URL Short A link shortener with no account, and where it falls short
URL Short fits if you want a short link in a few taps without making an account in the app: four of its ten services need no key at all. It does not fit if you need click analytics inside the app or a branded domain, because it offers neither.
When URL Short is the right tool
You paste a link, pick a service and get the short version back. There is no app account, no sign-up and no dashboard to log in to. is.gd, v.gd, CleanURI and Spoo.me work out of the box.
If you already use Bit.ly, TinyURL, Cutt.ly, T.ly, Rebrandly or Short.io, you can add your own API key under Settings > API Key Settings and use that service from the same screen. That is how the app gives you a choice of ten.
| You need | URL Short |
|---|---|
| A short link in a few taps, no account in the app | Yes |
| A choice between ten public services | Yes |
| A QR code for the short link | Yes |
| To check whether an old short link still works | Yes |
| Many links shortened at once (Batch Mode) | Yes, Premium |
| Your own ending on the short link (Custom Alias) | Yes, Premium, on seven of the services |
| Click statistics inside the app | No |
| Your own branded domain | No |
| A team workspace or shared dashboard | No |
How to shorten a link without signing up
- Copy the long link.
- Open URL Short and paste it into Enter URL on the Shorten tab.
- In the Shortening Service menu, pick is.gd, v.gd, CleanURI or Spoo.me.
- Tap Shorten URL.
- Copy the result from Shortened URL, or tap the QR Code section to make a code for it.
If the chosen service refuses the link, the app tries another one and shows which it used. With a custom alias that fallback is off, because an alias belongs to one service.
When you need something else
Say it plainly: if you run a campaign and need to know how many people clicked, which country they came from or which post did well, this app is the wrong tool. It records no clicks. For is.gd, v.gd and Bit.ly it can open the service's own public stats page; for the other seven there is nothing to open.
The same goes for a branded domain, the short links that carry your own company name. The app does not set one up, and it does not run a domain of its own. The short link lives with whichever public service made it.
If that service ever changes its rules or goes offline, your short link goes with it. Keep the long link, and use History to see which service made each one. The built-in link check helps you spot a broken one before someone tells you.
What the free version includes
The free version shows ads: a banner on the Shorten screen and a full-screen ad after some links. An opt-in rewarded ad gives three temporary Premium actions. Free history keeps the 10 most recent links, and QR exports stop after 5. Premium removes the ads and lifts those limits.
Your history stays on the device. With iCloud Sync on, which is the default, it also syncs between your own devices through your iCloud account. Nothing is uploaded to a server of ours, because we do not run one for the links.