Review

Linkly review: is it the right URL shortener in 2026?

A tracking-focused shortener with a free custom domain, full API access on free and bot management on paid plans.

Updated 8 November 2026Best for: Affiliate marketers who need click limits, rotators and bot managementLaunched 2017
Verdict. Worth a look for affiliate and performance marketers. The click caps make it a poor fit for anyone with real traffic on a budget.

Linkly is built for people who track clicks for a living. The free plan gives you a custom domain and API access, but only 500 clicks a month. Starter at $15 a month (annual) adds bot management, UTM builder and QR codes, and Pro at $32 adds rotators, geo and device redirects and tracking pixels.

Linkly pricing and limits

FreeStarter (cheapest paid)Pro
Price$0$15/mo
$15/mo annual
$32/mo
Links100 links/mo250/mo1,000/mo
Custom domainsYesNot documented3
Analytics retentionCountry-levelNot documentedNot documented
Ads on linksNoneNoneNone

Source: Linkly pricing page, checked 8 November 2026. Starter and Pro prices are billed annually; monthly billing is available at roughly 20% more. Links pause when the monthly click quota is exceeded.

Features

Public APIYes
Link-in-bio pagesNo
QR codesStarter and up
UTM builderStarter and up
Link expirationPro and up
Password protectionPro and up
Geo and device routingPro and up
A/B split testingPro and up (rotators)
Retargeting pixelsPro and up
Bot-click filteringStarter and up
Team seatsYes
Mobile deep linksNo
Browser extensionNo
Zapier / integrationsYes

Pros and cons

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
  • No QR codes on free, no link-in-bio pages
  • Starter is annual-only at $15 a month
  • Analytics retention is not published

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Linkly alternatives

Frequently asked questions

Is Linkly free?

Yes. The free plan includes 100 links/mo, a custom domain, Country-level of analytics and no ads on your links.

How much does Linkly cost?

Paid plans start at $15/mo (Starter) billed monthly, or $15/mo billed annually. That tier includes 250/mo links and Not documented custom domains.

What is the best alternative to Linkly?

ReSlug, Short.io, Cuttly. ReSlug for bot filtering on the free plan without click-based pausing, Short.io for more domains, Cuttly for bio pages.