# The Best Free URL Shorteners With Analytics (2026)

Source: https://lots.link/blog/best-free-url-shorteners-with-analytics
Published: 2026-10-16T03:30:17.239416+00:00

Most free URL shorteners redirect unlimited clicks but record only a set number in analytics, and many hide countries, devices or referrers behind a paid plan. On LotsLink, links, clicks and analytics are free and unlimited, with country, city, device and referrer data. Short.io, Dub, Cuttly and Replug are the other free plans with breakdowns beyond a click count.

I opened each tool's own pricing page on 15 October 2026 and compared only the free plan: how many links you can make, how many clicks it records, which breakdowns you see, how long it keeps them, and whether you get a custom domain, QR codes, an API or an MCP server for your AI agent.

## Free URL shorteners with analytics at a glance

| Tool | New links on the free plan | Clicks recorded in analytics | Breakdowns on the free plan | History | Custom domain on free | API or MCP on free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **LotsLink** | Unlimited | Unlimited | Country, city, device, referrer, timeline, click records, export | Any period up to 365 days, plus all-time totals | Free lots.link subdomain; own domain $4 a month | REST API and MCP |
| **Short.io** | 1,000 in total | 50,000 a month | Countries, devices, languages, time chart | Not stated | 5 domains | API and MCP (API key) |
| **Dub** | 25 a month | 1,000 events a month | Countries, cities, devices, browsers, referrers in the dashboard | 30 days | 3 domains | API (analytics endpoints need Pro) and MCP |
| **Cuttly** | 30 a month | Unlimited clicks | Referrer, device, OS, browser, country, language | 30 days | 1 branded domain | API, 3 calls a minute |
| **Replug** | 100 | 1,000 a month | Location, referral source, device, browser, OS | 14 days | 3 domains | No (API on Enterprise) |
| **Linkly** | 100 a month | 500 a month, then links pause | Country only | Not stated | 1 domain | Full API; MCP from Pro |
| **Rebrandly** | 10 a month | Engagement data on 100 clicks a month | Country | Not stated | 1 domain | API and MCP |
| **Bitly** | 5 a month | Unlimited clicks | None listed on Free; history, country and referrer start on Core | None on Free | No (Growth) | 1,000 API requests a month and MCP |
| **PIMMS** | 5 a month | 200 events a month | Click analytics, built for conversions | 30 days | No | API, 60 requests a minute |

A note on "unlimited clicks": almost every tool here keeps redirecting your links however many people click. What differs is how many of those clicks get recorded with a country, device and referrer you can read, and that number is the one to compare.

## 1. LotsLink: unlimited links and full click analytics, free

I built LotsLink because I wanted to make as many short links as I share and see where every click came from, without watching a monthly counter. On the free account you get:

- **Unlimited short links** on lots.link, plus one free lots.link subdomain, with custom slugs, UTM fields, expiry dates and projects.
- **Unlimited clicks, all recorded:** country, city, device and referrer when available, a daily timeline, the all-time total, individual click records, and CSV or JSON export. You can pull any period up to 365 days.
- **Clean counts:** known bots, link previews and prefetches aren't counted, so the number is real opens. LotsLink doesn't store visitor IP addresses, so there is no unique-visitor count.
- **Unlimited QR codes.** A QR code opens the short link, so every scan shows up in that link's analytics. Here's [how to track QR code scans](https://lots.link/blog/track-qr-code-scans) step by step.
- **Unlimited workspaces and team members,** with owner, admin, member and viewer roles.
- **MCP and REST API on every account,** so ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex or Cursor can create links, make QR codes and read the analytics for you. Setup is on [lots.link/mcp](https://lots.link/mcp).

The one guardrail is speed: up to 1,000 new links per person in any rolling 24 hours.

**What it costs:** nothing for links, clicks, QR codes, analytics or the agent connection. You pay only when you add your own domain: $4 per domain a month from credits, charged daily, or a plan with a block of domains: Starter $9 a month for 3, Pro $24 for 10, Business $59 for 30. Eligible new users get 4,000 free credits, valid 90 days, with no card. Full details on [the pricing page](https://lots.link/pricing).

Choose LotsLink if you share a lot of links and want every click's country, device and referrer without a cap or an upgrade.

## 2. Short.io: five free custom domains and 50,000 tracked clicks

Short.io's free plan is built around branded links: 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links over the life of the account (1,000 more through the API or bulk create), and 50,000 tracked clicks a month. Redirects are unlimited; tracked clicks are the ones that appear in statistics, which cover countries, devices, languages and a time chart. Its FAQ says that past the limit it keeps collecting data but restricts your view of it until you upgrade. QR codes, the UTM builder and the API are in every plan, and the free plan can be used commercially. One user.

Its MCP server at `https://ai-assistant.short.io/mcp` connects with an API key and can create and search links and read link and domain statistics, though Short.io's own help article says it can't edit or delete links. Hobby is $5 a month.

