Best URL Shortener Services - Best Free Link Shortener List

Explore the Best URL Shortener services in our detailed guide, showcasing the top Free Link Shortener List options. Find the ideal solution for easily creating, managing, and tracking your shortened links.

Updated: 16 Nov, 23 by Susith Nonis 16 Min

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Welcome to our comprehensive guide on the Best URL Shortener Services - Best Free Link Shortener List! In today's digital age, sharing content is an integral part of our daily lives, and long, unwieldy URLs can be a hassle to manage. That's where URL shorteners come in, providing you with shorter, more manageable links that are easier to share and track. In this guide, we'll dive into the world of URL shorteners, exploring the top services available and discussing their features, benefits, and what sets them apart. So, whether you're a content creator, marketer, or simply someone who shares a lot of links, this is the perfect resource to help you find the best URL shortener that suits your needs.

Have you ever copied a link from a website, pasted it on social media or any other platform, and immediately realized how much of an eyesore it was? Well, most links are absurdly long and feel hefty. 

This is why URL shorteners exist. As the name suggests, URL shorteners make long URLs shorter and more user-friendly. Interestingly, they shorten the URLs and still lead you to the same pages.  

You copy the long URL, paste it into the shortener in the provided field, activate the “shorten URL” button, copy the generated URL and paste it to a destination of your choice. 

Multiple link shorteners are available on a free or paid version in the market, but they do the same job. Let's dive into finding the best URL shortener for your need.

1.  They Make your URLs Shareable 

Don’t underestimate shareable content. Shorter URLs are easier to share compared to long ones. When you post content, you expect your audience to share it.  

While some people use the share buttons to share content with friends and other interested parties, others will simply copy and paste the URL. Make sharing easy by making your URLs less bulky. 

2.  Higher CTR

People prefer to interact with shorter links to long ones. Short links are more attractive and will motivate the users to click, increasing the click-through rate. 

3.  It Increases User Trust 

Ridiculously long URLs with many characters usually appear spammy. If your target audience comes from long URLs, they will likely ignore them. 

You can increase user trust in your URLs by shortening them. The best & free URL shorteners make your URLs clean, readable, and less confusing. Users can also easily tell what your page is about with fewer characters through keywords included in the characters. 

4.   Analytical Data 

Another outstanding benefit of a URL shorteners is that most of them give users valuable analytical data on your links.  

Tracking different link metrics goes a long way in identifying engagement patterns that can help you point out what your audience wants. Some metrics include follows, shares, comments, and likes, whose data can help your digital marketing team develop strategies that will work for you.  

5.   Shorter URLs Are Easy to Replicate 

While most users will leverage the copy-and-paste features, in some situations, they may have to type the URL into a message, especially if they want to share it using a different device from the one they are reading from. 

It is less frustrating, and you are less likely to make errors when typing a short URL.  

Here are some of the free/best URL shorteners that you should pick in 2023.

1. Bitly

it is listed as one of the most popular, easy-to-use free URL shorteners because it is a business-grade and full-service software ideal for large businesses that share many links. The Bitly link software is also suitable for small-scale users, and one of the reasons that make it so popular is that you don’t need to create an account if you use it to shorten links once in a while. 

Bitly has additional analytics features that allow you to monitor and track top referrers, click locations, shares, and link clicks, to mention a few. This gives you access to valuable data which you can use to refine your marketing strategy.  

When shortening URLs with Bitly, you don’t have to worry about the interference of third parties who may redirect your visitors. This is because links created are encrypted using HTTPS to prevent interception by third parties.  Bitly Link shortener's free version comes with the possibility to shorten your links, but the paid version has more advanced options. 

2. URL1.io

Best URL Shortener Services - Best Free Link Shortener List

URL1.io is a user-friendly platform that provides a range of valuable services, including a URL shortener, QR code generator, UTM builder, URL decoder, and URL encoder. These comprehensive tools help streamline your link management process but also aid in tracking and analyzing your online marketing efforts. With URL1.io, you can easily create custom, trackable short links, generate QR codes for offline sharing, build UTM parameters for campaign tracking, and effortlessly encode or decode URLs for a smoother browsing experience.

3. TinyURL

Tiny URL shortener helps you to shorten long URLs into useable and manageable links. It came with URL shortener free and paid plans with additional features like URL editing, link tagging, and unlimited tracking, to mention a few.  

The shortening process is straight forward; you must paste your URL in the TinyURL box, click on the “Make TinyURL” button, and get your alias. The best part is you can do all this without even registering. 

