Generating short links is a pretty straightforward task. But when you manage hundreds or even thousands of URLs, it’s a whole different story.
For enterprises dealing with a huge volume of links, automation software like Boltic can help you save a lot of time and headache.
We offer an API integration with Bitly that makes URL management seamless. Whether you want to create a short Bitlink for every new page you publish, or make changes to all your links in bulk, it’s all fast and easy.
Sounds like what you’ve been looking for? Great, let’s schedule a free, 30-minute demo to see how Boltic works in real time!Some URLs, like the ones linking to a website’s homepage, are short by nature. Think https://apple.com or https://google.com. But some links are ridiculously long, often due to tracking parameters, specific product page details, or complex website structures.
The problem is, these lengthy URLs look messy when shared online. Marketing channels like SMS and social media also have character limits, so you may not be able to share those links in the first place.
This is why you need a URL shortener to keep things tidy. It takes those unwieldy web addresses and condenses them into much shorter, cleaner, and more manageable links.
What’s even more crucial if you’re running a business, customers can remember and type your short URL easier when they see it on brochures, product packaging, billboards, business cards, offline events, and any other instance where clicking a link isn’t an option.
But with so many options, which tool is the best? That’s exactly what this article aims to answer. Here, you’ll find a curated and personally tested list of the best URL shorteners currently available in the market (both free and paid).
Quick overview of the best URL shorteners
What to look for in a URL shortener?
We’re comparing URL shorteners, so every tool should have the ability to turn a longer URL (like www.boltic.io/blog/free-video-editing-software) into something a lot more manageable (like bit.ly/boltic).
So, it’s just a matter of finding which tools actually have better value for money and additional features that you really need:
- Branded links: Does the tool offer a complimentary domain name and let you customize the link to your exact liking? Having a branded link goes a long way in establishing trust with your audience.
- QR code generation: Can you generate a QR code for every link you want to share? This comes in handy when placing your link in places like product labels, brochures, webinars, and business cards.
- Performance analytics: The tool should display all the metrics you want to track, like clicks, referring sites, locations, and devices.
- Value for money: Look for a platform that offers everything you need at a reasonable price.
Best URL shorteners in 2025
We’ve spent days testing several URL shorteners to find the best ones for different needs and use cases.
Here are our top picks.
1. Bitly
Best for: Generating branded QR codes for your links
Bitly is a widely used URL shortening service and link management platform. And when you look at the tool’s fine range of capabilities, it’s easy to see why. Beyond just shortening links, Bitly also allows you to track and analyze the performance of those links.
Apart from the usual link shortening, Bitly also allows you to track and analyze the performance of those links. You can even generate a branded QR code (with your own logo and colors) for every short link you create.
Link-in-bio is another nice feature we liked. It compiles all your best links (e.g website, social profiles, portfolio) on a personalized landing page, so customers can easily discover and access them in one place.
The free allows you to shorten 5 links per month with Bitly’s domain, like bit.ly/link. If you want to create branded links with your own domain name, such as shoe.store/link, you have to upgrade to the Growth plan ($35/month).
Plans: Free (5 links), Growth ($35/month for 500 links); Premium ($300/month for 3,000 links)
Features you’ll love:
- Custom domains: Create short links with your own domain or brand name.
- Branded QR codes: Generate custom QR codes with your brand logo and colors.
- Link-in-bio: Compile different URLs in one place, and share the link on your social profiles.
Drawbacks:
Bitly’s free version is very limited, and the premium plans are pricier than similar tools while offering fewer usage allowances.
2. TinyURL
Best for: Shortening URLs quickly without registration
If you want to generate short links without having to sign up, TinyURL is your answer. It enables you to shorten a link and even customize it with your own alias (like tinyurl.com/brand) completely free of charge.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that TinyURL links are designed not to expire. That’s right – your shortened URLs will remain active forever, as long as this platform is still in business.
Although you don’t need an account to use TinyURL, signing up for the free plan means you’ll get more limits for link shortening (100 per month) and custom aliases (30 per month).
However, you have to purchase its paid plans to create branded domains and access detailed analytics of your links. But don’t worry, as TinyURL is far more affordable than other URL shorteners in the market.
