The best URL shortener depends on what you need free
Five providers, one table, no plan left out because it makes a competitor look better. Numbers below are read from each vendor's own pricing page.
Free plans, side by side
Every figure below is what the provider itself publishes for its no-cost tier. Where a provider does not publish an exact number, that cell says so instead of guessing.
| Links / month | Custom domains | Tracked clicks | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short.io | 1,000 branded links | 5 custom domains | 50,000 tracked clicks / month | pricing page |
| Planck (Free) | 10 | 0 | Not metered separately | Live plan record |
| Rebrandly | 10 links / month | 1 (plus a rebrand.ly domain) | Unlimited clicks and QR scans | pricing page |
| TinyURL | Not published for the free tier | Not published for the free tier | Unlimited tracked clicks (paid tiers) | pricing page |
| Bitly | Not published for the free tier | Not published for the free tier | Not published for the free tier | pricing page |
The honest ranking, by free-plan allowance
- Short.io — largest published free plan of the five: 1,000 branded links, 5 custom domains, 50,000 tracked clicks a month, at $0.
- Rebrandly — smaller link allowance (10/month) but unlimited clicks and QR scans, plus one custom domain on the free tier.
- Bitly and TinyURL — both run a free tier, but neither publishes an exact link, domain or click number for it on their pricing page as of 2026-09-20; check their signup flow directly for current limits.
- Planck — smallest raw free-tier allowance in this table. What it includes instead: landing pages, retargeting pixels and Spaces bundled in, not sold as separate add-ons.
If your decision is purely "most free links," Short.io wins that comparison outright. If you want more than a shortener without adding more tools, that is a different question, and the rest of this site is the answer we can actually stand behind.
Other comparisons
Planck vs Bitly
Price tiers side by side, and what moves when you switch.
Planck vs TinyURL
What per-link overage costs once you pass the allowance.
Planck vs Rebrandly
Which limits are counted per month and which are included.
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