You can also get detailed stats on the URLs you have shortened. TinyURL will be ideal if you want a tool to shorten your links fast and help you create branded and customized links. 

4. Rebrandly

Rebrandly is loved for its advanced URL-shortening technology and multiple outstanding features. The tool will not disappoint you whether you want to create branded or short links. 

Most people use the URL shortener also to build and share links across different social platforms. You can also use the tool to create separate teams and workspaces for link building and sharing. 

Additional features digital marketers particularly enjoy are, link retargeting support, click tracking, creation of bulk links, and custom reports. The tool can also be integrated with over 100 applications.  

Rebrandly also comes with different plans to suit your link management needs. The link shortener free plan includes 500 links and 5000 clicks tracking a month. The paid plans come with additional features and support. 

5. ClickMeter

ClickMeter is valuable to agencies and advertisers as a click-rate optimizer. Also, it is one of the most popular URL shorteners in the market. While the tool’s primary use is to optimize click rates, it does a great job in URL shortening. The benefit of using ClickMeter as a URL shortener is the additional features that can take your digital marketing efforts to the next level.  

We are talking about Google Analytics, link tracking, geotargeting and device-based targeting, and clone links. 

If you are a webmaster, ClickMeter will work well for you as you can integrate the tool with various content management systems like Shopify and WordPress. It also features a dashboard that provides you with detailed reports. 

6. Sniply.io

It is not just a URL shrinker. However, it also helps you design CTA (Call-to-Action) blocks and use them in your websites, social media, and blog posts. When it comes to shortening URLs, this tool provides a lot of customization options. It provides you with the ability to track and engage with your followers when you share a specific URL. 

The dashboard helps you keep track of how your followers or readers interact with your customized and shortened URLs. It lets you monitor link analytics metrics, such as link clicks, conversion rates, etc. 

When you use Sniply, you do not have to worry about how your links are performing. The reason is the Link Analytics feature does it all for you. It provides you with information, such as time spent on each link, interactions with customer CTAs, etc., helping you engage your audience in a better way. 

Pricing 

You can subscribe to one of the following five pricing plans: 

  • Free: Free forever
  • Basic: $29/month
  • Pro: $79/month
  • Business: $149/month
  • Agency: $299/month

7. JotURL

You can think of JotURL more as a feature-packed marketing tool rather than a URL shortener. This tool helps you elevate your brand by optimizing your marketing campaign links that have the capability to drive more leads and boost your revenue. 

Not only does this tool allow you to compress long URLs and create branded ones, but it also helps you track your links to gauge their performance. The conversion tracking feature lets you track your sales and conversions across all your channels. You can even filter and optimize marketing campaigns using urchin tracking modules (UTMs). JotURL provides a Parameter Builder to create UTMs. 

The dashboard makes it easy for you to view all your analytics in a single place. Moreover, this tool enables you to create social media landing pages optimized for mobile devices using the InstaURL feature. 

Pricing

JotURL is available only in one edition, i.e., Pro. It charges you €55/ month. 

8. BL.INK

This tool is also not a simple URL shortener; Instead, it is an enterprise-grade link management platform where you can monitor, measure, and manage the engagement of every customer through your links. It comes with a beginner-friendly dashboard that helps you track link activity. 

With SMS and Short Links feature, this tool helps businesses successfully run their marketing and transactional messaging campaigns. Also, you can check the traffic coming to your links based on geographic location, device type, date, language, and many other parameters.

The Analytics feature helps you optimize link performance using BLINK reports. In addition, you can integrate BLINK with other tools that you already use. User permissions let you to allow specific members to use this tool. Finally, this tool encourages teams to automate, streamline, and solve any complex linking issues.  

Pricing

BL.INK offers five different pricing editions, as follows: 

  • Expert+: $48/month
  • SMB: $99/month 
  • Team: $299/month 
  • Business: $599/month 
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing 

9. T2M

Shortening URLs with T2M is just one mouse click away. It can transform any length of URLs into short ones and track each click based on an hour, month, daily, or year. If you are looking for an affordable option for branded link management, this tool is an ideal choice. From link management and branding and APIs to detailed analytics and campaigning and bulk actions, it is an all-in-one platform. 

Under URL management, you can take advantage of various features, including personalized and editor short URLs, a dashboard, a plethora of options for short URLs, one-click social share, URL expiration, branded and dynamic QR codes, and password protection. 

Furthermore, you can find detailed reports of your personalized short links. The campaign management feature helps you categorize URLs with campaigns, provides the analytics report for each campaign, and supports importing, updating, and downloading bulk URLs. 

In addition, you get a free SSL certificate, multiple domains, multiple API keys, branded custom domains, and a custom SSL certificate. 

