Bitly vs Shrtlnk

Bitly is one of the oldest and most widely used link-management platforms, shortening URLs to bit.ly links and tracking clicks, geography, referrers, and campaigns. Its v4 REST API authenticates with an OAuth 2.0 access token and covers link creation, custom back-halves, QR codes, and analytics, returning JSON. A limited free tier exists, with paid Core and Enterprise plans unlocking higher volumes, branded domains, and deeper metrics.

Shrtlnk is a lightweight, developer-focused link shortener: register for an API key, then POST a URL with an api-key header to receive a short shrtlnk.dev link and basic click counts as JSON. It is built for simple programmatic shortening rather than a full marketing dashboard, and its free tier covers typical developer usage.