Best Link Shorteners in 2026: 7 Tools Compared
Choosing a link shortener used to be simple. Now the category has expanded significantly: some tools focus on pure URL shortening, others add deep linking for mobile apps, and others are built for developer automation. The right choice depends on what you actually need.
This comparison scores 7 of the most popular options across six criteria: deep linking, branded domains, analytics, pricing, API quality, and QR codes.
Pricing and deep-linking details for Bitly, Short.io, Dub.co and Rebrandly were re-checked against their own sites in September 2026. Other details date from May 2026.
Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Deep linking | Branded domains | QR codes | API | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codelloy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Full REST | 20 links / mo |
| Bitly | ✓ (Premium plan) | ✓ | ✓ | Full REST | 5 links / mo |
| Short.io | ✓ (Team plan) | ✓ | ✓ | Full REST | 1,000 links total |
| Rebrandly | ✓ (paid) | ✓ | ✓ | Full REST | Limited |
| Dub.co | ✓ (Pro plan) | ✓ | ✓ | Full REST | 25 links / mo |
| TinyURL | ✗ | Paid only | Paid only | Limited | Yes |
| Branch.io | ✓ | ✓ | Paid add-on | Full REST | No |
Bitly, Short.io, Rebrandly, Dub.co and Branch.io all document mobile deep linking. They differ in how they open your app. Bitly, Short.io and Dub.co turn links on a domain you set up for your app into Universal Links and App Links, which takes set-up in your app, and Bitly also needs its SDK. Codelloy opens your app through its custom URL scheme or an Android intent, with no SDK.
$ per 1,000 links / month
This chart ranks the paid plans that publish a monthly link allowance by price per 1,000 links. It leaves out plans with unlimited links, such as Short.io Pro, which is cheaper still for high-volume shortening:
| Vendor / tier | Monthly price | Links / month | $ / 1K links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codelloy Business | €199 | 100,000 / month | $2.32 |
| Codelloy Pro | €49 | 10,000 / month | $5.70 |
| Dub Advanced | $300 | 50,000 / month | $6.00 |
| Dub Business | $90 | 10,000 / month | $9.00 |
| Rebrandly Growth | $99 | 3,500 / month | $28.29 |
| Dub Pro | $30 | 1,000 / month | $30.00 |
| Rebrandly Essentials | $11 | 250 / month | $44.00 |
| Bitly Growth | $29 (billed yearly) | 500 / month | $58.00 |
| Bitly Premium | $199 (billed yearly) | 3,000 / month | $66.33 |
Excludes unlimited-link plans, contact-sales tiers, and free tiers (can't rank $0 / X on a $-per-link basis). Pricing verified May 2026; see Codelloy's pricing page for the live source of truth.
Codelloy BUSINESS at €199 a month buys 100,000 smart links — about $2.32 per 1,000 links. The closest paid competitor at that allowance is Dub Advanced at $300/month with 50,000 links, putting it at $6 per 1,000 links. Bitly Premium and Rebrandly Growth round out the table at substantially higher per-link rates.
1. Codelloy — Best for Mobile App Teams
Best for: Teams with iOS/Android apps that need smart links, deep linking, and detailed click analytics.
Codelloy is built around deep links that need no SDK in your app. When a user clicks a Codelloy link, it detects their device and routes them to the right destination: your app through its custom URL scheme or an Android intent, the App Store, Google Play, or a web fallback.
Standout features:
- Deep links with no SDK: your app's custom URL scheme on iOS, an Android intent on Android
- Link-level click analytics (clicks, unique visitors, device, geo, referrers)
- Branded custom domains
- Dynamic QR codes with analytics
- Bulk link creation via REST API
- Free tier available
Limitations:
- Newer platform with less brand recognition than Bitly
- No built-in mobile attribution or conversion tracking (focused on link analytics)
- Not Universal Links or App Links, and no deferred deep linking yet (it's on our roadmap)
Pricing: Free tier with 20 smart links / month. PRO at €49/month for 10,000 links, BUSINESS at €199/month for 100,000 links. ENTERPRISE via contact sales.
2. Bitly — Best Brand Recognition
Best for: Marketing teams that want a well-known short-link brand, and app teams that want Universal Links and App Links on their own domain.
Bitly is the most recognized link shortener in the world. bit.ly links have universal trust, and Bitly's infrastructure is rock-solid. For teams that only share web links and need basic click analytics, it's a perfectly capable tool.
Deep linking: Bitly makes the links on a custom domain Universal Links and Android App Links, which takes its Premium plan or above and the Bitly SDK in your app. It can also give a single link a custom-scheme deep link, which needs no SDK.
