Short.io alternative
Branded links without the configuration surface.
Everything most teams need — branded domains, QR codes, real-time analytics, password protection — and very little they do not. Try the shortener here before creating an account.
Free to try, no account needed.
- Analytics and QR codes free, not metered
- One paid tier rather than stacked add-ons
- Custom domains with a single DNS record
- Password protection and expiry built in
- Link-in-bio pages included
- No per-click billing to forecast
No click metering
A successful campaign should not produce a surprise invoice. Shortly does not bill by click volume, so a link that performs well costs the same as one that does not.
Less to configure
Fewer routing rules, integrations, and toggles to reason about. Create a link, share it, read the numbers — the common path is short by design.
Analytics on the free plan
Real-time clicks with location, device, browser, and referrer are part of the free plan rather than a paid upgrade.
Getting started
Shorten a link
Use the tool above — no account, no card. Add a custom alias if you want a readable slug.
Create a free account
Keep your links in a dashboard, review analytics over time, and edit destinations whenever you need to.
Add a domain when ready
On the paid plan, connect your own domain with one DNS record so every link carries your brand.
Shortly's plans
What each Shortly plan covers. We do not reproduce other vendors' feature matrices here because they change often and a stale table helps nobody — check their pricing page directly.
| Free | Paid | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited short links | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time click analytics | Yes | Yes |
| QR code per link | Yes | Yes |
| Custom alias | Yes | Yes |
| Link-in-bio page | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain | No | Yes |
| Password-protected links | No | Yes |
| Link expiry | No | Yes |
| Billed per click | No | No |
Simple is a trade-off, not a feature
Shortly covers the common path well and does not attempt to cover every path. There is no deep-linking configuration for mobile apps, no complex geo or device routing engine, no marketplace of integrations, and no SSO.
If your work depends on any of those, a more configurable tool is genuinely the better choice, and it is worth finding that out before you migrate rather than after.
If your links mostly need to be short, branded, measurable, and occasionally protected — which describes most marketing and small-team use — then a smaller surface means less to set up, less to maintain, and less to explain to whoever picks it up next.
Short.io alternative FAQ
Is Shortly free?
Yes. Unlimited links, click analytics, QR codes, and a link-in-bio page are on the free plan. Custom domains, password protection, and expiry are on the paid plan.
Do you charge per click?
No. Pricing does not scale with click volume, so a campaign that performs well does not cost more.
Can I use my own domain?
Yes, on the paid plan, verified with a single DNS record.
Do you support device or geo-based routing?
No. Shortly does not offer rule-based routing by device or location. If that is central to your use case, a more configurable tool is a better fit.
Is there an API?
Yes — a GraphQL API for creating and managing links programmatically.
Do you offer SSO?
No. There is no SSO or role-based access control.
Try it now
Fewer settings, the same short links.
Shorten a link above and see whether the simple version covers what you actually do.