Pricing

T2M provides five different pricing options, as follows: 

  • Basic: $5 one-time
  • Standard: $9.99/month
  • Pro: $29.99/month
  • Premium: $89.99/month
  • Dedicated: Contact sales 

10. Tiny.cc

Tiny.cc is a free tool that helps you shorten URLs that are email-friendly. You can use those shortened links on blogs, forums, ad campaigns, social networks, and instant messages. Along with shortening URLs, this tool assists you in tracking the progress of each URL. Simply click on Statistics and get interactive charts that represent the number of trace uniques and returning clicks, a visitor’s country, a browser used, and much other information. 

You can edit and delete any URL anytime. Also, you can find a complete link history using tools available to filter, manage, tag, share, and search URLs. With Tiny.cc, you can generate free QR codes. 

Pricing

Tiny.cc offers two pricing options, namely free and premium. 

  • Free: Supports up to 500 URLs. 
  • Premium: Starts at $5 per month. 

11. Short.io

Short.io is a tool that lets you shorten, customize, and share your fully branded URLs. In addition to this, you can keep track of every URL that you shorten using this tool. You get detailed insights into a visitor’s location, browser, top links, etc. It also provides real-time clickstream records. These records help you track different metrics, including status code, method, the user agent of every click, and referrer for every shortened link. 

More interestingly, you can add a URL shortener to your existing or currently developing applications through Short.io’s API. With just a single account, you can leverage multiple domains and subdomains. You can even provide separate settings and the feature of tracking the audience for every domain. 

UTM tags help you track and monitor the performance of every marketing campaign. Link retargeting and deep linking are two other advanced features of Short.io. 

Pricing

The following are the four pricing editions of Short.io:

  • Free: Free forever
  • Personal: $15.75/month
  • Team: $42.40/month
  • Enterprise: $121.15/month 

Integrating Offline Sharing with URL Shorteners Learn how some URL shorteners incorporate QR code generation, allowing you to share your links seamlessly across both online and offline channels. This feature helps you reach a wider audience and provides an added level of convenience for users. Understand the benefits of QR codes and how they can enhance your link sharing experience.

Enhancing Your Marketing Efforts with URL Shorteners Explore the role of UTM builders in URL shorteners and how they help you track your marketing campaigns more effectively. By adding UTM parameters to your links, you can gather data about the source, medium, and campaign, enabling you to refine your marketing strategies and make data-driven decisions. Learn how to utilize UTM builders and make the most of your URL shortener.

What You Need to Know Uncover the impact of URL shorteners on search engine optimization (SEO) and learn why using shortened links can actually help maintain or improve your website's search rankings. Understand how URL shorteners use 301 redirects to preserve your link's SEO value, ensuring that your online presence remains strong.

Factors to Consider for Your Needs Receive guidance on how to select the perfect URL shortener that caters to your specific requirements. We'll walk you through the key factors to consider, such as customization options, analytics features, platform integrations, and more. By evaluating these factors, you can confidently choose a URL shortener that not only meets your needs but also enhances your overall link management experience. With the right tool in hand, you'll be able to streamline your online presence, improve user engagement, and optimize your marketing efforts, ultimately leading to increased success in the digital realm.

Long URLs are not appealing and can limit your digital marketing strategy. These URL shorteners lists provide an easy and cost-effective way to create cleaner, memorable, and user-friendly URLs. 

Top URL shorteners are not created the same and come with different features. To pick the right software, identify your link management needs and choose a shortener that will meet your functionality. Ease of use and analytics features are some of the essential elements to keep in mind.

People also read: 

A URL shortener is an online service that takes a long URL and converts it into a shorter, more manageable link. This shortened link redirects users to the original long URL when clicked.

URL shorteners are useful for several reasons, including: Making long URLs more shareable and aesthetically pleasing. Simplifying links for easy memorization or display. Tracking user engagement with detailed analytics. Integrating with social media and marketing platforms.

While most URL shorteners are safe, some malicious actors may use them to disguise harmful links. To stay safe, only click on shortened links from trusted sources and consider using a link scanner or URL expander to preview the destination before clicking.

Using a URL shortener should not negatively impact your SEO, as most services use 301 redirects, which tell search engines that the link has permanently moved. This maintains the link's SEO value while providing a more user-friendly URL.

Susith Nonis

Susith Nonis

I'm fascinated by the IT world and how the 1's and 0's work. While I venture into the world of Technology, I try to share what I know in the simplest way with you. Not a fan of coffee, a travel addict, and a self-accredited 'master chef'.

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