There are a few established players, but if you were a fan of Google’s goo.gl service – officially closing its doors on 30 March 2019 – are are looking for an alternative, here are several great alternatives which are also completely free to use.
Bit.ly
Bit.ly is one of the best-known URL shorteners because so many people use it. Individuals can use it for free, but businesses and brands will probably want to use the paid-for service. That’s because bit.ly offers a range of services from custom branded short URLs to analytics and APIs for deep-linking into mobile apps. Sign up for a bit.ly account.
Tinyurl.com
Tiny URL doesn’t have a polished shop front like Bit.ly, but it’s preferable for many people because it doesn’t force you to create an account before you can generate links. Nope. All you have to do is copy your long link, go to tinyurl.com and paste it into the box there and click the ‘Make TinyURL!’ button to get your link. Best of all, there’s a box where you can type in the URL you’d like to appear after https://tinyurl.com/ such as ‘greatcurryplace’. So long as no-one has already used it, that’s what your link will be. Custom short URLs for free, and with no sign-up required. What’s not to like?
Ow.ly
Ow.ly used to be like Tinyurl, but now you need a Hootsuite account to use it. Both the account and the shortening service are free, but there are paid-for upgrades if you want more than the basic URL shortening features. Ow.ly is more like Bit.ly than Tinyurl, though, as it also offers basic analytics. However, it’s more attractive for individuals because Hootsuite is a social media management app and allows you to connect three social profiles even with the free account. You can sign up for an Hootsuite account. Fed up of Google Chrome? Check out the best web browsers to use. Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
