lihi / PicSee / Bitly Alternatives: Why Choose Lian
Last updated: 2026-06
If you're hunting for an alternative to lihi, PicSee, or Bitly, the decision usually comes down to three things: whether advanced features sit behind a paywall, whether the dashboard speaks your language, and whether your click and audience data gets read or resold by the platform. Lian (link.luvai.net) is a managed link shortener LUVAI runs in-house: A/B split testing, a retargeting pixel, and a REST API are all in the free tier, the UI is Traditional Chinese, and your data lives on LUVAI's own 邊緣資料庫 edge database, isolated under your account, never sold, shared, or resold to any third party, and one-click exportable with no lock-in. This is an honest comparison, not a hit piece — each tool has a genuine strength, and we walk through when a switch makes sense below. Always check each vendor's site for current details.
When a switch actually makes sense
Three common moments to switch: first, your click and audience data sits on a third-party cloud and you can't easily get the raw data back, with no clarity on whether it's read or resold; second, the advanced features you need (A/B, pixel, API) are locked behind a paid plan; third, the dashboard is English-only and slows your team down.
If none of those bother you, your current tool is probably fine — no need to switch for switching's sake. Lian's main differences are: your data is never resold and is one-click exportable (no lock-in), a Traditional-Chinese dashboard, and A/B, a retargeting pixel, and a REST API included in the free tier. Refer to each vendor's site for exact plan contents.
Alternative to Lihi
Lihi's real strength is a friendly A/B testing flow and a built-in UTM builder, and it's well-accepted among Taiwanese marketers — worth saying up front. People look for an alternative usually when certain advanced features or usage volumes are tied to a paid plan, or when they want to keep the data in their own hands.
Lian's counterpart path: A/B split testing and a retargeting pixel are in the free tier, a REST API is available for automation, and your data is never resold and is one-click exportable (no lock-in). Whether it fits you better depends on whether you value your data being unsold and portable or a ready-made ecosystem more. Compare exact plans on both vendors' sites.
Alternative to PicSee
PicSee's standout feature is its social share cards — customizing the preview thumbnail and title a link shows when it unfurls on Facebook, LINE, and similar platforms. For people who care about social reach, that's genuinely useful, and it's PicSee's selling point.
Lian's current focus is A/B split testing, a retargeting pixel, a REST API, and data ownership (your data is never resold and is one-click exportable, with no lock-in), rather than social share cards. If retargeting and data control are your priority, Lian is worth a look; if social preview cards are your core need, evaluate against the vendor's feature list.
Chinese alternative to Bitly
Bitly is a mature, global, widely-integrated veteran — that's its biggest advantage. A common pain point is that the dashboard is primarily English, and some advanced features require a paid plan, which isn't always smooth for teams serving only a Chinese-speaking market.
Lian offers a Traditional-Chinese dashboard, with A/B, a retargeting pixel, and a REST API in the free tier, and your data is never resold and is one-click exportable (no lock-in). If you want a Chinese interface plus data ownership, this is one alternative direction; if you need Bitly's global scale and mature integrations, those remain hard to replace. Refer to the official site for features and plans.
FAQ
What's the biggest difference between Lian and lihi / PicSee / Bitly?
The core difference is how your data is treated: Lian is a managed product LUVAI runs in-house, so your short links, click data, and audience data live on LUVAI's own 邊緣資料庫 edge database, isolated under your account, never sold, shared, or resold to any third party, and one-click exportable with no lock-in. On top of that, A/B split testing, a retargeting pixel, and a REST API are in the free tier, and the dashboard is Traditional Chinese. The other tools each have real strengths (lihi's UTM builder, PicSee's social cards, Bitly's global ecosystem), so whether to switch depends on whether you value your data being unsold and portable, a Chinese dashboard, or a ready-made ecosystem most. Check each vendor's site for details.
Do I need to code to use Lian?
No. Creating and managing short links, setting up A/B split testing, and configuring a retargeting pixel are all done through the dashboard, which is in Traditional Chinese. The REST API is an extra option for people who want to wire up automation or their own systems — it's not a requirement. If you just want to shorten links, view stats, and run retargeting, you can do it without writing any code. Refer to the official site for exact steps and supported scope.
What's the real benefit of 連's data handling?
It means your click records and audience data are isolated under your account (segregated per user) on LUVAI's own 邊緣資料庫 edge database, never sold, shared, or resold to any third party, and fully exportable any time in one click — so you can take all your data and leave, with no lock-in. For people who care about data ownership, privacy, or avoiding platform lock-in, this is Lian's main difference from most SaaS shorteners. There's no infrastructure setup on your side and no server to run — it's all managed for you. Refer to the official site for setup details.
Are A/B, the pixel, and the API really all in the free tier?
Yes — A/B split testing, a retargeting pixel, and a REST API are all included in the free tier, which is a key contrast with tools that paywall advanced features. That said, plan contents can change over time, so always confirm the details, usage limits, and any future changes on the official site rather than relying solely on this article.