Comparison

Shortly vs QR Zee

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shortly

This utility allows you to create and manage short URLs using the Bitly service directly from your iPhone or iPad. Easily copy shortened links for use in other apps and track their click statistics with helpful charts. It also includes a tool to look up existing Bitlinks and their performance.

Highlights
  • Create short URLs (Bitlinks)
  • Copy links to clipboard
  • Track click statistics
  • View charts and metadata
  • Bitlink lookup tool
  • Auto Shorten feature
Features
Read full description

Shortly is an easy-to-use utility that lets you create short URLs (Bitlinks) with your iPhone or iPad using the Bitly service. You can copy these links to the clipboard for use in other iPhone applications. Once you've created your Bitlink and pressed the button to put it on the clipboard, you can launch another application, click anywhere you can enter text and select Paste โ€” it's that simple! Additionally you can track the click statistics for Bitlinks you create in the app, or Bitlinks you've shortened on the Bitly website with helpful charts and metadata. There is also a Bitlink lookup tool, so you can enter in a Bitlink you've found and see who created it, including the number of global clicks it has received this week. The app requires a Bitly account to enable the URL shortening and tracking features. If you don't have an account, signing up is easy and free. Just click on the Account tab in the app and click the button to get a new account. Auto Shorten feature: If you go into the Settings screen and turn this on, the Shortly app will look on the clipboard when it launches, and if it finds a valid URL there, it will automatically shorten it and place the Bitlihnk on the clipboard at the same time.

About

QR Zee

Features
Read full description

QR Zee is the all-in-one QR tool: instantly scan any QR code or barcode, create custom QR codes, track performance with analytics, and share via trackable short links. Protect sensitive QR codes with a password for secure access. Highlights โ€ข Ultra-fast scanning (camera or photos) โ€ข Create QR for URL, Wi-Fi, contact (vCard), text, email, phone โ€ข Customize colors and add your logo โ€ข QR analytics for codes you create โ€ข Trackable short links with click insights โ€ข Password-protected QR codes for private access โ€ข History, favorites, search and export โ€ข One-tap copy, open, share or save โ€ข Works offline for local scans โ€ข Privacy-minded design Subscription QR Zee offers an optional auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase and renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Pricing and terms vary by region. Links โ€ข Privacy Policy: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/cd98648b-5982-4202-88a3-26a3dfa610ef Scan. Create. Track. Share.

Screenshots

Shortly4 screens
QR Zee4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: QR Zee at Free against Shortly's $0.99. QR Zee also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). Shortly's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

QR Zee is free to download; Shortly costs $0.99 up front. QR Zee sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Shortly asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shortly ships an update every 5 months, QR Zee every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 4 level
Shortly versus QR Zee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShortlyQR Zee
Price$0.99Free โ€” better
Positive reviews10.8% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 10 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
MonetizationFreeโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS18.613.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size9 MB104 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChris DresslerJaxongir Yuldashev

In-app purchases

None

Shortly

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

QR Zee

Subscriptions6
  • QR Flow Starter$4.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription3 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Business Monthly$35.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Starter Yearly$41.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription$119.991 Year
  • Business Yearly$299.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime PRO access$49.99

Questions

Is Shortly free?
Shortly costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is QR Zee free?
QR Zee is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shortly or QR Zee have ads?
Neither Shortly nor QR Zee shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shortly or QR Zee?
Shortly ships an update every 5 months, and QR Zee every 10 days. Most recently, Shortly was updated on October 16, 2026 and QR Zee on October 21, 2026.

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