Column 4 of 5
Transparency scores
Fifteen points for saying what you sell. A vendor whose pricing page can be read, states its retention and documents its ads policy scores well. One that hides prices behind scripts or leaves retention unsaid does not.
The rule
Five parts, ten points in total.
- Pricing page readable, up to 4. If the official pricing page could be read directly and its numbers used, 4. If it blocked automated access or rendered only in a script and a third-party source had to be used, 0.
- Paid analytics retention published, up to 2. A stated period in days, months or years earns 2. A vague statement earns 1. Unstated earns 0.
- Free analytics published, up to 1. Any stated value, including "none", earns 1. Unstated earns 0. Tools with no free plan earn 0.5 as not applicable.
- Ads policy documented, up to 2. A clear yes or no on ads for free links earns 2. Unstated earns 0. Tools with no free plan earn 1 as not applicable.
- Feature availability documented, up to 1. The share of the fourteen scored features whose availability is stated.
Transparency scores, ranked
| Rank | Tool | Transparency score | How it was reached |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ReSlug | 10.0 / 10 | Pricing page read directly: 4 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (365 days): 2 of 2 Free analytics published: 1 of 1 Ads policy documented: 2 of 2 Feature availability documented (14 of 14): 1 of 1 |
| 2 | Dub | 9.9 / 10 | Pricing page read directly: 4 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (1 year): 2 of 2 Free analytics published: 1 of 1 Ads policy documented: 2 of 2 Feature availability documented (13 of 14): 0.9 of 1 |
| 3 | Cuttly | 9.9 / 10 | Pricing page read directly: 4 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (30 days): 2 of 2 Free analytics published: 1 of 1 Ads policy documented: 2 of 2 Feature availability documented (12 of 14): 0.9 of 1 |
| 4 | Bitly | 9.8 / 10 | Pricing page read directly: 4 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (30 days): 2 of 2 Free analytics published: 1 of 1 Ads policy documented: 2 of 2 Feature availability documented (11 of 14): 0.8 of 1 |
| 5 | Linkly | 8.0 / 10 | Pricing page read directly: 4 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (Not documented): 0 of 2 Free analytics published: 1 of 1 Ads policy documented: 2 of 2 Feature availability documented (14 of 14): 1 of 1 |
| 6 | Short.io | 6.9 / 10 | Pricing page read directly: 4 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (Not documented): 0 of 2 Free analytics published: 0 of 1 Ads policy documented: 2 of 2 Feature availability documented (13 of 14): 0.9 of 1 |
| 7 | Rebrandly | 6.9 / 10 | Pricing page read directly: 4 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (Not documented): 0 of 2 Free analytics published: 0 of 1 Ads policy documented: 2 of 2 Feature availability documented (13 of 14): 0.9 of 1 |
| 8 | TinyURL | 3.9 / 10 | Pricing page could not be read; secondary source: 0 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (Not documented): 0 of 2 Free analytics published: 1 of 1 Ads policy documented: 2 of 2 Feature availability documented (13 of 14): 0.9 of 1 |
| 9 | Switchy | 2.9 / 10 | Pricing page could not be read; secondary source: 0 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (Full): 1 of 2 Free analytics published: 0.5 of 1 Ads policy documented: 1 of 2 Feature availability documented (5 of 14): 0.4 of 1 |
| 10 | T.LY | 2.3 / 10 | Pricing page could not be read; secondary source: 0 of 4 Paid analytics retention published (Not documented): 0 of 2 Free analytics published: 0.5 of 1 Ads policy documented: 1 of 2 Feature availability documented (11 of 14): 0.8 of 1 |
What the column shows
This column exists because the other four depend on it. A low transparency score means the free, value and feature scores for that tool rest on weaker evidence, and readers should treat them with more caution.
Three vendors lost the full four points for an unreadable pricing page on the review date: TinyURL, T.LY and Switchy. Their numbers come from software directories and competitor reviews dated between April and November 2026, and each is named on the sources page. BL.INK was dropped from the dataset entirely after its pricing page began redirecting to a parent company with no public prices.
Analytics retention is the most commonly omitted fact among the vendors whose pages could be read. Short.io and Linkly publish none, and Rebrandly publishes only a conversion-data window. For a buyer, an unstated retention period usually means a short one.
Questions & answers
Is a low transparency score a mark against the product?
It is a mark against the pricing page. The product may be fine. But a buyer cannot verify what they are getting, and the other columns for that tool are less reliable as a result.
Could a blocked page be read manually?
Yes, and the figures would then be updated. The score reflects what could be verified on the review date from the official page.
Why does stating 'no analytics' earn a point?
Because it is a clear statement a buyer can act on. The column rewards clarity, not generosity; generosity is scored in the free-plan column.
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. "Transparency scores". Reviewed 8 November 2026. https://topurlshorteners.com/transparency-scores/