Pricing: The free plan includes 5 links a month and no custom domain. Growth is $29 a month billed yearly ($35 monthly) for 500 links, and Premium is $199 a month billed yearly ($300 monthly) for 3,000 links, with mobile deep linking (Bitly pricing).
Compare: Bitly alternative
3. Short.io — Best for High-Volume URL Shortening
Best for: Teams that need to create a large volume of branded links with basic analytics.
Short.io has competitive pricing at high volume and a clean interface. It supports custom domains and offers a solid REST API for bulk link creation. Its analytics cover the basics: clicks, geography, device, and referrer.
Deep linking: from the Team plan, Short.io makes links on your short domain Universal Links and App Links, after you add the domain to your app's configuration. QR codes come with every plan.
Pricing: The free plan includes 1,000 branded links in total. Pro is $18 a month with unlimited links made in the dashboard (API and bulk creation: 10,000 a year), and Team, which adds deep links, is $48 a month (Short.io pricing).
Compare: Short.io alternative
4. Rebrandly — Best for Brand-Focused Teams
Best for: Agencies and brand teams that manage many custom domains and need a clean link management dashboard.
Rebrandly has excellent multi-domain support and good team features. It's built for brand managers who need tight control over link appearance and organization.
Deep linking: Rebrandly documents mobile deep linking as a paid feature that opens iOS and Android apps, with an app store, landing page or mobile web fallback.
Pricing: Essentials at $11/month for 250 links; Growth at $99/month for 3,500 links. Mid-tier value, about a third of Codelloy Pro's link cap at twice the price.
5. Dub.co — Best Open-Source Option
Best for: Developer teams that want an open-source, self-hostable link shortener with a modern API.
Dub.co is open source and developer-first. The API is well-designed, documentation is excellent, and the hosted version has a generous free tier. It's a strong choice for developers building link management into their own products.
Deep linking: from the Pro plan, Dub.co makes links on your custom domain open your app as Universal Links and App Links, using site-association files you upload to Dub, with an optional mobile SDK. Its docs also cover opening the right screen after someone installs your app.
Pricing: Free plan with 25 links a month. Pro is $30 a month for 1,000 links, Business $90 for 10,000 and Advanced $300 for 50,000 (Dub pricing). Self-hosted is free.
6. TinyURL — Best for Occasional Use
Best for: Individual users or teams that occasionally need a quick short link with no setup.
TinyURL is the original link shortener. It works without creating an account and is instantly recognizable. For one-off use cases, it's the easiest option.
Where TinyURL falls short: No branded domains on the free tier, very basic analytics, no deep linking, limited API. Not suitable for teams or professional marketing use.
Pricing: Free for basic use. Paid plans from $9.99/month for branded domains.
7. Branch.io — Best for Large Enterprise Deep Linking
Best for: Enterprise mobile teams with complex attribution needs and budget for a full MMP platform.
Branch.io is the most mature deep linking platform on the market. It offers advanced attribution, email deep linking, CTV attribution, and broad MMP integrations (Salesforce, Braze, Amplitude). For large organizations already in the Branch ecosystem, it's a comprehensive solution.
Where Branch.io falls short: Pricing requires a sales call for most plans. Setup is complex. No self-serve free tier. Overkill for teams that don't need advanced enterprise attribution.
Pricing: Custom pricing; requires a sales conversation for most plans.
Compare: Branch.io alternative · Branch vs Codelloy head-to-head
How to Choose
You only need web link shortening: Bitly, Short.io, or Dub.co are all solid.
You build mobile apps and need deep linking: most of these can open your app, so compare the route in. Codelloy opens it through the link's custom scheme or an Android intent, on every plan, with no SDK and nothing to host. Bitly can do a custom-scheme link per link without its SDK too, and Bitly, Short.io and Dub.co all support Universal Links and App Links on a domain you set up for your app. Branch.io suits enterprise teams that need advanced MMP features.
You're replacing Firebase Dynamic Links: see our Firebase Dynamic Links alternative page and the migration guide. Codelloy covers deep links with store or web fallbacks, but not deferred deep linking, which is on our roadmap but not yet available.
You're a developer building link management into a product: Dub.co (open source) or Codelloy (deep links without an SDK).
You need the most recognizable short link brand: Bitly.
Summary
The "best" link shortener depends entirely on your use case. For web-only teams, Bitly and Short.io are proven. For mobile app teams, most of these tools can open your app, so the choice comes down to setup and price: Codelloy needs no SDK or site-association files on any plan, Bitly offers SDK-free custom-scheme links as well as SDK-backed Universal Links, and Bitly, Short.io and Dub.co turn links on a domain you set up for your app into Universal Links and App Links. Codelloy doesn't offer Universal Links on its short domain, and deferred deep linking is on our roadmap but not yet available.