Scorecard
Top URL shorteners, scored out of 100
Most rankings hide the weighting. This one prints it. Each tool gets five sub-scores from fixed rules applied to its own pricing page, and the total is arithmetic you can check.
The scorecard
| Rank | Tool | Free plan (30) | Value (25) | Features (20) | Transparency (15) | Track record (10) | Total (100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ReSlug | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 85.5 |
| 2 | Short.io | 9.0 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 6.9 | 8.0 | 83.3 |
| 3 | Dub | 7.5 | 6.5 | 8.2 | 9.9 | 4.0 | 74.0 |
| 4 | Cuttly | 7.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 9.9 | 6.0 | 68.1 |
| 5 | Linkly | 8.3 | 5.0 | 5.7 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 66.8 |
| 6 | Rebrandly | 4.5 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 8.0 | 60.5 |
| 7 | TinyURL | 5.5 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 10.0 | 55.1 |
| 8 | Bitly | 1.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 50.2 |
| 9 | T.LY | 0.0 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 2.3 | 6.0 | 39.2 |
| 10 | Switchy | 0.0 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 6.0 | 26.5 |
Sub-scores are out of 10; the bracketed number is the weight. Total = sum of (sub-score ÷ 10 × weight). Computed from vendor pricing pages reviewed 8 November 2026.
Columns are weighted 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10. Click any column name in the navigation to see how each tool reached its number.
How to read the numbers
A sub-score is out of 10 and is built from two to five parts, each tied to a fact on the vendor's pricing page. The free-plan score, for example, gives up to 4 points for the link quota, 3 for a custom domain, 1.5 for showing no ads and 1.5 for analytics history. A tool with no free plan scores zero in that column and is not excused elsewhere.
The total multiplies each sub-score by its weight. The heaviest weight goes to the free plan because that is what most people use, and the lightest to track record because age says little about what a plan includes. Change the weights and the order changes; the worksheet entry shows you how to do that with your own priorities.
Who leads each column
- Free plan: ReSlug (9.5). Lowest: T.LY (0.0).
- Value: ReSlug (9.5). Lowest: Linkly (5.0).
- Features: ReSlug (8.6). Lowest: Switchy (1.8).
- Transparency: ReSlug (10.0). Lowest: T.LY (2.3).
- Track record: TinyURL (10.0). Lowest: ReSlug (1.0).
No tool leads every column. That is the point of splitting the score: a buyer who cares only about longevity and a buyer who cares only about a free branded domain should not get the same answer.
What the scorecard cannot tell you
It does not measure redirect speed, uptime, support response or how pleasant the dashboard is. None of those are published in a comparable form, so they are left out rather than guessed. It also treats a published limit as true; where a vendor's page could not be read directly, the transparency column says so and the secondary source is named on the sources page.
For a narrative ranking of the same ten tools, with pros, cons and head-to-head pages, see Best URL Shorteners.
Questions & answers
Which URL shortener scores highest overall?
ReSlug, with 85.5 of 100 under the weights 30/25/20/15/10. Short.io is second at 83.3.
Are the scores opinions?
No. Each sub-score is produced by a fixed rule applied to numbers on the vendor's pricing page. The rules and weights are printed on the methodology page, and the same inputs always give the same output.
Why does an older tool get points for age?
Ten of the hundred points reward years of operation, because links printed on packaging or in books need a redirect that still works in five years. It is the lightest weight on purpose: age says nothing about what a plan includes.
How often are the scores recalculated?
Whenever the dataset is re-verified, at least monthly. Every page shows its review date.
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. "Top URL shorteners, scored out of 100". Reviewed 8 November 2026. https://topurlshorteners.com/