Bitly charges $35 a month for a feature most teams use ten times a year. We compared every URL shortener with click analytics in 2026.
Cost, analytics depth and API access across the URL shorteners worth considering.
| Tool | Starting price | Custom slugs | Click analytics | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dranco.ukOur pick | £0 then £9/mo Pro | ✓ | ✓ Country, referrer, device | Marketers, solo devs, indie SaaS |
| Bitly | $35/mo | Paid only | Basic | Enterprises locked in |
| Rebrandly | $29/mo | ✓ | Decent | Agencies managing many client domains |
| Short.io | $20/mo | ✓ | ✓ | Solo creators and small teams |
| TinyURL Pro | $9.99/mo | ✓ | Basic | People who recognise the brand |
Bitly invented the category. Free tier was strong, then they nerfed it in 2024. Paid pricing has crept up while the product has stagnated.
Once the default. Now hard to recommend. Free tier hobbled, paid tier expensive, product not improving.
Rebrandly leans into custom branded domains. If you need links on your own domain at scale, the workflow is solid.
Better than Bitly for branded links. Overkill for solo or small teams.
Short.io is the closest competitor to dranco.uk on price. Decent feature set, no UK presence.
Genuine alternative. Slightly more expensive than dranco.uk and priced in USD.
TinyURL was the original free URL shortener. The Pro tier adds analytics and custom slugs.
Functional. Analytics are basic. UI feels dated.
Decision tree for picking a URL shortener in 2026:
A URL shortener is a redirect with analytics on top. There is no reason it should cost $35 a month in 2026.
Short links with full click analytics. Free tier with 500 links a month. No credit card required.
See pricing Get started free