Free URL shorteners compared
How Bitly, TinyURL and three Israeli shorteners, Katzr.Net, kishur.li and kitsur.com, compare with ktzr.io on nine questions: how many links are free, whether you need an account, what visitors see before the destination, expiry, changing the destination, QR codes, statistics, API and where data is stored. Every row about another service comes from that service's own pages, with a link to the source and the date it was checked. Where another service gives you more, the page says so.
Before you read the numbers
The services count different things. Bitly and TinyURL count links created in a month, and the count starts again when the month changes. ktzr.io counts links that are active at the same time: nothing runs out at the end of the month, and deleting a link makes room for a new one. A service that says nothing about a question has no row in that table. A missing row is better than a guessed one.
How much the free plan gives you
| Service | Free plan | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | 5 links a month. The number counts links created that month and starts again the next month. QR codes count toward the same 5. | bitly.com |
| TinyURL | 30 links a month, counted as links created, not links that are active. | tinyurl.com |
| Katzr.Net | The whole service is free. It has no paid plan. | katzr.net |
| kishur.li (kishury.com) | 3 short links. Another one needs the Pro plan. | kishury.com |
| kitsur.com | The whole service is free, and it states no limit on the number of links. | kitsur.com |
| ktzr.io | Up to 100 active links at one time. Deleting a link frees its place. A new account can create up to 5 links in its first 24 hours. | Pricing |
Do you need an account?
| Service | Account | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | Yes. The shortener that worked without an account has been discontinued. | support.bitly.com |
| TinyURL | No. To edit or delete such a link later, you have to claim it to an account on a paid plan. | tinyurl.com |
| Katzr.Net | No. You shorten a link from the form on the home page, with no sign-up. | katzr.net |
| kishur.li (kishury.com) | Yes. Links are created in the dashboard. | kishury.com |
| kitsur.com | No. The site has no sign-up or login at all. | kitsur.com |
| ktzr.io | Yes, a Google account. | FAQ |
An ad or a preview page before the destination
| Service | What visitors see first | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | Links on free accounts show a preview of the destination and an ad first. Paid plans remove it. | support.bitly.com |
| TinyURL | TinyURL says an ad preview screen appears only on links made through an old endpoint it has deprecated. Links made on the website or through the official API are not described as having one. | tinyurl.com |
| Katzr.Net | The site's own pages carry ads. The short links are not stated to show anything, and a link checked on September 29, 2026 went straight to its destination. | katzr.net |
| ktzr.io | Nothing. No ads and no page in between: the link goes straight to the destination. | FAQ |
Do the links expire?
| Service | What the service states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | Links never expire. A deleted link answers with a 404 error. Setting an expiry date yourself is a paid feature. | support.bitly.com |
| TinyURL | Links never expire, as long as they follow its terms of use. | tinyurl.com |
| kishur.li (kishury.com) | Free links have no time limit. Its terms allow it to block a free account that has not logged in for more than six months, and the links of a blocked account are disabled. | kishury.com |
| kitsur.com | Links are stored permanently and never expire. The only condition it mentions is abuse. | kitsur.com |
| ktzr.io | Links never expire by themselves. A link stops working only when it is deleted, when the account that owns it is deleted, or when it is disabled for abuse. In each case it answers 410 Gone. | Do short links expire? |
Changing where a link points
| Service | Can the destination change? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | Not on the free plan. | bitly.com |
| TinyURL | Not on the free plan. Changing the destination needs a Pro or Bulk plan. | tinyurl.com |
| Katzr.Net | Not by yourself: you ask the site through its contact form. | katzr.net |
| kishur.li (kishury.com) | Yes, from the dashboard, and the statistics are kept. | kishury.com |
| ktzr.io | Yes, on the free plan. Every destination edit is kept in the link's history. | API docs |
QR codes
| Service | Free QR codes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | 2 a month, with unlimited scans. Some visitors see 1 instead of 2 on the pricing page. | bitly.com |
| TinyURL | Every short link comes with a QR code. Codes without the TinyURL logo are offered on a paid plan. | tinyurl.com |
| kishur.li (kishury.com) | One QR code per link, downloadable as an image. Your own logo, or removing the service's logo, is Pro only. | kishury.com |
| ktzr.io | A designed QR code for every link. | QR code for a link |
Click statistics
| Service | Free statistics | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | No click or scan statistics on the free plan. | bitly.com |
| TinyURL | None. The free plan has no statistics dashboard and no click counts. | tinyurl.com |
| kishur.li (kishury.com) | Clicks, unique clicks, country, device and traffic source. The free plan offers today, yesterday or 7 days; 30 days and a year are Pro. | kishury.com |
| ktzr.io | Daily clicks going back 90 days, with bots counted separately. | FAQ |
API
| Service | Free API | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | Yes, 1,000 requests a month. | bitly.com |
| TinyURL | Yes, free plan users can use the official API. | tinyurl.com |
| ktzr.io | Yes, with up to 10 API keys. Creating, editing and deleting links share 20 actions an hour. | API docs |
Where the data is stored
| Service | Data location | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | United States, on Google Cloud and AWS in US data centers. | support.bitly.com |
| kishur.li (kishury.com) | On the Base44 platform. Its privacy policy says data may be stored and processed on servers outside Israel. | kishury.com |
| kitsur.com | In Cloudflare KV, served from Cloudflare's global network. | kitsur.com |
| ktzr.io | European Union: Google Cloud, with the Firestore database in the eur3 region. | Privacy |
Where other services give more
- Shortening without an account. TinyURL, Katzr.Net and kitsur.com let you shorten a link without signing up. ktzr.io needs a Google account.
- No cap on the number of links. kitsur.com states no limit at all. ktzr.io's free plan holds up to 100 active links.
- Custom back-halves. Three of these services let you choose the end of a free link. ktzr.io does not, as the table below shows.
- Paid plans. Bitly and TinyURL offer paid plans with additional features. ktzr.io has only a free plan today.
| Service | Can you choose the end of the link? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bitly | Yes, 3 a month on the bit.ly domain. | bitly.com |
| TinyURL | Yes. A custom alias counts toward the 30 links a month. | tinyurl.com |
| kishur.li (kishury.com) | Yes, one custom back-half on the free plan. | kishury.com |
| ktzr.io | Not today. Links end in a random code. | Pricing |
How this comparison was made
Last verified: September 29, 2026. Each row links to the page it was read on. Services change their plans, so follow the link before you rely on a row.
Each fact about another service was read on that service's own pricing page, terms or help center, then checked again against the same source. Where a service says nothing, we say nothing on its behalf. did.li is not in the tables: when the facts were checked, its pages were available only as an archived copy. The ktzr.io rows describe the product as it is today, and their numbers match the pricing page. For one service in more depth, read Bitly's free plan limits.
Katzr.Net is a different service with a different operator and has no connection to ktzr.io. Bitly, TinyURL and the other names on this page are trademarks of their owners, and ktzr.io is not affiliated with any of them.
Try ktzr.io
Up to 100 active links, a QR code for each, no ads and no preview pages, and a destination you can change later.
More guides: URL shorteners without ads, Do short links expire?, Are short links safe?