Choose Short.io if you want several branded domains free and your link count stays within 1,000.

## 3. Dub: the full analytics dashboard, for 25 links a month

Dub's free plan has 25 new links and 1,000 tracked events a month, 30 days of analytics retention, 3 custom domains, QR codes, UTM templates, API access and one user. Its analytics page breaks clicks down by country, city, device, browser, OS and referrer. If you go past your tracked-click limit, Dub's FAQ says your links keep working and clicks are still tracked, but you need to upgrade to view their analytics.

Dub's API reference says its analytics endpoints need a Pro plan or higher, so on Free you read analytics in the dashboard. It also runs a Links MCP server. Pro is $30 a month, with 1,000 new links and 50,000 tracked events, and Business adds conversion tracking.

Choose Dub if you make a handful of links a month and want detailed charts plus a path to conversion tracking later.

## 4. Cuttly: full breakdowns on 30 links a month

Cuttly's free plan gives 30 short links and 3 custom back-halves a month, one branded domain, unlimited clicks and 30 days of analytics history. Its feature table includes charts by referrer, social source, device, OS, browser, device brand, language and country on Free, which is more detail than most free plans here. QR codes come in one style. The API allows 3 calls a minute and 30 links a month on the cutt.ly domain; the branded-domain API starts on Starter at $12 a month.

Choose Cuttly if 30 links a month is enough and you want the detailed charts.

## 5. Replug: 100 links with location and device data

Replug has a free plan: 100 short links, 10 QR codes, 2 bio link pages, 3 custom domains and 1,000 tracked clicks a month. Its comparison table includes location, referral source and device, browser and OS tracking on Free, with 14 days of history. Its FAQ says that once the monthly click limit is reached, links still work but call-to-action overlays and retargeting pixels aren't triggered until the cycle ends. Custom slugs start on paid plans, and API access is listed only on Enterprise.

Choose Replug if you want branded domains and device data free and plan to grow into its marketing tools (CTAs, pixels, A/B tests).

## 6. Linkly: country data and a full API

Linkly's free plan has 100 links and 500 clicks a month, custom back-halves, one custom domain, country-level click analytics and full API access. Device, browser and OS analytics start on Starter ($15 a month, billed yearly only). Its pricing FAQ says that on the free plan, links pause until the next billing period once you exceed the click quota. Its MCP server is available on Pro and above ($32 a month billed yearly).

Choose Linkly if you want API access on a free plan and your traffic stays under 500 clicks a month.

## 7. Rebrandly: branded links with country data

Rebrandly's free plan includes 10 links and 10 QR codes a month (the QR codes carry a watermark), unlimited clicks and scans, custom back-halves, one link gallery and one domain (the plan card names a free yourbrand.bio address). Analytics on Free cover total clicks and country, with engagement data on 100 clicks a month; device type starts on Essentials, and referral source and city on Professional. The API (100 calls a minute) and its MCP server are on every plan, Free included.

Choose Rebrandly if you make a few branded links a month and want to manage them from Claude.

## 8. Bitly: the best-known name, analytics on paid plans

Bitly Free is labelled "With Ads" and includes 5 links and 2 QR codes a month, 2 landing pages, 3 custom back-halves a month, and unlimited clicks and scans. Its feature table lists click-data history, country data (top 10) and referrer data from Core, which is $10 a month billed yearly; full country data and a custom domain come with Growth, and city and device data with Premium. Free includes 1,000 API requests a month and the Bitly MCP server. I compared the two in detail in [LotsLink vs Bitly](https://lots.link/blog/lotslink-vs-bitly).

Choose Bitly if brand recognition matters to your audience more than free analytics.

## 9. PIMMS: conversion tracking first

PIMMS is a smart-link tool focused on conversion and revenue attribution, with integrations such as Stripe. Free has 5 new links and 200 tracked events a month, no custom domain, one member, 30 days of data retention and API access at 60 requests a minute. Analytics CSV export starts on Solo.

Choose PIMMS if you're testing link-to-sale attribution on a few links.

## Free, but no click analytics: TinyURL

TinyURL Free lets you make 30 links a month with custom aliases, and each link comes with a QR code and never expires. Its pricing table shows no tracked clicks, analytics dashboard or click history on Free; analytics start on Pro at $9 a month billed yearly. Fine for a quick short link, not for tracking.

## Free if you host it: Shlink and YOURLS

If you'd rather run your own server, two open-source shorteners have analytics built in. Shlink tracks visits with location, browser and referrer, excludes likely bots, serves multiple domains, has a full REST API and ships as a Docker image. YOURLS runs on your own domain with historical click reports, referrer tracking, geo-location, a developer API and plugins. The software is free; the server, the updates and the security are on you.

