KoloQR vs Bitly: Which QR Code Do You Actually Own?
KoloQR and Bitly both produce a QR code, and the two codes are different objects. KoloQR, a free QR code generator with circular and custom-shaped QR codes, encodes your destination directly into the symbol and gives you SVG, PDF, EPS and PNG with no account and no limit on how many codes you make. A Bitly QR code encodes a bit.ly short link, so every scan is a request to Bitly's servers before the visitor reaches your page. That indirection is the whole product: it is what lets Bitly count scans, break them down by country and device, and route one code to different destinations. It is also what makes the code dependent on Bitly. The free plan requires an account, allows two QR codes a month, does not include the ability to change a destination after printing, and - per Bitly's own support documentation - sends visitors through an interstitial preview page carrying an ad. This page sets out both sides so you can tell which of the two objects your job needs.
Feature Comparison
These rows cover the free design and export workflow, which is the part of Bitly people compare against a QR code generator. They do not cover the part Bitly is actually built for - dynamic destinations, scan analytics by country and device, dynamic routing, UTM builders, branded domains, an API and team seats - which Bitly sells and KoloQR does not offer at all. The overview under the table sets that out in full. Verified against bitly.com in August 2026.
Downloads Without Signup (All Formats)
Download QR codes in all available formats without creating an account. Bitly requires a free account before any QR code can be generated, and the free plan allows two codes a month.
KoloQRYesBitlyNoOpen Source
Inspect, modify, and self-host the source code. Bitly is proprietary hosted software.
KoloQRYesBitlyNoCustom QR Shapes
Create rectangular, circular, triangular, and hexagonal QR codes. Bitly styles the dot pattern, corners and colors inside a square symbol; the outline stays square.
KoloQRYesBitlyNoPremium QR Frames
Ready-to-use designer QR frames. Bitly's free plan includes a limited set of frames and colors; its advanced frames, patterns and logo overlay start on the Core plan.
KoloQRYesBitlyPaid plansVector Export
Export SVG, PDF, and EPS for professional printing. Bitly downloads as PNG, JPEG or SVG - SVG is vector and available free, but there is no PDF or EPS for a print workflow that asks for one.
KoloQRYesBitlySVG onlyCopy to Figma
Copy QR codes directly into Figma. A Bitly code reaches a design file as a downloaded image.
KoloQRYesBitlyNoChrome Extension
Create QR codes from any webpage. Bitly publishes an official Chrome extension that shortens the current URL and creates a code without leaving the page.
KoloQRYesBitlyYesContrast Checker
Ensure your QR code has enough contrast for reliable scanning. Bitly's editor offers color and gradient controls but documents no contrast measurement.
KoloQRYesBitlyNo
What Each Tool Is Actually Built to Do
KoloQR is a design and export tool that gives the file away. Bitly is a link management platform, and its QR code is one of the shapes a Bitly link can take. Both draw a scannable code; what differs is what happens when someone scans it.
KoloQR: A Free Static QR Code Generator With Nothing in the Middle
KoloQR, a free QR code generator with circular and custom-shaped QR codes, encodes the destination directly into the symbol and hands you the file. A static QR code is a code whose destination is stored in the pattern itself, so no server sits between the scan and the page. Nothing counts the scans, nothing can deactivate the code, no account owns it, and nothing expires: a KoloQR code works for as long as the URL it points at works.
- Every Format, No Account, No Monthly Allowance - KoloQR exports SVG, PDF and EPS for print and PNG for screen, all without a signup, an email address or a payment. There is no cap on how many codes you make in a month, which matters if you are producing one code per table, per shelf edge or per product variant.
- Shapes Beyond the Square - KoloQR renders the whole symbol as a rectangle, circle, triangle or hexagon, not only the dots and corners inside a square outline. A circular code fits a bottle cap, a coaster or a round table decal where a square code wastes the corners.
- No Redirect in the Path - A scanner reading a KoloQR code goes straight to your URL. There is no short link to resolve, no preview page, no ad slot and no third party that has to be online for the scan to work. The shortest possible path between a camera and your page is the one with nothing in it.
