5 Best URL shorteners of 2024

Most URLs can be long and contain too many characters, which makes it difficult to share them across social media channels. Long URLs are not easy to remember and can make it difficult to share across various platforms. This is where a free custom URL shortener comes in. It is a free tool that will create a shorter version of the URL link and still redirect you to the website corresponding to the original link. Basically, it’ll make your link shorter and neater to look at. Your new URL can also be customised according to your brand name to create a unique link. So, check out the best free link shortener now!

5 Free Custom URL Shortener

Nowadays no one prefers using long URLs, and a major reason is that it affects the website’s ranking on the search engine. Longer URLs can lower your website ranking, no matter how creative or interesting the content is. But thanks to the free custom URL shortener, that is no longer the case. Users can shorten, customise and edit the lengthy URLs to create a more readable link that doesn’t look too intimidating to the users. The best free link shortener also enables you to easily manage the generated links across different platforms. Some of the top free URL shorteners for you to try in 2024 are as follows:

Serial No.	Top 5 URL shortener
1.	Ow.ly URL shortener
2.	TinyURL
3.	BL.INK
4.	Short.io
5.	Rebrandly

How do short URLs benefit your website?

Many of us have come across long URLs that look like a completely different language. The long URLs don’t make any sense to the readers and can be difficult to understand. It is always better to shorten a long URL which makes it easier for the users to comprehend. Moreover, shorter URLs also have other benefits, such as:

1. Short URLs appear safer- Many people associate longer URLs with spammers and often think that they are not safe to open. On the other hand, a shorter URL appears safer to users and can be achieved with a free custom URL shortener.
2. Neater Page- One of the most important advantages of a short URL is that it appears neater on the screen. A web page link looks better when there are no random numbers and letters in a URL. This is an important factor to consider when posting links on social media, as long URLs take away the focus from the rest of the message.
3. Doesn’t take up space- No matter which platform you post the link to, a longer link is more likely to take up content space. Oftentimes, there is a character limit on your posts and using long URLs may not be ideal. Shorter links prevent this and do not take away the spotlight from your actual content.
4. Easier to remember- There’s no doubt that shorter URLs are easier to remember compared to longer ones. It is easier to reach the target audience with short URLs as they create a more long-lasting impression.

Best free link shortener

1. Ow.ly URL Shortener

Ow.ly is a user-friendly link shortener that is a part of the Hootsuite dashboard. It is one of the best free link shortener tools that allows users to shorten the URLs when composing and planning their posts. It creates links that cannot be tampered with by a third party, and users can easily track the link’s performance on the dashboard.

Benefits:

• Automatically apply tracking parameter to the URL
• SEO-friendly URL that includes the necessary keywords
• Manage all social accounts in one place
• Generates links that can be compressed to share over SMS

2. TinyURL

TinyURL is one of the oldest link shorteners, founded in 2002, and it does what it claims to do. It is a useful tool to shorten URLs that too for free! One of the coolest features of this tool is that if you sign up, you can view the previous history of your shortened links. It also works as a free custom URL shortener that will not only shorten the links but also customise them according to your wish.

Benefits:

• Customise links without logging in
• Users can edit their URLs if there are any changes in websites and need some updates
• Can upgrade to a paid plan for additional features, such as link tracking
• Do not need to sign up to use TinyURL

3. BL.INK

Bl.ink is the best link shortener free of cost. It is a good tool for business owners or for creating social media posts. It will not only turn long URLs into short ones but also help users manage their links and monitor engagement on the links generated. Free account holders can generate upto 1000 links, and if you require a URL shortener that the entire team can access, then BL.INK is what you need.

Benefits:

• The dashboard shows trending links
• Shows traffic on links by device, referrers and location
• Automatically create short links from WordPress posts and spreadsheets
• Shows the exact time the links were clicked on

4. Short.io

Short.io is a URL shortener that allows users to create short links for their web domains. Moreover, this free custom URL shortener can integrate with various other tools, such as Zapier and Google Analytics, that allow automation of all your tasks for better results. It is a safe and reliable tool that will allow you to finish up your tasks without much of an effort.

Benefits:

• Redirect visitors to the right version (mobile version/desktop version) based on the device used to access the link.
• Send the international audience to the right web pages according to their country/location.
• Keep track of links that are about to expire.
• Generate QR codes for each short link that has been generated

5. Rebrandly

Rebrandly offers a freemium version as well as different paid plans. With Rebrandly’s free plan, you can get over 250 branded links along a custom domain. This tool is a great addition for anyone who has started a small business or started writing blogs. Moreover, it has a user-friendly interface along with a minimalistic design, making it the best free link shortener.

Benefits:

• You can get 2500 clicks tracked per month in the free version
• Two-factor authentication and set-up passwords
• Collaboration with other team members or colleagues
• Multiple users can sign in at the same time using a single login

The use of short URLs can be a small but significant thing for the viewers. It not only improves the overall appearance of your posts but also makes your links seem less spammy. A free custom URL shortener can generate QR codes for the generated links and can also keep track of links that are about to expire. Most of the tools not only shorten the links but also use analytics, such as link tracking, to see which link has generated the most traffic. The best URL shortener can integrate with other tools and automatically generate short URLs, making the entire process easier while ensuring the website rankings remain on top.