?
Yes. Links makes unlimited short links and QR codes for free, with custom endings, clicks per day and destinations you can change after printing. There is no ad page before your link opens, no sign-up and no expiry. It does not do custom domains.
Is Links really free?
Yes. There is no paid plan, no ads and no limit on links, QR codes or clicks. Each click is one small read and write, and OpenApps pays for it.
Do the links or QR codes expire?
No. Links never turns a link off. Only you can, from its edit page. Some QR code generators switch off dynamic codes when a free trial ends; Links has no trial.
Is there an ad page before the link opens?
No. Opening a short link goes straight to its page, with no ad and no countdown.
Can I change where a link goes after printing its QR code?
Yes. Open the link's private edit link and paste the new address. The short link and the QR code stay the same, so printed codes open the new page.
Can I see how many people clicked my link?
Yes. The edit page shows the total since you made the link and a bar for each of the last 30 days. Links counts opens only: it does not record who opened a link, where they were or what device they used.
What is the edit link?
When you make a short link, Links gives you a private edit link. It lets you change the link, turn it off and see its clicks, on any device and without an account. Anyone with it can edit the link, so keep it to yourself. This browser also keeps your links under "Your links".
How do I get my links on another device?
Under "Your links", press "Copy link for another device" and open that link on your phone or other computer. It adds all your links there. Anyone with that link can edit your links, so send it only to yourself. You can also download every link, with its edit link, as a CSV file.
Can other people see my links?
Nobody can browse or list the links on Links. A short link opens for anyone who has it. Random endings cannot be guessed; a custom ending is as easy to guess as the word you pick.
Can I use my own domain?
No. Every short link lives at links-free.openapps.xyz. If your links must carry your own domain, a paid shortener is the better fit for now.
Can my AI assistant make short links?
Yes. Links has a public HTTP API with no key. An assistant can shorten a link, get its QR code, read clicks per day and change the link later with the owner key it gets back. See llms.txt or the OpenAPI file.

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