Column 1 of 5
Free plan scores
Thirty of the hundred points depend on what a tool gives away. This column scores the free plan on four facts and nothing else.
The rule
Four parts, ten points in total.
- Link quota, up to 4. 500 or more links, or unlimited basic links, earns 4. 100 to 499 earns 3. 25 to 99 earns 2. Anything above zero earns 1. Lifetime and monthly quotas are scored on the headline number; the difference is noted in the tool's review on the hub.
- Custom domain, up to 3. A full custom domain on the free plan earns 3. A restricted domain, such as a vendor-owned .bio subdomain, earns 1.5. None earns 0.
- Ads, up to 1.5. No ads on free links earns 1.5. An undocumented ads policy earns 0.75. Documented ads earn 0.
- Analytics history, up to 1.5. A year or more earns 1.5. Thirty days earns 1. Country-level only earns 0.75. Undocumented earns 0.5. None earns 0.
Free plan scores, ranked
| Rank | Tool | Free plan score | How it was reached |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ReSlug | 9.5 / 10 | Links (500 active links): 4 of 4 Custom domain on free: 3 of 3 Ads on free links: 1.5 of 1.5 Free analytics (30 days): 1 of 1.5 |
| 2 | Short.io | 9.0 / 10 | Links (1,000 links (lifetime)): 4 of 4 Custom domain on free: 3 of 3 Ads on free links: 1.5 of 1.5 Free analytics (Not documented): 0.5 of 1.5 |
| 3 | Linkly | 8.3 / 10 | Links (100 links/mo): 3 of 4 Custom domain on free: 3 of 3 Ads on free links: 1.5 of 1.5 Free analytics (Country-level): 0.75 of 1.5 |
| 4 | Dub | 7.5 / 10 | Links (25 links/mo): 2 of 4 Custom domain on free: 3 of 3 Ads on free links: 1.5 of 1.5 Free analytics (30 days): 1 of 1.5 |
| 5 | Cuttly | 7.5 / 10 | Links (30 links/mo): 2 of 4 Custom domain on free: 3 of 3 Ads on free links: 1.5 of 1.5 Free analytics (30 days): 1 of 1.5 |
| 6 | TinyURL | 5.5 / 10 | Links (Unlimited basic links): 4 of 4 Custom domain on free: 0 of 3 Ads on free links: 1.5 of 1.5 Free analytics (None): 0 of 1.5 |
| 7 | Rebrandly | 4.5 / 10 | Links (10 links/mo): 1 of 4 Custom domain on free: 1.5 of 3 Ads on free links: 1.5 of 1.5 Free analytics (Not documented): 0.5 of 1.5 |
| 8 | Bitly | 1.0 / 10 | Links (5 links/mo): 1 of 4 Custom domain on free: 0 of 3 Ads on free links: 0 of 1.5 Free analytics (None): 0 of 1.5 |
| 9 | T.LY | 0.0 / 10 | No free plan: 0 of 10. |
| 10 | Switchy | 0.0 / 10 | No free plan: 0 of 10. |
What the column shows
The spread in this column is the widest on the site. ReSlug reaches 9.5 because it clears every part: a large quota, a real custom domain, no ads and published analytics. T.LY sits at 0.0.
Two tools, T.LY and Switchy, have no free account plan and score zero here. That is a fact about their pricing, not a judgment of their product, and both recover points in other columns.
The custom-domain part carries three points because it is the feature most often used to separate free from paid. Bitly, for instance, withholds it until a plan that costs $29 a month billed annually; several smaller tools include it at no cost. For the full list of who includes one free, see the hub's custom domain ranking.
Questions & answers
Does a lifetime quota score lower than a monthly one?
No. The rule scores the headline number only, so 1,000 lifetime links scores the same as 1,000 a month. Lifetime quotas run out, so the difference is called out in prose rather than in the score.
Why is a .bio domain worth half?
Because it is a subdomain the vendor owns. You cannot move it to another provider, and it does not carry your brand.
What does an undocumented ads policy mean?
The vendor's pricing page does not say whether free links show ads. The rule gives half credit rather than assuming either way.
Sources for this entry
- ReSlug pricing reslug.com/pricing
- Bitly pricing bitly.com/pages/pricing
- Dub pricing dub.co/pricing/links
- Short.io pricing short.io/pricing
- Rebrandly pricing www.rebrandly.com/pricing
- TinyURL pricing tinyurl.com/app/pricing
- T.LY pricing t.ly/pricing
- Cuttly pricing cutt.ly/pro-pricing
- Linkly pricing linklyhq.com/pricing
- Switchy pricing www.switchy.io/pricing
Checked 8 November 2026. Vendor pages change; the date is the claim.
Cite this entry
Top URL Shorteners. "Free plan scores". Reviewed 8 November 2026. https://topurlshorteners.com/free-plan-scores/