Ten link shorteners compared on the things that actually decide the choice: how many links you get free, whether you can use your own domain, whether your audience sees ads, how long analytics last, and what the first paid plan costs.
Updated 8 November 202610 tools comparedPrices in USD
Quick answer. For most people the best URL shortener in 2026 is ReSlug: 500 active links, a custom domain, QR codes and 30 days of analytics for free, no ads, and a $9/mo Pro plan. Developers should pick Dub for its API and SDKs. Enterprises buying a vendor should still look at Bitly.
Best overallReSlug500 free links, free custom domain, no ads, $9 Pro
Best for developersDubOpen source, SDKs, conversion tracking
Most domains per dollarShort.io5 custom domains free, $5 Hobby plan
Best for enterpriseBitlySSO, procurement-ready, deep links
URL shorteners stopped being interchangeable years ago. Some give you a branded domain for free, others charge $29 a month for it. Some keep a year of click data, others delete it after 30 days or never show it at all. And a few still put an ad in front of your audience every time someone clicks. This ranking exists to make those differences visible in one table.
Every number below comes from the vendor's public pricing page, checked on 8 November 2026 and linked from each table. We weight the free plan heavily because it is what most people actually use, then entry price, then custom domains and analytics retention. Where a tool is better for a specific job, developers, enterprise, QR codes, we say so and link to the dedicated ranking.
Limits and prices from each vendor's public pricing page, verified 8 November 2026. "Free links" is the published free-plan quota; "Ads" means interstitial or branded ads shown to people who click your links.
Best for: Anyone who wants a custom domain and real analytics without paying
Free: 500 active linksPaid from $9/moCustom domains: freeAnalytics: 30 daysAPIBio pagesBot filtering
ReSlug tops the list because its free plan does what other tools charge for. You get 500 active links, 1,000 tracked clicks/mo, one custom domain with automatic SSL, a QR code for every link, link expiration and a bio page, with no ads anywhere. Bitly's free plan is five links a month with ads and no analytics; TinyURL's has no analytics at all.
Pro is $9 a month or $79 a year and removes every cap: unlimited links and clicks, 10 domains, 365 days of analytics, geo and device routing, A/B splits, password-protected links and an API. That is a third of Dub's Pro and a fraction of Bitly Growth. The honest caveats are a 2026 launch date and no team seats yet.
Pros
500 active links, a custom domain with auto-SSL and 30 days of analytics on the free plan
No ads or interstitials on any plan
Pro is $9/mo ($79/yr) for unlimited links, 10 domains and a year of analytics
Bot clicks filtered out of analytics by default
Geo, device, UTM and scheduled routing plus A/B splits on Pro
Cons
Launched in 2026, so it has a short track record compared with Bitly or TinyURL
Best for: Power users who want many custom domains cheaply
Free: 1,000 links (lifetime)Paid from $5/moCustom domains: freeAnalytics: Not documentedAPIBio pagesBot filtering
Short.io is the value pick if you run more than one brand. Its free plan includes five custom domains and 1,000 links, the $5 Hobby plan allows seven domains, and Pro at $18 gives unlimited links on ten. No other tool here comes close on domains per dollar. It drops to second because analytics retention is not published and the free quota is a lifetime total rather than a monthly allowance.
Pros
5 custom domains on the free plan and 1,000 lifetime links
Hobby plan is $5 a month for 2,500 links and 7 domains
Pro at $18 a month gives unlimited links and 10 domains
API on every plan, including free, at 50 requests a second
Cons
Analytics retention is not published for any plan
Password protection and expiration need Pro
Free quota is a lifetime total, so it runs out and does not refresh
Best for: Developers and SaaS teams who want an API, SDKs and conversion tracking
Free: 25 links/moPaid from $27/moCustom domains: freeAnalytics: 30 daysAPIBot filtering
Dub is the tool engineers choose: open-source, API-first, with typed SDKs, webhooks and conversion tracking that connects clicks to sign-ups. The free plan is only 25 links a month, but unusually includes three custom domains. Pro is $27 a month. If links are part of your product rather than your marketing, start here.