Plans: Free (100 links); (Pro (starts at $12.99/month for 500 links); Bulk 100K (starts at $129/month for 100,000 links)
Features you’ll love:
- Quick link generation: Instantly shorten URLs without creating an account.
- Custom aliases: Customize the endings of your links for better memorability.
- No expiration date: Your shortened links will always be active no matter what.
Drawbacks:
TinyURL’s design is a bit outdated, so navigating the dashboard can feel like a clunky experience. It also has limited URL customization options and tracking capabilities compared to other apps like Bitly.
3. Replug
Best for: Optimizing short links for marketing campaigns
Replug is a feature-rich link management platform any marketer should add to their toolkit. It goes beyond simple URL shortening, offering a suite of tools to turn your links into profitable marketing assets.
Apart from the usual custom domains and branded links, it offers A/B testing features to optimize campaign performance. You can test up to 10 variations of the same URL to see which one brings the most traffic and conversions.
Its Link Rotator feature automatically sends visitors to the most suitable landing pages based on predefined rules like location and device. This helps you understand where your audience is coming from and whether they use desktop or mobile devices, so you can adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.
Replug also allows you to add retargeting pixels to your links and track users who have clicked them. By doing so, you can create targeted ad campaigns on multiple social media platforms to bring them back to your business.
Plans: Basic ($19/month for 10,000 link clicks); Professional ($49/month for 50,000 link clicks); Agency ($79/month for unlimited link clicks)
Features you’ll love:
- A/B testing: Split and test up to 10 link variations to find the best-performing one.
- Retargeting: Place retargeting pixels to track people who click your links, and run targeted campaigns more effectively.
- Link Rotator: Direct visitors to the most suitable landing pages based on preset rules like country and device used.
Drawbacks:
The sheer abundance of features can be overwhelming to new users. Replug also limits the amount of link clicks allowed on lower plans. So if your campaigns are doing really well, you have no option but to upgrade your account.
4. Short.io
Best for: Creating short links with custom domain names
Short.io offers powerful free features other apps make you pay for, including A/B testing, QR code generator, and performance tracking. It’s a great way to evaluate the benefits of these tools for your business before making a financial investment.
Unlike other URL shorteners, Short.io requires you to use your own domain name, even on the free version. However, domain name registration cost isn’t included in the plans, so you have to buy a domain separately from Short.io or third-party registrars.
The free plan allows you to manage 5 custom domains, which is great if you’re running multiple sites. You can also create 1,000 branded links, as well as track 50,000 clicks and 50 conversions per month – that’s a lot of fire power for a free service.
The Pro plan costs $18 per month, and it gives you access to even more features like link cloaking, country targeting, password protection, and unlimited tracking.
Plans: Free (5 links); Hobby ($5/month for 7 links); Pro ($18/month for 10 links); Team ($48/month for 50 links); Enterprise ($148/month for unlimited links)
Features you’ll love:
- Multiple custom domains: Manage and track several branded domains and subdomains in one place.
- Geo-targeting: Direct traffic to the right URLs based on their country or region.
- Link cloaking: Hide original URLs from visitors, and let them see only the shortened versions.
Drawbacks:
The requirement to use custom domains can be less appealing to those who prefer a simpler, more generic URL shortening experience. Besides, the free plan isn’t really free to users without a domain name, as they still have to purchase one.
5. Dub
Best for: Analyzing leads and sales generated from your links
Dub is a modern link management tool for marketing teams that need granular control and comprehensive insights into their link performance.
Every click, lead, and conversion is tracked daily and presented in a clear dashboard. You can also see which countries bring the most traffic and engagement, and what browsers are used to access your links.
This tool also has something that you won’t find on other apps, like custom link previews. It allows you to customize the social media cards (image, title, and description) for your links, so users will be more tempted to click.
Other than that, you will find pretty much everything you need from a URL shortening service, including custom domains, branded QR codes, and link cloaking.
One last thing worth mentioning is that Dub is an open-source app. This means you can run it on your own server for greater flexibility and better data protection. Check out Dub’s self-hosting documentation for the complete steps.
Plans: Free (25 links); Pro ($24/month for 1,000 links); Business (starts at $59/month for 5,000 links)
Features you’ll love:
- Custom link previews: Adjust the look and feel of your links before sharing on social media.
- Clean dashboard: Track clicks, leads, and sales in one easy-to-understand view.
