TinyURL alternative
Just as free. A lot more capable.
ShortLynx matches TinyURL on price — free — and adds what TinyURL's free tier doesn't: real click analytics, custom domains, and per-recipient attribution. Self-host it, and every tier's limits disappear too.
Where TinyURL's simplicity stops being enough
TinyURL earned its reputation the honest way: no signup, no friction, a link in seconds. That's genuinely the right tool for a one-off share. It stops being the right tool the moment you want to know more than "did people click" — how many, from where, on what device, and (if you're running outreach) which specific person. That's where a click counter runs out of road and an analytics platform starts.
ShortLynx vs. TinyURL, feature by feature
| ShortLynx | TinyURL | |
|---|---|---|
| Click analytics | Full breakdown: source, device, browser, OS, country, timeline | Basic click count |
| Per-recipient click attribution | Yes, on every tier | Not offered |
| Self-hosting | Free, unrestricted, every tier (ELv2) | Not offered |
| Custom domains | 1 domain free on Starter ($9/mo) | Paid add-on |
| Custom vanity codes | Included | Included |
| IP addresses stored raw | Never — HMAC-hashed, daily-rotating | Not publicly documented |
| QR codes | PNG & SVG, included | Included |
| API access | Included from Pro ($24/mo) | Paid plans only |
| Source availability | Source-available (ELv2) — inspect or self-host it | Closed source |
TinyURL figures reflect publicly listed pricing/features at time of writing and may have changed — verify against tinyurl.com before deciding.
Free doesn't have to mean basic
Self-hosting ShortLynx costs nothing and unlocks every tier's feature set — custom domains, campaigns, social publishing with per-post attribution, the full analytics breakdown, all of it, with no quota. If you'd rather not run a server, the hosted Free tier still gets you real analytics TinyURL's free tier doesn't offer, at the same price: $0.
Frequently asked questions
TinyURL is already free — why would I switch?
If all you need is a free, no-account short link, TinyURL is genuinely fine for that. ShortLynx is worth a look once you want more than the link itself: real analytics (not just a count), custom domains, or the ability to see which specific recipient clicked — none of which TinyURL's free tier offers, and self-hosting means you're not paying for them either.
Does ShortLynx have a no-signup quick-shorten option like TinyURL?
Not today — ShortLynx is built around accounts because analytics, campaigns, and per-recipient attribution all need somewhere to live. If you just need a one-off anonymous link with zero setup, TinyURL's no-account flow is the simpler tool for that specific job.
Is ShortLynx's free tier actually free, or a trial?
The hosted Free tier (25 links, 10k redirects/month) has no time limit and no credit card required. Self-hosting removes those limits entirely, at no cost, forever — the Elastic License 2.0 only restricts reselling ShortLynx as a competing hosted service.
What is per-recipient attribution, concretely?
A unique short code minted per contact per destination. Send each recipient their own link, and a click tells you which specific person clicked — not just that the link got clicked. Useful for anything TinyURL's aggregate click count can't answer: email outreach, sales follow-up, per-contact engagement tracking.
See the rest of ShortLynx
Full feature list, pricing, and a side-by-side with Bitly too.