Pros
Open-source codebase, typed SDKs and a well-documented REST API
3 custom domains on the free plan
Conversion tracking, webhooks and role-based access on Business
A/B testing, geo and device targeting, password and expiration on Pro
Cons
Free plan is only 25 links a month
Pro is $27 a month, three times ReSlug's Pro
No link-in-bio pages
Quotas are annual pools billed up front on yearly plans
Cuttly's free plan is better than most people expect: a branded domain, 30 days of analytics and a bio page. The constraint is volume, 30 links a month free and 300 on the $12 Starter plan. The $25 Single plan adds bot-click reporting, expiration and password protection. A fair choice for low-volume users who want bio pages.
Pros
Free plan includes a branded domain, 30 days of analytics and a bio page
Bot-click chart on Single and up
Clear, published pricing with annual discounts
Link-in-bio and UTM builder on every tier
Cons
Only 30 links a month on free
Starter is $12 a month for just 300 links and still 30 days of analytics
Best for: Affiliate marketers who need click limits, rotators and bot management
Free: 100 links/moPaid from $15/moCustom domains: freeAnalytics: Country-levelAPIBot filtering
Linkly is a tracker first and a shortener second. The free plan includes a custom domain and full API access but only 500 clicks a month, and links pause when you exceed it. Paid plans add explicit bot and crawler management, rotators and geo redirects. Affiliate marketers will like it; anyone with real traffic on a budget will not.
Pros
Free plan includes a custom domain and full API access
Explicit bot and social-crawler management from Starter
Link rotators, geo and device redirects, click- and time-limited links on Pro
Zapier, Make, n8n and webhooks on paid plans
Cons
Free plan is capped at 500 clicks a month and links pause when exceeded
Best for: Enterprises that need a well-known vendor, SSO and a sales contract
Free: 5 links/moPaid from $10/moCustom domains: 0 (Growth plan and up) on paidAnalytics: NoneAPIBio pagesBot filtering
Bitly is still the right answer for a large company that wants a known vendor, SSO and a procurement-friendly contract. For everyone else the numbers are hard to defend: five links a month with ads on free, an annual-only $10 Core plan with no custom domain, and $29 a month billed annually before you can use your own domain. The brand is strong. The free and low tiers are not.
Pros
The most recognised brand in link shortening, with a long uptime record
QR codes, landing pages and links in one product
Mobile deep linking and an enterprise tier with SSO and 2-year history
Integrations with almost every marketing tool
Cons
Free plan is 5 links a month, shows ads and keeps no analytics history
Custom domains only arrive on Growth at $29/mo billed annually ($348/yr)
Core plan is annual-only and still capped at 100 links a month
Link quotas are monthly, so unused links do not roll over
Best for: Marketing teams that want branded links with enterprise support
Free: 10 links/moPaid from $16/moCustom domains: 2 on paidAnalytics: Not documentedAPIBio pagesBot filtering
Rebrandly is the other enterprise-leaning branded-link vendor. The free plan is ten links a month with watermarked QR codes, Essentials is $16 ($11 annual) for 250 links and two domains, and Professional at $39 ($32 annual) is where teammates, password links and expiration appear. Marketing teams with a budget will find it solid. Individuals will find it expensive.
Pros
Strong branded-link features: multiple domains, link galleries, UTM builder on all tiers
API on every plan including free
Teammates, password links and expiration on Professional
Enterprise tier with SSO and dedicated support
Cons
Free plan is 10 links a month with watermarked QR codes and galleries
Professional, where most features live, is $39 a month ($32 annual)
Click-history retention is not clearly published
Pricing page shows several overlapping price pairs, which is confusing
Best for: One-off links where you do not need analytics or branding
Free: Unlimited basic linksPaid from $9.99/moCustom domains: Up to 3 branded domains on paidAnalytics: NoneAPIBot filtering
TinyURL remains free for unlimited basic links, with no account and no ads, which is why it is still used for one-off links. But there are no analytics on free, no editing of destinations, and Pro, around $10 a month, caps you at 500 active links. That is the same number ReSlug gives away free, together with the analytics and domain TinyURL charges for.
