As information sharing on the internet becomes increasingly important, using URL shorteners allows for more efficient link sharing. With a shortened URL, long web addresses can be made concise and easy to use. This makes it possible to utilize limited space effectively, such as in social media posts or the body of an email.
In addition, URL shorteners play a key role in brand promotion and marketing activities. With useful features such as analytics and customizable links, URL shorteners offer more than just shorter links. In this article, we introduce recommended URL shortening services that make the most of these advantages.
Table of Contents
- What Is a URL Shortener?
- Benefits of Using URL Shorteners
- Precautions When Using URL Shorteners
- Recommended URL Shortening Services
- Conclusion
What Is a URL Shortener?
A “URL shortener” is a technology that converts a long URL into a shorter one. By entering a link into an online URL shortening service, a shorter version of the URL is generated. When someone accesses the shortened URL, they are automatically redirected to the original, longer URL.
In the latter part of this article, we will explain how to create shortened URLs and introduce recommended URL shortening services.
Benefits of Using URL Shorteners
Using a URL shortener not only makes links look cleaner and more concise but also offers several additional benefits:
Easier Link Sharing
Shortened URLs are convenient for sharing via email, blogs, or social media. They are especially useful on platforms with character limits, such as X (formerly Twitter).
Customizable URLs
When shortened, a link might look like https://aaa.com/bbb. The “bbb” part is usually a random string of characters, but some URL shortening services allow you to customize it. By replacing it with a meaningful word or phrase, you can create a more user-friendly and memorable link.
QR Code Generation
Many URL shortening services also generate QR codes at the same time as shortened links. By sharing both the short URL and its QR code, you can make your content even more accessible to a wider audience.
Tracking and Analytics
Some URL shorteners provide analytics in addition to shortening. These features may include click counts, user location, and device information. With this data, you can measure the effectiveness of your links, analyze your target audience, and refine your email or social media marketing strategies.
Effective Branding with Custom Domains
Certain services allow you to use your own custom domain for shortened links. A branded short domain not only makes your links look more professional but also reinforces your company’s brand identity.
As described above, URL shorteners not only make links shorter and easier to share but also serve as effective tools for marketing and promotion.
Precautions When Using URL Shorteners
While URL shorteners are convenient, there are also important precautions to keep in mind. Because a shortened link does not reveal the original URL, it can be misused for phishing scams or spreading malware. For this reason, it is essential to choose a trustworthy URL shortening service.
Additionally, even if you did not create the link yourself, be cautious when clicking on shortened URLs found on websites, blogs, emails, or social media.
Recommended URL Shortening Services
Google once offered its own URL shortening service (goo.gl), but the ability to create new shortened URLs was discontinued in March 2019. It has also been announced that the service will be fully shut down on August 25, 2025.
Let’s take a look at URL shortening services that are available outside of Google.
Bitly
| Domain | bit.ly |
| Account Registration | Required |
| QR Code Generation | Yes |
| Custom Domain | Available with paid plans |
| Browser Extensions | Chrome, Firefox |
Launched in 2008, Bitly is a widely used URL shortening service with millions of users around the world. The shortened URLs use the domain bit.ly. In addition to creating short links, Bitly also allows you to generate QR codes and landing pages. It further provides features such as analytics and campaign management. An account is required to use the service.
Free and Paid Plans
With the free plan, you can create up to 10 links per month, 2 QR codes per month, and 1 landing page. Paid plans remove these limitations and provide access to more advanced analytics as well as the ability to use a custom domain.
TinyURL
| Domain | tinyurl.com |
| Account Registration | Not required for basic URL shortening. With an account, you can use features such as custom domains. |
| QR Code Generation | Yes |
| Custom Domain | Available with paid plans |
| Browser Extensions | Unknown |
Launched in 2002 by Kevin Gilbertson, TinyURL is one of the oldest and most established URL shortening services, with a long history and a large user base worldwide. It is known for its simple, user-friendly interface.
Free and Paid Plans
With the free plan, you can create up to 100 shortened URLs per month. If you only need to shorten URLs, no account registration is required. The free plan also allows you to generate QR codes and set a custom alias (the “xxxx” part in https://tinyurl.com/xxxx).
Paid plans increase the number of URLs you can create and provide access to advanced analytics as well as the ability to use a custom domain.
Short.io
| Domain | short.gy |
| Account Registration | Required |
| QR Code Generation | Yes |
| Custom Domain | Available with paid plans |
| Browser Extensions | Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox |
Short.io is a service that allows you to create shortened URLs using your own custom domain. Even with the free plan, you can use a custom domain. The service also emphasizes privacy protection, including GDPR compliance, making it a reliable option.
Free and Paid Plans
With the free plan, there are certain limitations such as one user account and up to 1,000 shortened links. However, you can still use a custom domain as well as up to five branded subdomains.
Paid plans relax these restrictions and provide greater flexibility.
Rebrandly
| Domain | rebrand.ly |
| Account Registration | Required |
| QR Code Generation | Yes |
| Custom Domain | Available with free plan |
| Browser Extensions | Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, |
Rebrandly is a URL shortening service operated by Zoho. It was launched in 2013, and even with the free plan, you can use your own custom domain.
Free and Paid Plans
With the free plan, you can use one custom domain. You can create up to 10 shortened URLs or QR codes per month, and track statistics for up to 100 clicks per month.
Paid plans allow you to create more short links and access more advanced analytics features.
cuttly
| Domain | cutt.ly |
| Account Registration | Required |
| QR Code Generation | Yes |
| Custom Domain | Available with free plan |
| Browser Extensions | No |
Cuttly is a URL shortening service that allows you to use your own custom domain even with the free plan.
In addition to shortened URLs, it also offers a “Link in Bio” feature, which lets you easily create a profile page using templates.
Free and Paid Plans
With the free plan, there are limitations such as up to 30 links per month, but you can still use one custom domain.
X.gd
| Domain | x.gd |
| Account Registration | Not required |
| QR Code Generation | Yes |
| Custom Domain | No |
| Browser Extensions | Chrome |
X.gd is a simple URL shortening service. It does not offer paid plans or support for custom domains, but you can create shortened URLs without registration. It also allows you to generate QR codes and check basic statistics.
By enabling the “cushion page” setting, users who click a shortened link can view the destination URL and a preview before proceeding.
Conclusion
In this article, we introduced the benefits of URL shorteners and highlighted some recommended services. URL shorteners are highly useful tools for information sharing and marketing activities, helping to make link sharing more effective.
By using a URL shortener, you can create cleaner, more concise links, promote your brand, and track analytics to better understand your audience.