- Workspace: Set up a Dub workspace and invite your teammates for better collaboration.
Drawbacks:
Dub is a new tool that’s still growing, so you probably miss some features available on other well-established link management platforms.
6. BL.INK
Best for: Leveraging links and QR codes across different customer touchpoints
BL.INK lets you transform long URLs into shorter, cleaner, and more manageable links in a blink (pun intended). You can also track how many clicks each link generates, where they come from, and what devices are used.
But what really separates BL.INK from other tools we’ve covered so far is its GS1-compliant QR code generation. If you’re not sure what the heck that means, it’s basically a more powerful version of your typical 2D barcode, which stores detailed information about a product.
You can place these QR codes on your physical marketing assets, like product packaging and catalogs. So, with a quick scan, people can quickly tell where the product came from, what it’s made of, and more.
This makes purchasing decisions a lot easier for customers, while helping your business keep track of its products as they move through the supply chain.
Plans: Expert+ ($48/month for 10,000 links); SMB ($99/month for 25,000 links); Team ($299/month for 100,000 links); Business ($599/month for 250,000 links)
Features you’ll love:
- GS1-compliant QR codes: Show customers every crucial detail about your products with a quick scan.
- Broken link monitoring: Quickly find and fix any URLs that aren’t working properly.
- Robust security: Protect your links and your business with end-to-end data encryption, geo-blocking, and proven incident response plans.
Drawbacks:
Higher-end pricing that may be out of reach of individual users and smaller teams.
7. Rebrandly
Best for: Sharing mobile-friendly links on messaging and social media platforms
Rebrandly was launched with a strong belief that links can be a powerful branding and marketing tool if used properly, hence the name.
With this tool, you can transform generic URLs into branded links that reinforce your brand’s identity and build trust with your audience. You can also create a branded URL gallery to organize and showcase all your links on your own domain.
One nice feature to highlight is the instant URL edits. In case your destination page is redirected, changed, or missing after you generate a short link, you can easily update the target URL to preserve traffic.
Rebrandly also has a powerful AI tool that helps you find the best time to share your links to audiences in specific countries. This way, you can improve deliverability and maximize click-through-rate (CTR).
Plans: Free (10 links); Essentials ($13/month for 250 links); Professional ($83/month for 1,500 links); Growth ($83/month for 3,500 links)
Features you’ll love:
- Social branded links: Generate mobile-friendly short links and QR codes to share on WhatsApp, email, SMS, and social platforms.
- Instant URL edits: Update any destination URL that’s broken, redirected, or missing without changing the branded link.
- AI-powered insights: Find the optimal time to share your branded short links, so users are more likely to click.
Drawbacks:
Some users are reportedly unhappy with how Rebrandly auto renews or upgrades their plans without their consent.
8. Ow.ly
Best for: Adding short links to social media posts
Ow.ly isn’t really a standalone app, but rather a feature of Hootsuite (in case you don’t know, it’s a social media management tool). This can be a good or bad thing depending on your specific use cases.
If you use Hootsuite in general, Ow.ly can be a really nice addition to your social marketing arsenal. It takes long URLs and condenses them into shorter, more manageable links, which are especially useful for social media posts with character limits.
You can also monitor your link performance, along with other social media marketing metrics, directly within the Hootsuite analytics dashboard.
That being said, Ow.ly is a premium tool, and you can only use it by purchasing a Hootsuite plan. If you don’t have any needs for Hootsuite, we recommend going with other URL shorteners in this article.
Plans: Professional ($99/month); Team ($249/month)
Features you’ll love:
- Integrated analytics: Create, share, and track your shortened links within the same Hootsuite interface you use for managing your social media accounts.
- Simplified social sharing: Generate short, shareable links within the limits of social media platforms.
- Link tracking parameters: Add up to 10 tracking parameters to your links, and see which ones drive the most traffic to your website.
Drawbacks:
To use the premium version of Ow.ly, you have to buy a Hootsuite subscription, which is a waste of money if you don’t really use other Hootsuite features.
9. Sniply
Best for: Adding CTA buttons or forms to shortened links
Sniply is basically a tool that lets you add a CTA to any content piece on the web. That's right, even third-party blog posts and landing pages you don't own. It's extremely valuable in scenarios where you run out of original content to share, but you have a posting schedule to maintain.
