We tested 7 free link trackers across analytics depth, custom domain support, UTM tracking, and smart routing. Here's what the free plans actually include.
Last updated: June 2026
Free plan comparison — top 4 trackers at a glance
| Criteria | Revolink | Bitly | Short.io | Rebrandly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free clicks/month | 5,000 | Limited | 50K | Limited |
| Custom domain free | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| UTM tracking | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Click analytics | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Routing rules | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| API access | ✓ | Paid only | ✓ | Paid only |
Quick picks
Skip straight to the right tool for your use case — each pick is the strongest option for a specific need.
Free plan includes custom domain, UTM tracking, routing rules, and real-time click analytics. The only free tracker that routes visitors by country, device, or time — no code needed.
Best for: Marketers, agencies, and ecommerce teams running multi-destination campaigns
Price: Free · paid from $5/mo
50,000 clicks/month free with custom domains and API access. Solid choice if you need volume and developer flexibility — though no routing or A/B testing.
Best for: Developer teams and technical marketers needing high click volume
Price: Free · paid from $19/mo
The best-known link shortener with basic click analytics. Free plan is limited to 10 links/month — workable for very light use, restrictive for any real campaign.
Best for: Teams that need a universally trusted brand name on their short links
Price: Free (10 links/mo) · paid from $35/mo
Branded link management with custom domain support on the free plan. Very limited free tier (25 links total) and no click volume data — better suited to small link libraries.
Best for: Teams managing a small set of permanent branded links
Price: Free (25 links) · paid from $13/mo
How we ranked these tools
We tested each tracker hands-on. Every data point in this comparison comes from creating real links and reading what the free plan actually gives you.
Link and click allowances on the free tier. A free tracker that caps you at 10 links/month isn't usable for real campaigns — we evaluated whether the free plan is genuinely workable.
Click counts, country breakdowns, device type, referrer tracking, and time-series data. We tested what's actually available on the free tier, not just listed in the pricing table.
Whether you can track links on your own domain (go.yourbrand.com) for free. Branded short links are a trust signal — gating them behind paid plans is a significant limitation.
Geo redirect, device-based routing, time-based routing, A/B split testing. Most free trackers don't offer this — it's the feature that separates a tracker from a link management platform.
Time from signup to first tracked link. We measured how many steps it takes to create a link, add UTM parameters, and see your first click in the dashboard.
Tool breakdown
Strengths, weaknesses, and who each tool is actually right for. We're in this list and noted where others outperform us.
Routing-first free link tracker
Custom domain, UTM tracking, and routing rules on the free plan
Real-time analytics: clicks, countries, devices, referrers
Route visitors by country, device type, or time of day — no code
5,000 clicks/month on free (upgrade for higher volume)
Newer platform with smaller brand recognition than Bitly
Best for: Marketers and agencies running multi-destination or geo-targeted campaigns
Pricing: Free · paid from $5/mo
The most recognized link shortener
Universally trusted brand — links accepted across all platforms
Basic click analytics with country and device breakdowns
Strong uptime record and global CDN
Free plan: only 10 links/month — unusable for active campaigns
No UTM tracking, no routing, no custom domain on free
Best for: Enterprises needing a trusted brand name on their links, not campaign tracking
Pricing: Free (10 links/mo) · paid from $35/mo
↳ Revolink gives you UTM tracking and routing on the free plan. Bitly charges $35+/mo before you get those basics.
Developer-friendly with high free limits
50,000 free clicks/month — by far the most generous volume allowance
Custom domains included free, solid REST API
iOS/Android app for link creation on the go
No routing rules or A/B testing
Analytics less granular than Revolink — no UTM auto-capture
Best for: Technical teams needing high free click volume and API access without smart routing
Pricing: Free · paid from $19/mo
↳ Short.io wins on raw click volume. Revolink wins on routing and UTM depth. Depends which matters more to you.
Simplest shortener, no frills
Completely free for basic shortening — no account required
Long-established — links trusted by spam filters
Zero setup time for quick one-off links
No click analytics on the free plan
No custom domains, no UTM tracking, no routing
Best for: One-off link shortening where zero tracking is needed
Pricing: Free · paid from $12.99/mo
↳ TinyURL shortens links. Revolink tracks them. They're solving different problems.
Branded link management
Custom domain support included on the free plan
Clean dashboard with link tagging and organization
Good branded link management for small libraries
Free plan: 25 links total, no click volume data on free
No routing rules — one destination per link, forever
Best for: Small teams managing a fixed set of permanent branded links with no click tracking needs
Pricing: Free (25 links) · paid from $13/mo
↳ Rebrandly has better link organization tools for large libraries. Revolink has actual analytics and routing.