## What to check in a "free" plan with analytics

- **Links versus clicks.** Unlimited clicks usually means unlimited redirects. Look for the number of clicks recorded in analytics: 500 on Linkly, 1,000 on Dub and Replug, 50,000 on Short.io, unlimited on LotsLink.
- **Which breakdowns.** Some free plans show only a click count or countries. Device and referrer data are where you learn which channel worked.
- **History.** 14 days on Replug and 30 days on Dub and Cuttly is enough for a launch, not for comparing months.
- **What happens at the limit.** Most tools keep redirecting and hide the data; Linkly pauses free links until the reset.
- **Your AI agent.** If you want ChatGPT or Claude to create links and report on clicks, check that the MCP server or API is on the free plan. I compared those in [the best URL shorteners with MCP support](https://lots.link/blog/best-url-shorteners-with-mcp-support).

## How to choose

- **Unlimited links with full click analytics, free:** LotsLink.
- **Several free branded domains:** Short.io.
- **Detailed charts on a few links, with conversions later:** Dub.
- **Detailed charts on 30 links a month:** Cuttly.
- **Branded domains plus device data, with CTAs and pixels later:** Replug.
- **A full API on the free plan:** Linkly.
- **A few branded links managed from Claude:** Rebrandly.
- **Brand recognition:** Bitly.
- **Self-hosting:** Shlink or YOURLS.

## Get click analytics from your AI agent

Connect `https://api.lots.link/mcp` in your agent and sign in with your Lots account. In Claude Code that's:

```
claude mcp add --transport http lots-link https://api.lots.link/mcp
```

Then ask in plain words:

> In LotsLink, list my workspaces and use my personal one. Create a short link to https://example.com/launch with utm_source newsletter, utm_medium email and utm_campaign october-launch, and make a QR code for it. In a week, show me its clicks by country, device and referrer, and export the click records as CSV.

Behind that prompt the agent uses `lotslink_list_workspaces`, `lotslink_create_link`, `lotslink_create_qr_code`, `lotslink_get_link_analytics` and `lotslink_export_analytics`. Setup for Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and others is on [lots.link/mcp](https://lots.link/mcp).

## Common questions

### What is the best free URL shortener with analytics?

It depends on your volume. LotsLink gives unlimited links and records every click with country, city, device and referrer, free. Short.io records 50,000 clicks a month with 5 free custom domains, and Dub and Cuttly show detailed breakdowns on 25 or 30 links a month.

### Which free URL shortener has unlimited links and click tracking?

LotsLink: short links, clicks, QR codes and analytics are free and unlimited, with up to 1,000 new links per person in any 24 hours. Many tools redirect unlimited clicks, but their free plans cap new links per month or the clicks recorded in analytics.

### Does Bitly's free plan include analytics?

Bitly's feature table lists click-data history, country and referrer data from the Core plan, $10 a month billed yearly. Free includes 5 links and 2 QR codes a month with unlimited clicks and scans. City and device data start on Premium.

### Can I see where my clicks come from on a free plan?

Yes, on several. LotsLink shows country, city, device and referrer free. Cuttly and Replug include referrer and device data on their free plans, and Dub shows them in its dashboard. Linkly and Rebrandly show country only on Free.

### Is there a free URL shortener with a custom domain and analytics?

Yes. Short.io allows 5 custom domains free, Dub and Replug 3, and Cuttly, Linkly and Rebrandly 1, each with link or click limits. LotsLink gives you a free lots.link subdomain, and your own domain costs $4 a month with unlimited links and clicks.

### Can my AI agent read my link analytics?

Yes, if the shortener has an MCP server or API on your plan. LotsLink includes MCP and a REST API on every account, so ChatGPT or Claude can read clicks by country, device and referrer and export click records. Setup is on lots.link/mcp.

*Checked on 15 October 2026 from each vendor's own pages: [Bitly pricing](https://bitly.com/pages/pricing); [Dub pricing](https://dub.co/pricing/links), [Dub analytics](https://dub.co/analytics) and [Dub analytics API](https://dub.co/docs/api-reference/endpoint/retrieve-analytics); [Short.io pricing](https://short.io/pricing) and [Short.io MCP help](https://docs.short.io/articles/integrations-and-extensions/direct-integrations/how-to-integrate-and-use-short.io-with-your-mcp-enabled-service); [Cuttly pricing](https://cutt.ly/pro-pricing); [Replug pricing](https://replug.io/pricing); [Linkly pricing](https://linklyhq.com/pricing) and [Linkly MCP server](https://linklyhq.com/support/mcp-server); [Rebrandly pricing](https://www.rebrandly.com/pricing); [PIMMS pricing](https://pimms.io/pricing); [TinyURL pricing](https://tinyurl.com/app/pricing) and [TinyURL free plan](https://tinyurl.com/blog/whats-included-in-tinyurls-free-plan); [Shlink features](https://shlink.io/features); [YOURLS](https://yourls.org/). LotsLink details from [lots.link/pricing](https://lots.link/pricing), [lots.link/mcp](https://lots.link/mcp) and [the API docs](https://api.lots.link/docs.md). Prices and limits change; check each vendor's page for the latest.*