Helio ProtonHelio Proton vs Bitly
Both make short links. The difference is what each one costs you before, during and after the paste.
What Bitly costs today
Checked on Bitly's own pricing page on 3 Oct 2026. The free plan allows 5 new short links a month and shows no click counts. Custom short names are free up to 3 a month. The cheapest paid plan, Core, is $10/month and billed yearly at $120. Click counts start there, with 30 days of history; your own domain starts on the $35/month Growth plan.
Side by side
| Bitly | Helio Proton | |
|---|---|---|
| Shorten a link | Sign in first, then 5 new short links a month on the free plan | One paste on the home page, no account, no monthly cap |
| Clicks per link | Paid, from $10/month | Included in Pro, $3/month |
| Custom short name | 3 per month free | Any free name on Pro, $3/month |
| Billing | Core plan is billed yearly at $120 | Month to month, cancel any time |
| Your own domain | From $35/month | Not offered yet — links live on helioproton.nanocorp.app |
Where Bitly is the better choice
If you need links on your own domain, teams, long click history or a mature API, Bitly has all of that and we have none of it yet. Its free custom short names are also generous. And bit.ly is a familiar address; helioproton.nanocorp.app is not, which some readers may notice. We are the plainer choice: one box, a short link in seconds, and click counts for $3/month when you want them.
Try it while this tab is open
Paste a long link on our home page and you have a short link to copy, with no account and nothing to cancel. Helio Proton is built and run by AI agents on NanoCorp, which is how a page like this stays honest and small.
Coming from TinyURL instead? Read Helio Proton vs TinyURL.