Basic analytics with a free tier
Free tier with basic click counts and device breakdown
Simple interface, quick to set up
QR code generation included
No custom domain on free plan
No UTM tracking, no routing, limited analytics granularity
Best for: Individuals who need light click tracking and don't need branded domains
Pricing: Free (limited) · paid from $25/mo
↳ Cuttly's free plan gives you click counts. Revolink's free plan gives you click counts plus UTM tracking, routing, and a custom domain.
Enterprise-only link tracking
Advanced conversion tracking and fraud detection
Detailed reporting with team collaboration
Strong enterprise feature set for large campaign budgets
No free plan — starts at $29/month
Complex setup, steep learning curve for small teams
Best for: Large enterprises with substantial ad budgets and advanced fraud detection needs
Pricing: From $29/mo — no free plan
↳ ClickMeter targets enterprise budgets. If you need a free tracker with real analytics, Revolink is the better fit.
Feature comparison
| Tool | Free links | Free clicks | Custom domain | UTM tracking | Click analytics | Routing rules | API access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revolink | 50/mo | 5,000/mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bitly | 10/mo | Limited | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | Paid only |
| Short.io | 1,000 | 50K/mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| TinyURL | Unlimited | — | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rebrandly | 25 total | — | ✓ | ✗ | Partial | ✗ | Paid only |
| Cuttly | Limited | Limited | ✗ | ✗ | Partial | ✗ | ✗ |
| ClickMeter | None | None | — | Paid only | Paid only | ✗ | Paid only |
Our honest take
You need more than click counts. If you're running campaigns where UTM tracking matters, or where visitors from different countries or devices should land on different pages, Revolink is the only free tracker that handles this without code. Free plan includes 5 custom domains, real-time analytics, and routing rules. Up to 5,000 clicks/month — enough for most small-team campaigns.
Volume is your only priority. If you're sending hundreds of thousands of clicks through free links and don't need routing or UTM depth, Short.io's 50K free clicks/month is more headroom. If you just want a trusted brand name on shortened links with minimal setup, Bitly's free plan (10 links/month) gets the job done for light use. And if you truly need zero features — just a shorter URL — TinyURL requires no account.
Every free tracker on this list does something well. The question is whether analytics, routing, and UTM tracking are on your list. If they are, Revolink is the strongest free option.
7
Free link trackers evaluated
5,000
Free clicks/month on Revolink
<50ms
Redirect speed
$0
To start with routing & analytics
FAQ
Focus on five things: click volume allowance (how many clicks before you hit a cap), analytics granularity (can you see countries and devices, not just totals), custom domain availability on the free plan, UTM parameter tracking so your link data connects to Google Analytics, and whether you can change the destination URL after publishing. Most free trackers give you click counts — the difference is everything else. Revolink includes UTM tracking, custom domains, and routing rules at no cost.
Most free link trackers operate on a genuine freemium model — the free plan is real, not just a trial. The catch is limits: Bitly caps you at 10 links/month, Rebrandly at 25 links total, and most platforms restrict analytics depth or data retention on free. Revolink's free plan has a 5,000 clicks/month and 50 links/month limit, includes 5 custom domains, and doesn't require a credit card. There are no hidden fees — if you need more, paid plans start at $5/month.
Most don't — or they limit it. Revolink, Short.io, and Rebrandly include custom domain support on the free plan (e.g. go.yourbrand.com). Bitly moved custom domains to paid plans ($35+/mo). TinyURL and Cuttly require payment for custom domains. If having your own domain on short links matters — for brand trust and click-through rates — Revolink and Short.io are the only options where you get it for free.
Click data accuracy is consistent across free and paid tiers within the same platform — the data collection is the same, what changes is retention period and granularity. On Revolink's free plan, you get real-time click data including country, device type, referrer, and time breakdown. Some platforms, like TinyURL on free, collect no data at all. Bitly free gives you basic totals but not breakdowns. Accuracy is high across all platforms that do track — the question is what dimensions they track.
You can export click data from most platforms as CSV before switching — that historical data stays yours. What you can't migrate is the short URLs themselves: if your links use the old platform's domain (e.g. bit.ly/xxxxx), those links keep pointing through that platform. The practical approach: for high-traffic existing links, set up new links on Revolink and update your placements. For future links, use your custom domain from day one — then if you ever switch platforms, you control the domain and can redirect traffic without losing your link URLs.
Revolink is the strongest free option for small businesses running marketing campaigns. You get custom domains, UTM tracking, real-time analytics, and the ability to route visitors by country or device — all free. If your primary need is high click volume without routing (e.g. for a developer tool or API integration), Short.io's 50K free clicks/month is more generous. If you only need to shorten an occasional link with no tracking, TinyURL requires no account at all.
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