- Open Source and Self-Hostable - KoloQR's source code is published, so the generation logic can be inspected, modified or run on your own infrastructure. Teams that cannot send a destination URL to a third-party service can generate codes without one.
What Is Bitly? A Link Platform Whose QR Code Is a Short Link in Disguise
Bitly has run one of the internet's best-known URL shorteners since 2008, and its QR codes sit on top of that infrastructure: every Bitly code encodes a bit.ly link, which means the destination can be changed, the scans can be counted, and one code can be routed to different pages by country, device or platform. The analytics are genuinely good - scans by location, device, referrer and date, UTM parameters built in, an API, a mobile app and branded custom domains on the paid tiers. Bitly also sets error correction to level H on the codes it generates, the strongest of the four levels, which is the right default for a code that may end up with a logo on it or printed on something imperfect. If you need to re-point a printed code or report on scan volume, this is a mature product and KoloQR is not a substitute for it.
The free plan is where the comparison usually happens, and it is worth reading in its own numbers. Bitly's free tier, as listed in August 2026, allows 5 short links, 2 QR codes, 2 landing pages and 3 custom back-halves per month, with unlimited clicks and scans on whatever you create. Design is limited to basic colors, frames and patterns; the logo overlay and the advanced frame and pattern options begin on the Core plan. The ability to edit a destination after the code is printed - the reason most people want a dynamic code - is a paid feature, listed from Core, so a free Bitly code is a tracked code you cannot re-point. Bitly's support documentation also states that free-plan links pass through an interstitial page showing a destination preview and an ad, removable by upgrading; because a Bitly QR code is a bit.ly link, a scan takes the same route as a click. Paid plans in August 2026 were listed at 10 US dollars a month for Core (billed annually, 120 US dollars a year, 5 codes a month), 35 for Growth (10 codes a month), 300 for Premium (200 codes a month), and custom pricing for Enterprise. Before printing anything with a free Bitly code, scan a test code with a phone that is not signed in and see exactly what your customer sees.
Create a Free QR Code
How to Choose Between a Static Generator and a Link Platform
Two questions decide this, and neither is about design tools: will the destination change after the code is printed, and does anyone need to see the scan numbers? These rules apply whichever tool you pick.
Decide Static or Dynamic Before You Design Anything
A static QR code stores the destination in the pattern; a dynamic QR code stores a short link that a provider resolves to the destination. If the destination is fixed for the life of the printed material, a static code from a free generator is enough and costs nothing to maintain. If the destination will change, or scans have to be counted per campaign, buy a dynamic service and accept the subscription. A static code cannot be converted into a dynamic one afterwards, so choosing wrongly means reprinting.
Check Whether the Free Tier Actually Lets You Edit the Link
Free dynamic and editable are not the same claim, and QR platforms routinely offer the first while charging for the second. Bitly's free plan creates dynamic codes but lists destination redirects as a Core-plan feature, so a free Bitly code is tracked and unchangeable - the one property most people were buying a dynamic code for. Before you print, find the sentence in the pricing table that says the destination can be edited on your plan.
Scan a Test Code From a Phone That Is Not Signed In
You see your own codes as their owner, which hides interstitials, previews, warnings and ads that a stranger's phone will show. Make one throwaway code, print it at final size, and scan it with a device that has never touched the account. Bitly's support documentation states that free-plan links show a destination preview page with an ad before the redirect; whether that appears on your code is a thirty-second check, not a thing to assume in either direction.
Get an Editable Destination Without a Subscription Using Your Own Redirect
Point a static QR code at a URL on your own domain, such as example.com/menu, and configure that path as a 302 redirect to the real page. The printed code never changes; the redirect target can be edited whenever you like. This gives you the main benefit of a dynamic code without a recurring fee, and the redirect keeps working as long as you own the domain - which is not true of a platform-owned short link. Server logs or your existing web analytics then give you visit counts. The 302 matters: a browser caches a 301, so it would keep going to the old destination after you change it.