Pros
Free basic shortening with no account and no limit on link count
No ads or interstitials on free links
Twenty-plus years of uptime; links from 2002 still resolve
Custom aliases and QR codes on free
Cons
No analytics at all on the free plan and no editing of destinations
Custom domains, analytics and the API all require Pro, from about $10 a month
Pro caps you at 500 active links, fewer than ReSlug's free plan
Best for: People who want a cheap paid plan and a good browser extension
Free: nonePaid from $5/moCustom domains: 1 on paidAnalytics: Not documentedAPIBot filtering
T.LY is a cheap, simple paid tool: $5 a month for 500 links and one domain on Hobby, $20 for 4,000 links on Basic, with good browser extensions. The problem is the absence of a free plan beyond a five-day trial, when four tools above it give you a custom domain for free. Pricing could not be verified directly on t.ly.
Pros
Hobby plan is $5 a month for 500 links, QR codes and one custom domain
Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari
Best for: Paid-media teams who want retargeting pixels on every shared link
Free: nonePaid from $47/moCustom domains: 2 on paidAnalytics: FullAPIBio pagesBot filtering
Switchy is a specialist: unlimited links, unlimited retargeting pixels, priced by clicks from $47 a month. If you run paid social and want a pixel on every shared link, it is built for you. As a general shortener it is the most expensive option on this list with no free plan.
Pros
Unlimited links and unlimited retargeting pixels on every plan
Custom social previews for shared links
Full analytics on every tier
Cons
No free plan and a $47-a-month entry price
Priced by clicks, so growth costs money quickly
Pricing and feature details could not be verified on the official site
Will my audience see ads? Bitly's free plan is labelled "With Ads". Nothing else here shows interstitials, but check the row in every table.
Can I use my own domain, and at what price? Free on ReSlug, Short.io, Dub, Cuttly and Linkly. $29 a month on Bitly. Paid on TinyURL.
How long are analytics kept? 30 days free and 365 days paid on ReSlug; a year on Dub Pro; 30 days on Bitly Core; not published on Short.io.
What happens when I grow? Check whether quotas are monthly (Bitly, Dub, Cuttly), lifetime (Short.io free) or active links (ReSlug, TinyURL), and what the next tier costs.
If you only remember one thing: a custom domain and analytics should not cost $348 a year in 2026. Several tools above give you both for nothing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free URL shortener?
ReSlug, on published limits: 500 active links, a custom domain, QR codes and 30 days of analytics with no ads. Short.io is the runner-up with five free custom domains and 1,000 lifetime links. See the full free ranking.
Is Bitly still the best URL shortener?
For enterprises buying a vendor, often yes. For individuals and small teams, no: the free plan is five links a month with ads and a custom domain requires the $29/mo Growth plan billed annually. See Bitly alternatives.
Which URL shortener has no ads?
Every tool in this ranking except Bitly's free plan serves clean redirects. ReSlug, Short.io, Dub, Cuttly, Linkly and TinyURL show no ads on free links.
Do I need a custom domain for my short links?
If anyone will see the link before clicking, yes. Branded domains get higher click-through than generic ones and are not blocked by platforms that filter well-known shortener domains. ReSlug, Short.io, Dub, Cuttly and Linkly include one free.
How did you rank these tools?
By published free-plan limits, entry price, custom-domain allowance, ads, analytics retention and feature set, taken from each vendor's pricing page on 8 November 2026. Full criteria are on the methodology page.