Looking for a Bitly alternative
that passes GDPR review?
Bitly: URL shortener turned QR platform — built for US marketing teams.
Qrius stores everything in Stockholm, Sweden. We never log raw IP addresses. DPA included. Switch in 5 minutes.
Bitly transfers QR scan data to the United States
Bitly is headquartered in New York, USA and processes data on United States infrastructure. Under the Schrems II ruling (CJEU C-311/18), transferring personal data from the EU to the US requires valid transfer mechanisms. Because IP addresses are personal data under GDPR Art. 4(1), every QR scan creates a cross-border transfer event. Many EU DPOs flag this as a residual compliance risk, particularly for B2C applications.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Qrius.io | Bitly |
|---|---|---|
| Data hosting | ✓Stockholm, Sweden (EU) | ✗United States |
| IP address storage | ✓Never stored (HMAC-SHA256 hashed) | ✗Raw IP addresses logged |
| Cookies on scan | ✓No cookies, no consent banner | ✗Yes — tracking cookies set |
| GDPR Article 28 DPA | Yes — available on all paid plans | Yes (may require sales contact) |
| Schrems II risk | ✓None — all data in EU | ✗Yes — data transferred to US |
| Free plan | Yes — unlimited static + analytics trial | Yes — limited to 5 QR codes |
| Paid plan starting price | ✓€9/month (Pro) | ✗€29/month |
| Dynamic QR codes | Yes — update destination anytime | Yes |
| Scan analytics | Yes — country, device, browser, real-time | Yes |
| REST API | Yes — OpenAPI spec, all plans | Yes (may require paid plan) |
Why compliance teams choose Qrius over Bitly
Privacy by architecture
IP addresses are hashed with HMAC-SHA256 and a daily rotating salt immediately on scan. The original IP is discarded — it is physically impossible to reconstruct it. This is not a policy promise. It is a mathematical guarantee.
EU data sovereignty
All data is stored in Stockholm, Sweden. No US sub-processors for core data processing. No Standard Contractual Clauses required. No Schrems II supplementary measures needed. Clean.
DPA in 2 clicks
Download a full GDPR Article 28 DPA from qrius.io/dpa. No sales call, no enterprise procurement dance. Share it with your DPO today.
Bitly vs Qrius — frequently asked questions
Does Bitly store IP addresses from QR scans?
Yes. Bitly logs raw IP addresses, user agents, and referrer data for every scan. This is personal data under GDPR Article 4(1). For EU-based companies, using Bitly means transferring personal data to the US — which requires valid transfer mechanisms under Schrems II.
Is Bitly GDPR compliant for EU companies?
Bitly has a DPA and relies on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for EU–US data transfers. However, SCCs require supplementary technical measures when data is accessible to US authorities under FISA 702. Many EU DPOs consider this a residual risk.
How much does Bitly cost compared to Qrius?
Bitly starts at $29/month for 50 QR codes. Qrius starts free with unlimited scans, and Pro is €9/month. For small and medium teams the price difference is significant — and Qrius has no US data exposure.
Can I migrate from Bitly to Qrius?
Yes. You can recreate your QR codes in Qrius and update the targets. Since Bitly QR codes are dynamic, you can also redirect existing Bitly links to a Qrius landing page during migration.
Switch from Bitly to Qrius today
Free plan. No credit card. GDPR-compliant from day one. DPA available on Pro and Business.
Questions? [email protected]