Count the Codes Your Job Needs Before You Read the Feature List
Monthly allowances decide more purchases than features do. Bitly's free plan allows 2 QR codes a month, Core 5, Growth 10 and Premium 200. A restaurant with 30 tables, a warehouse labelling 200 shelf locations or a shop tagging every product variant runs out of allowance long before it runs out of features, and static codes from a free generator have no allowance at all.
Size the Code by Scanning Distance, Not by What Fits the Layout
As a rule of thumb, a QR code needs about 1 cm of width for every 10 cm of scanning distance, so a poster read from 3 m needs roughly 30 cm. Treat 2 cm as the absolute floor for a code scanned at arm's length and 3 cm as the safe one. Measure the real distance in the real room rather than estimating it from the design file.
Keep the Quiet Zone Clear on Every Design
A quiet zone is the empty margin around a QR code that lets a scanner detect where the symbol begins and ends. The QR standard, ISO/IEC 18004, specifies four modules of clear space on all four sides. Decorative frames, background images and tight layouts are the most common cause of a code that scans in the design file and fails on the printed sheet.
Raise Error Correction Before Adding a Logo, Not After
Error correction is the redundancy built into a QR code that allows it to remain scannable when part of the symbol is damaged or covered. Levels L, M, Q and H recover roughly 7%, 15%, 25% and 30% of the symbol. Use level H when placing a logo in the center - Bitly's support documentation states it uses level H on the codes it generates - keep the logo under about a quarter of the code area, and test on a real phone.
Keep the Code Dark on Light, Never Inverted
Most smartphone cameras expect dark modules on a light background. An inverted code - light modules on a dark background - is legal in the standard but decoded inconsistently across scanner apps and phone models. If a dark brand background is unavoidable, place the code inside a light panel rather than inverting it.
Export Vector for Anything That Goes to Print
SVG, PDF and EPS are vector formats that stay sharp at any size; PNG and JPEG are raster formats that soften the module edges when scaled up. SVG is enough for most printers and Bitly does export it free, but some print workflows will only accept PDF or EPS, and a JPEG is the worst of the four because its compression blurs the hard edges scanners rely on. Send vector, or generate a PNG at final physical size and at least 300 DPI.
Print the Destination in Text Beside the Code
A short readable URL next to the QR code makes the content reachable for anyone whose camera fails, whose phone is old, or who simply does not scan codes. It also rescues the print run if the code itself ever stops resolving. A QR code should always be the fast path to the content and never the only path - this is an accessibility requirement, not a nicety.
Test the Printed Code, on Paper, Before the Full Run
Print one copy at final size on the final material and scan it with at least two phones, one iOS and one Android, at the real distance and under the real lighting. Gloss lamination under a downlight and ink spread on uncoated stock are the two failures that never appear on screen. A single test print costs less than a reprint of the whole job.
Questions? Answered
Two per month. Bitly's free plan, as listed in August 2026, allows 5 short links, 2 QR codes, 2 landing pages and 3 custom back-halves each month, with unlimited scans on whatever you create. The allowance is on creation, not on scanning. KoloQR has no account and no monthly allowance, so the number of codes you generate is not limited.
No. Bitly lists link and QR code redirects as a paid feature starting on the Core plan, which was 10 US dollars a month billed annually in August 2026. A free Bitly code is dynamic in architecture - it routes through bit.ly and records scans - but the destination is fixed once created. If editing after printing is the reason you chose Bitly, the free plan does not deliver it.
Bitly's support documentation states that free-plan links pass through an interstitial page showing a destination preview and an advertisement, and that upgrading to a paid plan removes it. A Bitly QR code encodes a bit.ly link, so a scan follows the same path as a click. Make one test code and scan it from a phone that is not signed in to the account before you commit to a print run.
Yes. Bitly offers PNG, JPEG and SVG downloads, with PNG as the default, and SVG is available on the free plan. SVG is a true vector format, so it stays sharp at any print size. What Bitly does not export is PDF or EPS, which some print workflows require. KoloQR exports SVG, PDF, EPS and PNG with no account.
