The ShortFreeURL blog
Guides, comparisons and practical tactics for branded links, QR codes and campaign tracking.
Choosing a QR code generator: what actually matters
Most generators produce the same pattern. The differences are dynamic codes, vector output, and whether the code expires.
The best URL shorteners with custom domain supportFIELD NOTES / 038 Comparisons · 2 min readThe best URL shorteners with custom domain support
Custom domain support ranges from "one domain on a paid tier" to unlimited. That range decides who can actually use it.
The best free URL shorteners, compared honestlyFIELD NOTES / 037 Comparisons · 2 min readThe best free URL shorteners, compared honestly
Free tiers differ enormously in what they meter. Here is what each actually gives you before the paywall.
Bitly alternatives in 2026: an honest shortlistFIELD NOTES / 036 Comparisons · 2 min readBitly alternatives in 2026: an honest shortlist
Nine credible alternatives, what each is genuinely good at, and how to pick without regretting it in six months.
ShortFreeURL vs Sniply: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 035 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs Sniply: an honest comparison
Sniply solves a different problem: putting your call to action on someone else's page.
ShortFreeURL vs Linkly: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 034 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs Linkly: an honest comparison
Linkly is strong on rotation, retargeting pixels and click-fraud filtering — a performance-marketing tool more than a content one.
ShortFreeURL vs T2M: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 033 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs T2M: an honest comparison
T2M sells lifetime links and solid basics at a modest price.
ShortFreeURL vs BL.INK: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 032 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs BL.INK: an honest comparison
BL.INK is built for enterprises with governance requirements, and priced accordingly.
ShortFreeURL vs Dub.co: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 031 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs Dub.co: an honest comparison
Dub is the developer favourite — open source, clean API, modern UI. The gaps are in link-level controls and free-tier volume.
ShortFreeURL vs Cutt.ly: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 030 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs Cutt.ly: an honest comparison
Cutt.ly is good value with some unusual extras. The limits show up in retention, roles and data depth.
ShortFreeURL vs TinyURL: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 029 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs TinyURL: an honest comparison
TinyURL is the fastest way to shorten something you will never look at again. That is both the strength and the limit.
ShortFreeURL vs Rebrandly: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 028 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs Rebrandly: an honest comparison
Workspaces and traffic routing are Rebrandly strengths; link privacy controls and raw data are where it stops.
ShortFreeURL vs Short.io: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 027 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs Short.io: an honest comparison
Compare Short.io and ShortFreeURL on current monthly prices, website and automation allowances, campaign integrations and link controls.
ShortFreeURL vs Bitly: an honest comparisonFIELD NOTES / 026 Comparisons · 2 min readShortFreeURL vs Bitly: an honest comparison
Bitly is the most recognised shortener. Here is where it is strong, where it is thin, and what the price difference buys.
A /shorten workflow for Slack that your team will actually useFIELD NOTES / 025 Tools · 2 min readA /shorten workflow for Slack that your team will actually use
Connect the workspace once, and branded links get created where the conversation already happens.
Creating hundreds of links from a spreadsheetFIELD NOTES / 024 Tools · 2 min readCreating hundreds of links from a spreadsheet
A column layout that works, the formulas that build your UTMs, and how to avoid importing 400 broken rows.
API tutorial: creating short links from Node, Python and PHPFIELD NOTES / 023 Developers · 2 min readAPI tutorial: creating short links from Node, Python and PHP
Authentication, the create call, bulk creation, error handling and rate limits — with runnable snippets.
Click webhooks: streaming link events into your own systemsFIELD NOTES / 022 Developers · 2 min readClick webhooks: streaming link events into your own systems
Payload shape, signature verification, retries and idempotency — the four things that make a webhook consumer reliable.
Conversion tracking with short links, end to endFIELD NOTES / 021 Developers · 2 min readConversion tracking with short links, end to end
Clicks are not outcomes. Here is the click-identifier pattern that connects a redirect to a signup or a sale.
Bot traffic in link analytics: how to filter it and why it mattersFIELD NOTES / 020 Guides · 2 min readBot traffic in link analytics: how to filter it and why it matters
A meaningful share of clicks on a freshly shared link are machines. Counting them wrecks every comparison you make.
Why your link preview is wrong on WhatsApp and Facebook — and how to fix itFIELD NOTES / 019 Guides · 2 min readWhy your link preview is wrong on WhatsApp and Facebook — and how to fix it
A diagnosis order that finds the cause in about five minutes.
Open Graph tags: making links look right everywhere they are sharedFIELD NOTES / 018 Developers · 2 min readOpen Graph tags: making links look right everywhere they are shared
The tags that matter, the image sizes that work, and why the preview refuses to update after you fix it.
Migrating from Bitly without breaking a single linkFIELD NOTES / 017 Guides · 2 min readMigrating from Bitly without breaking a single link
Export, import, DNS cutover and a fallback window that keeps old slugs alive while you switch.
Short links in SMS marketing (with notes for India)FIELD NOTES / 016 Marketing · 2 min readShort links in SMS marketing (with notes for India)
Character budgets, why link previews do not exist in SMS, and the DLT registration reality for Indian senders.
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Frequently asked questions
What is written about here?
Branded short links, QR codes, UTM and campaign tracking, click analytics, link-in-bio pages, and honest comparisons between link platforms.
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