5 Best URL Shorteners of 2023 For Customized & Free Links

By Jinsen John | Last Updated on April 2nd, 2023 9:39 am

A URL is the primary means of navigating between website pages, however, they have been becoming increasingly complex and long, as more subdomains, subdirectories and tracking codes are being added to it.

If you create a website, URL shorteners can turn out to be very useful apps as they allow you to decrease the length of your website’s address, making it easier to share. These apps help you convert a long and complex URL into a short and manageable link. In this blog, we’re going to explore some of the best URL shorteners that you can use for sharing links easily, and moreover, can be integrated with other apps using Appy Pie Connect.

Appy Pie Connect is a popular integration software, that allows you to sync and connect two applications and have them share data with each other automatically. Have a look at Connect, if you want to explore its unique features.

List of the Top 5 URL Shortener Websites

Now that we’ve answered the question – what are URL shorteners – let’s check out which of these are the most popular ones that you can use on a regular basis.

1. Bitly

Perhaps the best free URL shortener in this list is Bitly. Not only is it free, but also quite easy to use and understand. Users can access customizable back-half links with link history and reporting capabilities in the free version. For premium users, the platform offers branded links, bulk URL shortening, QR codes, a UTM builder and lots more.

It also provides comprehensive analytics on link performance metrics such as device types, demographics of link users, and more on its dashboard. The best part is that you can create links directly from other business tools that you might use via the Bitly integrations on Appy Pie Connect.

Integrate Bitly with other apps

2. Rebrandly

The next entry in this list of URL shorteners is Rebrandly. It is a popular link management platform that allows users to create branded links using a custom domain name. These links can be tracked and used to enhance brand visibility by enabling users to place their brand names on each link.

On Rebrandly, users can access the UTM builder, enjoy GDPR privacy, build custom reports for improving marketing strategies and campaigns, and even add business logos to reports. Furthermore, Rebrandly can be easily integrated into an existing marketing stack, using the Rebrandly integrations on Appy Pie Connect.

Integrate Rebrandly with other apps

3. Short.io (formerly Short.cm)

Short.io is perhaps the best URL shortener for affiliate links. It is better, offers more features and is quite advanced too! It enables users to target website or app visitors based on their locations, or the devices they use. This is a useful strategy to ensure users in different countries receive the right kind of link, suitable for their location or region.

Short.io is an excellent URL shortener, and its versatile features have made it a very popular option for many. Apart from that, there are plenty of Short.io integrations with Appy Pie Connect, which means that you can create short links directly from any other application or software you might use.

Integrate Short.io with other apps

4. Sniply

Sniply is a URL shortener best known for its feature that allows users to add a CTA button over any link they share. Depending on the subscription plan you opt for, you can make text, forms, and even image CTAs for a link on Sniply. Apart from that users can also access URL shortening and click-tracking details for the links they share.

Being a marketing service, it is slightly more expensive than other software, however, you can expand its capabilities significantly with the help of Sniply integrations on Appy Pie Connect.

Integrate Sniply with other apps

5. Google URL Shortener

The Google URL Shortener used to be a full-fledged free website to shorten URL, which also allowed users to keep an eye on the traffic coming from each link. It has now been merged with Firebase Dynamic Links. Its dashboard displays the most trending links and their associated statistics, with a dedicated analytics tab that lets you analyze the traffic based on the device, location, and other parameters.

If you are a regular user of the Google URL shortener website, then you can easily use the Google URL shortener integrations to link it with any app or software that you might use, with the help of Appy Pie Connect.

Integrate Google URL Shortener with other apps

Conclusion

Now that you’ve got the answer to the question – how do URL shorteners work – and also explored some of the most popular ones, we believe you’re now in a better position to select the right kind of app or website for your needs and requirements. Moreover, all these applications can be easily integrated into other apps with Appy Pie Connect. You can seamlessly integrate and sync thousands of popular applications and software with each other using Connect. If you haven’t yet begun using it, now is the right time to do so.