Short links shouldn't cost much. Plenty of tools charge $15–$35/month for features most people barely use. If you want an affordable URL shortener — ideally free to start, then cheap to upgrade — here's how the options stack up in 2026.
What "cheap" should still include
- A usable free plan (not 5 links a month).
- Click analytics without a $35/month bill.
- QR codes and a custom link name.
- No ads injected onto your links.
Comparison: free plans and cheapest paid tiers
| What you get | lynkily | Bitly | Linkly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 50 links/mo, no ads | 5 links/mo + ads on links | 100 links but 500 clicks/mo cap |
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/mo (Starter) | ~$35/mo (Growth) | ~$15/mo (Starter) |
| Full analytics from | $5/mo | ~$35/mo | paid tiers |
| Link-in-bio page | ✅ included | Limited / paid | ❌ none |
| QR codes | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| UTM campaign builder | ✅ from $5/mo | ✅ (paid) | ✅ |
The cheapest genuinely useful option
lynkily starts free with 50 links a month (no ads), and its first paid plan is $5/month — which unlocks full analytics, the UTM builder, designer QR codes and editable links. That's well under the $10/month line, and under what Bitly or Linkly charge.
How to choose
- Just need a quick link? Any free tier works — start with lynkily's free plan.
- Want analytics cheaply? $5/month is the lowest useful price here.
- Need a bio page too? Only lynkily bundles it in.
See exact numbers on the pricing page, or learn how to shorten a URL step by step.