KoloQR is free with no account, no watermark, no monthly code allowance and no paid tier gating the formats: SVG, PDF, EPS and PNG all download without signing up. The trade-off is that KoloQR generates static QR codes only. The destination is encoded in the symbol, so it cannot be changed after printing and no scans are recorded.
It stops working. Bitly's support documentation states that a deleted link and any QR codes attached to it are removed permanently and cannot be recovered, and that anyone scanning afterwards lands on a Bitly error page. Bitly does say that bit.ly links keep resolving if you downgrade or your account is deleted for inactivity. A static KoloQR code has no account behind it to delete.
No. Bitly's editor customizes what is inside the symbol - colors and gradients, dot patterns, corners, frames, accompanying text and, on paid plans, a logo - but the symbol outline stays square. KoloQR renders the whole code as a rectangle, circle, triangle or hexagon, which matters when the code has to sit inside a round sticker, a bottle cap or a hexagonal label.
No. KoloQR generates static QR codes and has no analytics layer, no dashboard and no account, so nothing is recorded on our side. If you need scan counts, either use a dynamic platform such as Bitly, or point a static code at a URL on your own site and read the visits in your existing web analytics. The second option gives you page visits rather than true scan counts.
Use a free static code if the menu lives at a stable URL, and point it at your own domain so you keep the ability to redirect it later. Choose Bitly or another link platform if you run seasonal campaigns, need per-location scan data, or report on channel performance. A table tent rarely justifies a subscription; a thirty-table restaurant also exceeds Bitly's free allowance of two codes a month on day one.
The four usual causes are a quiet zone eaten by a frame or background, a raster file enlarged past its resolution, ink spread on uncoated paper closing the gaps between modules, and gloss lamination throwing a reflection into the camera. A fifth, specific to codes that route through a platform, is a link that has been deleted or an account that has lapsed. Print one copy at final size on the final stock and test it before approving the run.
Make a Print-Ready QR Code Now, for Free
If the destination is not going to change, KoloQR gives you the finished file in the browser: pick a shape, set the colors, add a logo, check the contrast, download SVG, PDF, EPS or PNG. No account, no monthly allowance, no interstitial between the scan and your page, and no third party that has to stay online for the code to work.
If you need to re-point a code after it is printed, report scan volume by country and device, route one code to different destinations, or run codes on a branded short domain, Bitly is a real platform for that and we would rather say so than sell you the wrong tool. A middle path worth trying first: generate a free static code here, point it at a redirect URL on your own domain, and keep the ability to change the destination without a subscription or a monthly code allowance. If the campaign later needs per-code analytics, you have lost nothing by starting free.
Create Your QR CodeKeep Exploring
Pages that pick up where this one leaves off - the same setting, the same kind of code, or the next thing worth deciding.
Do QR Codes Expire? The Pattern Never Does
The pattern never expires, and four things behind it do. Which one failed, how to tell them apart, and which of them you can fix without reprinting.
Static or Dynamic? Decide It Before Anything Is Printed
The difference is where the destination lives, and price, analytics and every failure mode follow from it. Four questions that settle which one to print.
Best Free QR Code Generators in 2026
Free resolves to three different arrangements - a code you keep, a code you rent, and a trial that ends - and the vendor's pricing page is rarely where the difference is stated.
Seven Flowcode Alternatives and What Each Replaces
Flowcode's free plan stops at 2 codes and 500 scans, and the first paid step is $25 a month - here is what seven alternatives cost, and why none of them can rescue a code that is already printed.
A Free QR Tiger Alternative, No Signup
A design-first, open-source QR generator compared with a campaign-focused tracking platform. See which one fits your project.
KoloQR vs Canva
A design platform where the QR code is one app among thousands of templates, compared with a generator that makes nothing but the code and hands over the vector file. The deciding factor is whether you need a finished layout or a code file to drop into one.
Why KoloQR?
- Create QR codes for websites, menus, Wi-Fi, PDFs, and business cards
- Customize colors, logos, and unique shapes
- Download high-quality PNG and SVG files
- Built for both print and digital
