10 Best Free URL Shorteners in 2026 (Compared Honestly)

Quick answer: For the most free links, unlimited custom names and full click analytics in one place, use Url Jetz. For your own branded domain, Short.io (up to 5 domains free) is strong. For a quick link without an account, TinyURL or is.gd are simplest. Bitly has the smallest free plan: 5 links a month.

Every URL shortener says it's free. Look closer and the free plans are very different: one gives you 5 links a month with no click data, another gives you thousands of links with full analytics. Pick the wrong one and you find out when you hit a limit in the middle of a campaign.

We compared the free plans of 10 popular link shorteners on what actually matters: how many links you get, whether you can choose the name, whether you can see your clicks, and whether you can change a link later.

Disclosure: Url Jetz is our own product, so we've put it first. We've described every tool, including ours, as fairly as we can, using the limits on each company's own pricing pages as of November 2026. Plans change often, so check the provider's site before you commit.

Quick comparison

1. Url Jetz: the most generous free plan

Url Jetz doesn't have paid tiers: everything is on the free plan. You get up to 10,000 short links (500 new links a day), unlimited custom aliases and a choice of several short domains for every link.

What you get free:

• Custom names like urljetz.com/summer-sale, with no monthly cap
• Real-time analytics: clicks, unique visitors, countries, devices, browsers, operating systems and referrers, with bots filtered out
• Edit where a link points at any time, plus expiry dates, click limits and country targeting
• A QR code for every link and bulk shortening of up to 100 links at once
• Up to 5 Link in Bio pages with themes, image buttons and their own analytics
• Image Card links that show your own picture and title when shared on social media
• A REST API with your own key
• Shorten up to 50 links a day without an account

Watch out for: you can't connect your own custom domain on the free plan; you choose from the short domains Url Jetz provides. It's also a newer service than Bitly or TinyURL.

Best for: creators, small businesses and marketers who want custom names, analytics and Link in Bio without paying. See everything that's included.

2. Short.io: best for branded domains

Short.io's free plan is built around your own domain. It includes 1,000 branded links, up to 5 custom domains and 50,000 tracked clicks a month, plus QR codes, an API and editable destinations.

Watch out for: the 1,000 links are a lifetime total, not a monthly allowance. Once they're used, you'll need a paid plan (from $5 a month) to create more. You also need to own a domain and set up DNS.

Best for: businesses that already have a short branded domain.

3. Dub: best for developers

Dub is open source and developer-friendly. The free plan includes 25 new links a month, 1,000 tracked events a month with 30 days of history, up to 3 custom domains, QR codes and API access.

Watch out for: 25 links a month runs out fast, and analytics older than 30 days aren't kept on the free plan.

Best for: developers and startups who want a clean API and their own domain.

4. Cuttly: detailed charts on a small plan

Cuttly's free plan gives 30 short links and 3 custom back-halves a month, one branded domain and 30 days of analytics with device, OS, browser, referrer, country and language charts. There's also a small Link in Bio page (1 page with 5 links).

Watch out for: only 3 custom names a month, and bot filtering is a paid feature, so automated clicks are counted on the free plan.

Best for: people who create a few links a month and like detailed charts.

5. TinyURL: simple links that never expire

TinyURL is one of the oldest shorteners. You can shorten a link without an account, choose a custom alias, and free links never expire. The free plan allows 30 links a month.

Watch out for: there are no click analytics on the free plan, and free links can't be edited or deleted. Paid plans start at $9 a month (billed yearly).

Best for: quick, permanent links when you don't need numbers.

6. Rebrandly: a branded domain on the free plan

Rebrandly's free plan includes 10 links a month and one custom domain, plus a UTM builder and API access. Free QR codes are limited and carry a watermark.

Watch out for: detailed click data stops at 100 clicks a month; after that you only see totals and country.

Best for: brands that want their own domain on a handful of important links.

7. is.gd: no account, no fuss

is.gd is a free, no-registration shortener. You can pick a custom ending (5 to 30 letters, numbers or underscores, case-sensitive) and turn on statistics for a link when you create it.

Watch out for: links can't be edited or deleted, statistics only work if you switched them on at creation, and the service doesn't allow its links in commercial email.

Best for: one-off links when you don't want an account.

8. Bitly: the best-known name, the smallest free plan

Bitly is the biggest brand in link management, with a polished app and browser extensions. Its free plan, however, is the tightest here: 5 links a month, 2 QR codes a month and 3 custom back-halves a month. Clicks are unlimited, but there's no data history on the free plan, and Bitly labels the free plan "With Ads".

Watch out for: you can't change where free links point, and analytics start on Core at $10 a month (billed yearly).

Best for: teams that will pay for a mature platform, or people who only need a few bit.ly links.

9. T.LY: quick links from your browser

T.LY offers a free online shortener and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera and Safari, plus mobile apps. Add a + to the end of a T.LY link to see its public stats.

Watch out for: private analytics, custom domains and the API are on paid plans, which start at $55 a year.

Best for: people who shorten links straight from their browser.

10. YOURLS: free if you host it yourself

YOURLS is a free, open-source shortener you install on your own server (PHP and MySQL). You get custom keywords, click statistics, an API and a large plugin library, all on your own domain with no limits.

Watch out for: you need a server and a domain, and you're responsible for updates, security and backups.

Best for: technical users who want full control.

How to choose a free URL shortener

Ask yourself four questions:

1. How many links do I create each month? If it's more than 30, most free plans are out. Url Jetz and Short.io have the largest allowances.
2. Do I need to see my clicks? TinyURL and Bitly show no analytics on free. Url Jetz, Short.io, Dub and Cuttly do.
3. Do I want custom names? Readable links get more clicks. Check the monthly cap: Bitly and Cuttly allow 3 a month.
4. Do I need my own domain? If yes, look at Short.io, Dub or Rebrandly. If any good short domain will do, Url Jetz gives you several to choose from.

Not sure how analytics work? Read how to track clicks on a link for free, or learn how to create a custom short link.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free URL shortener?

It depends on what you need. For the most free links, custom names and analytics in one place, Url Jetz gives the most on its free plan. For your own branded domain, Short.io is strong. For no-account one-off links, TinyURL and is.gd are simple.

Which URL shortener has no limits?

No hosted service is completely unlimited, but limits vary hugely, from 5 links a month (Bitly) to thousands (Url Jetz, Short.io). Self-hosted YOURLS has no limits beyond your own server.

Is Bitly still free?

Yes, Bitly has a free plan, but it's limited to 5 links a month with no analytics history. Many people now use a Bitly alternative with a larger free plan.

Do free short links expire?

On most services, including Url Jetz, TinyURL and Bitly, free links don't expire. Always check the terms, and avoid services that delete links after a period of inactivity if you print your links.

Are free URL shorteners safe?

Reputable shorteners are safe to use. Choose one that blocks malicious links, lets people report abuse, and doesn't collect more visitor data than it needs. Url Jetz never stores raw visitor IP addresses.