We built Shortet, so this is not a neutral ranking. This page is a factual comparison of what each tool's free plan includes and where paid plans start. Every number below was checked on the company's official pricing page on October 25, 2026 (sources at the bottom). Some outgoing links on this site may be affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Free plans at a glance
| Tool | Free short links | Free QR codes | Free custom domains | Paid plans start at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shortet | No caps set in the plan | No caps set, with logos and frames | No caps set | None - single free plan |
| Bitly | 5 links/month | 2/month | - | $10/month (annual) |
| Dub | 25 links/month, 1K tracked events/month | Included | 3 | $30/month |
| Rebrandly | 10 links/month, unlimited clicks | 10/month | 1 (rebrand.ly) | $11/month |
| Short.io | 1,000 branded links total, 50K tracked clicks/month | - | 5 | $5/month |
| TinyURL | 30 links/month | - | - | $9/month |
| Cutt.ly | 30 short links/month | 3/month | - | $12/month |
"-" means we could not confirm the feature is included in the free tier from the official pricing page. Shortet's row reflects the plan as currently configured in the site admin; Shortet's terms note that features and limits depend on the plan, and no separate fair-use cap is published.
What Shortet includes for free
Shortet has a single free plan, with no paid tiers. As configured, it includes:
- Short links with custom slugs - no cap set in the plan
- Link-in-bio pages with themes, content blocks and custom CSS
- Dynamic QR codes with logos, frames and bulk creation - update destinations anytime
- Custom domains
- Click tracking on every link, with country, device and language data
- Geo, device and language targeting: send different visitors to different destinations
- A/B testing, link expiration and click limits
- Splash pages and CTA overlays
- Tracking pixels, UTM parameters and channels
- Team workspaces
- Deep links and a developer API
Where the others still make sense
Dub is open source and pairs link management with partner and affiliate program tooling, and its free plan includes 3 custom domains. Bitly is the most established brand, with a broad QR code and landing page ecosystem. Short.io offers 5 custom domains on its free plan and a low $5/month entry point. If you need those specific ecosystems, they are worth a look.
The bottom line
If you want link management, QR codes, bio pages and custom domains without a subscription, create a free Shortet account. If you outgrow a capped free plan elsewhere, moving to Shortet costs nothing.
Sources
All checked on October 25, 2026:
Product Hunt
LaunchBuff
1000tools
DevHub
JunkStartups
MediaProNet