How does it work, then? It's quite easy actually. In order for Sniply to create a shortened link, you must first enter the URL of the original material that you wish to share.
Next, place a unique call to action (CTA) above the link. This may be a button that leads to your product page, a link back to your homepage, or a contact form. Finally, post the link on social media to reach your audience.
When someone clicks on the URL, the original webpage will appear, along with your personalized call to action at the bottom of the screen. The idea is that if your CTAs are strong enough, readers may want to look them up after reading the content.
Plans: Basic ($9/month for 250 links and 5 CTAs); Pro ($29/month for unlimited links and 30 CTAs); Business ($59/month for unlimited links and 100 CTAs)
Features you’ll love:
- Customizable CTAs: Add a custom CTA with your own offers to any web page on the internet.
- Robust link analytics: See how many people click on your shared URLs, and how many actually go on to buy something.
- Browser extension: Generate short URLs directly from social management platforms like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer.
Drawbacks:
While intended for engagement, many users actually find the CTA overlay feature spammy, misleading, or distracting. If you’re not careful, this may lead to a poor user experience and leave a negative effect on your brand.
10. T.ly
Best for: Creating and sharing short links instantly
T.ly may not have a pretty and modern look, but its user friendliness is the best one we’ve tried so far. Navigating this web-based tool feels effortless, as everything is intuitively organized and clearly labeled.
All you have to do is enter a long URL in the provided bar. The tool will then create the shortened version of it, and automatically copy the link to your clipboard so you can share it instantly.
There’s also an option to generate the corresponding QR code you can share online or print on physical marketing assets. Those include brochures, business cards, and product labels.
After a while, you can go back to track the performance of your short links via the Stats dashboard. Here, you’ll see metrics like total visits, unique visits, and QR scans, as well as traffic sources by country, browser, and platform.
One unique feature you’ll find on T.ly is the URL expander tool, which is the opposite of link shortening. It allows you to see the real URLs behind shortened links, along with information about the domain’s DNS records, Whois data, and SSL certificate details.
Plans: Hobby ($5/month for 500 links); Basic ($20/month for 4,000 links); Pro ($50/month for 10,000 links)
Features you’ll love:
- User-friendly interface: From customizing links to tracking QR code scans, you can perform link management tasks with ease.
- Browser extension: Generate short links and QR codes directly from any pages you visit.
- URL expander: Reveal the original destination of any shortened link.
Drawbacks:
When you use T.ly for the first time, you’ll be able to create a few short links and QR codes for free. But T.ly doesn’t clearly mention that it’s just a trial, and you need a paid plan to continue using those links.
This lack of transparency has caught many users off guard, and it’s definitely something to keep in mind before using this tool.
Why do you need a link shortening tool?
For casual users, URL shorteners might not be all that important. But they're an indispensable tool for any social media marketer.
Here's why:
- Highly memorable: Users can remember short links (bitly.com/hiking-shoes) a lot easier than long ones (shoe.com/best-shoes-for-hiking?aff=52463_c40b29ce9).
- Easy to share: Short links are easier to copy and paste across various social media platforms, especially those with character limits like X.
- Branding: Every custom link you share with your own domain is an opportunity to instill your brand name in the mind of customers.
- Trustworthiness: People are more likely to click on professional and branded links rather than long URLs with random characters and numbers.
- Better tracking: Beyond shortening URLs, many link management tools also allow you to see how many people click those links and visit your pages.
Shorten your links automatically
Generating short links is a pretty straightforward task. But when you manage hundreds or even thousands of URLs, it’s a whole different story.
For enterprises dealing with a huge volume of links, automation software like Boltic can help you save a lot of time and headache.
We offer an API integration with Bitly that makes URL management seamless. Whether you want to create a short Bitlink for every new page you publish, or make changes to all your links in bulk, it’s all fast and easy.
Sounds like what you’ve been looking for? Great, let’s schedule a free, 30-minute demo to see how Boltic works in real time!
drives valuable insights
Organize your big data operations with a free forever plan
An agentic platform revolutionizing workflow management and automation through AI-driven solutions. It enables seamless tool integration, real-time decision-making, and enhanced productivity
Here’s what we do in the meeting:
- Experience Boltic's features firsthand.
- Learn how to automate your data workflows.
- Get answers to your specific questions.
