Shortlen vs Short.io: which is right for you?
A dated comparison of Short.io's free plan and paid pricing tiers against Shortlen's own plans, for buyers choosing between the two link shorteners right now.
Shortlen Editorial · · 3 min read
The short answer
Short.io's free plan is generous — 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links and 50,000 tracked clicks a month — which makes it a strong pick for developers and multi-domain teams. Shortlen trades that depth for simplicity: three flat-priced plans (Free, Pro $7/month, Team $19/month) without a ladder of domain and click caps to track.
Key points
- Short.io's free plan includes 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links and 50,000 tracked clicks a month, with an API on every tier.
- Short.io's paid plans reportedly run from Hobby at $5/month up to Enterprise at $148/month, with 17% off on annual billing.
- Shortlen has three plans — Free, Pro at $7/month, and Team at $19/month — with no domain or click caps to calculate.
- Short.io is a strong fit for developers and teams managing several custom domains who want API access built into every plan.
- Shortlen is a better fit for someone who wants one domain, one plan, and a flat monthly price without comparing tiers of domain and click limits.
On this page
Short.io leads with custom domains and a free plan that’s hard to beat on paper: 5 domains, 1,000 branded links and 50,000 tracked clicks a month, all for $0. Shortlen takes a simpler route — three flat-priced plans (Free, Pro and Team) instead of a tier ladder built around domain counts and click caps. If you need multiple domains and API access from day one, Short.io is the stronger fit. If you want one plan with one clear price, Shortlen is easier to reason about.
What does Short.io’s free plan include?
Short.io’s free plan includes 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links and 50,000 tracked clicks a month, for a single user, with API access included (50 requests/second) and QR codes on every plan. That’s a wide free tier compared to most shorteners, and it’s a big part of why Short.io is popular with developers who want to test the API before committing to a paid plan.
What do Short.io’s paid plans cost?
Short.io’s paid tiers add more domains, more links and, eventually, unlimited everything:
| Plan | Price/month | Custom domains | Branded links | Tracked clicks | Users | API |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 | 1,000 | 50,000/mo | 1 | Yes, 50 req/s |
| Hobby | $5 (reportedly) | 7 | 2,500 | 100,000/mo | 1 | Yes, 50 req/s |
| Pro | $18 (reportedly) | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 | Yes, 50 req/s |
| Team | $48 (reportedly) | 50 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Yes, 50 req/s |
| Enterprise | $148 (reportedly) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Yes, 50 req/s, SSO |
A note on those paid figures: Short.io’s own pricing page loads its tier prices through client-side scripting, so the Hobby/Pro/Team/Enterprise numbers above come from independent 2026 reviews of that page rather than a direct read of the raw page text. The free-plan numbers (5 domains, 1,000 links, 50,000 clicks) were read directly from Short.io’s own pages. All paid tiers reportedly get 17% off with annual billing.
By comparison, Shortlen’s pricing stays at three plans: Free, Pro at $7/month, and Team at $19/month — no domain-count or click-count tiers to work through.
When does Short.io make more sense than Shortlen?
Short.io makes more sense if you’re a developer or a team that needs several custom domains and heavy API use from the start. Its free plan alone covers 5 domains and a generous click allowance, and every tier — including free — ships with API access. If your use case is domain-heavy (agencies, multi-brand companies, or anyone building on top of a shortener’s API) Short.io’s structure is built for that.
When does Shortlen make more sense than Short.io?
Shortlen makes more sense if you want one plan with one price, rather than working out which combination of domains, links and clicks you’ll actually need. Shortlen’s pricing is deliberately plain: Free to get started, Pro for your own domain and full analytics, Team for a small team with extra seats. There’s no tier math — just a flat monthly price for what you need.
Next step
If multi-domain support and API access matter most to you, see Short.io’s pricing page for the full tier breakdown. If you’d rather pick from three plain plans, see Shortlen’s pricing or contact us if you’re not sure which one fits.
Questions people ask
Is Short.io's free plan good enough for most people?
For a lot of individuals and small teams, yes — 5 custom domains and 1,000 branded links a month is more generous than most competitors' free tiers. It's worth checking the free plan first before paying for Hobby, Pro or Team.
Why does the article say Short.io's paid prices are 'reportedly' $5 to $148?
Short.io's own pricing page renders its paid-tier numbers through client-side scripting, so the figures above come from independent 2026 reviews of that page rather than a direct read of the raw page text. Treat them as accurate but not firsthand-confirmed until Short.io's page can be read directly.
Sources
- Short.io pricing, Short.io, 2026-10 (checked 2026-10-18)