Short.io Free Plan in 2026: 5 Domains, 1,000 Branded Links in Total, and the Catches
What Short.io's free plan includes in 2026, why its 1,000 links are a lifetime limit, what each paid plan costs, and when another shortener is a better fit.
Yes, Short.io has a free plan, and for branded links it has the largest up-front allowance of the free plans we compared: 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links in total, 50,000 tracked clicks a month and unlimited redirects. The catch is that 1,000 links is a lifetime limit, not a monthly one, and one user is all you get.
Short.io is designed for people who want links on their own domain. If that is you, the free plan is a strong place to start. If you just want to shorten a link quickly, or you will create links for years, the way the limit works matters more than the headline number.
Short answer: Short.io is free for 1 user with 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links in total and 50,000 tracked clicks a month. Link expiration and password protection need the $18 Pro plan. Paid plans start at $5 a month.
What does Short.io's free plan include in 2026?
| Feature | Free plan |
|---|---|
| Users | 1 |
| Custom domains | 5 |
| Branded links | 1,000 in total |
| Links created by API, bulk or automation | Count toward the same 1,000 |
| Tracked clicks | 50,000 a month (see the catches below) |
| Redirects | Unlimited |
| Also included on every plan | Destination editing, API access, QR codes, UTM builder, link tags, link import and export |
| Conversions tracked | 50 a month |
| Folders | 3 |
| Storage | 10 MB |
| API rate limit | 50 requests a second |
| Link expiration, password protection, cloaking | No (Pro and above) |
| Country targeting, referrer hiding | No (Hobby and above) |
These figures come from Short.io's pricing page and help center, read on 27 October 2026 and linked below.
What are the catches on Short.io's free plan?
1. The 1,000 links are not per month
Short.io labels the free allowance "Branded links total" and its help center describes it as a limit for the account. Links created through the API, Zapier or Make, or bulk creation count toward the same total. Short.io's docs call it a count for the whole account lifetime, while its pricing FAQ says you can delete links to stay within your limits, so ask support whether deleting frees a slot. If you create 25 links a month, that is about 3 years of use. If you create 100 a month, it is 10 months.
2. It is built around your own domain
Short.io's strength is branded links, and the free plan allows 5 custom domains. Short.io also offers a free s.gy subdomain. Activating it requires phone verification unless a phone number is already on your profile, and until it is activated, links you create on it will not open. The docs we read do not say whether the s.gy subdomain counts toward the 5-domain limit.
3. Useful link controls start at $18
Link expiration, password protection, link cloaking and click-limit expiration are listed from the Pro plan at $18 a month. Country targeting and referrer hiding start at Hobby, $5 a month. The free plan does include destination editing, API access, QR codes and a UTM builder.
4. Click detail is capped at 50,000
Short.io's plan grid lists 50,000 tracked clicks a month on Free, while its pricing FAQ words it as detailed statistics for your first 50,000 clicks. Past that, Short.io says it keeps collecting data and your links keep working, but you cannot view all of it until you upgrade.
5. One user, and small storage
The free plan is for a single user, with 3 folders and 10 MB of storage. Unlimited users start on the Team plan at $48 a month, which also adds city and region targeting, mobile deep links, end-to-end encryption and a 99.9% uptime SLA.
How much does Short.io cost in 2026?
| Plan | Price a month (billed monthly) | Custom domains |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 |
| Hobby | $5 | 7 |
| Pro | $18 | 10 |
| Team | $48 | 50 |
| Enterprise | $148 | Unlimited |
| Plan | Branded links | Tracked clicks |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 in total | 50,000 a month |
| Hobby | 2,500 in total | 100,000 a month |
| Pro | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Team | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Unlimited |
These are the monthly prices Short.io showed in US dollars on 27 October 2026. Free, Hobby and Pro are for 1 user; Team and Enterprise have unlimited users. The page offers an annual option that it says saves 17%, but we did not read the annual prices. Short.io caps links created by API, bulk or automation at 10,000 a year on Pro and 100,000 a year on Team, while branded links themselves are unlimited.
How many links can you create on each free plan?
| Free plan | Link limit | Links in a year |
|---|---|---|
| Short.io | 1,000 branded links in total | 1,000 (lifetime), then upgrade |
| Dub | 25 a month | 300 |
| Rebrandly | 10 a month | 120 |
| Bitly | 5 a month | 60 |
| TinyURL | Not stated in its help center | Not stated |
| FattyURL | No monthly or total cap; creation speed is limited (100 an hour, 1,000 a day with a verified account) | No cap, but limited to 1,000 a day |
Short.io has the largest up-front allowance in this comparison, with 1,000 branded links. The difference is the shape of the limit: a lifetime total is generous at first and then ends, while a monthly cap renews. See our guides to the Rebrandly free plan and the Dub free plan for the other two.
What are the best free Short.io alternatives?
If Short.io's setup or lifetime limit does not suit you, these are the alternatives to check. Disclosure: FattyURL is our product.
| If you need | Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A shortener with no total link cap | FattyURL | No monthly or total cap on links; only creation speed is limited |
| No account and no setup | FattyURL | Shorten and make a QR code with no sign up |
| A long click history and no link cap | FattyURL | A free account shows analytics windows of 7, 30, 90 and 365 days, with no limit on how many links you create |
| An open-source platform | Dub | Core code is open source under AGPLv3; free plan has 25 new links a month and 3 custom domains |
| A custom domain on a paid plan, cheaply | Short.io Hobby | 7 domains and 2,500 links for $5 a month |
You can shorten a link with no account. A free account adds custom slugs, click analytics for every link, editing a link's destination and CSV export, and links in a free account never expire. Links made without an account from 7 October 2026 expire after 30 days with no click. Free links may show ads; links on a paid plan never do. Your own domain is a paid feature. Short.io is the better choice if you need several branded domains for free. FattyURL's own-domain feature is on paid plans: Pro is $9 a month for 10 domains, and Business is $39 a month for 50. Short.io's Hobby plan at $5 is cheaper to start.
For the wider field, see our comparison of the best free URL shorteners in 2026, or our guide to making a custom short link for free.
Is Short.io worth it, or should you switch?
- Stay on Short.io if you want several branded domains for free and will create well under 1,000 links in total.
- Move to Hobby or Pro when you reach the total, or when you need expiring links or password protection.
- Switch if you create links all the time and do not want a lifetime ceiling, or you want a link in seconds with no domain setup.
FAQ
Is Short.io free?
Yes. Short.io has a free plan for one user with 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links in total and 50,000 tracked clicks a month. Paid plans start at $5 a month.
How many links can I create on Short.io's free plan?
1,000 branded links in total for the account, not per month. Links created by API, bulk or automation count toward the same total.
Does Short.io's free plan need my own domain?
It allows up to 5 custom domains. Short.io also offers a free s.gy subdomain, which needs phone verification (unless a phone number is already on your profile) before it works.
Does Short.io have link expiration on the free plan?
No. Link expiration, password protection and link cloaking are listed from the Pro plan at $18 a month.
How much does Short.io cost?
On monthly billing: Hobby $5, Pro $18, Team $48 and Enterprise $148 a month. The free plan costs nothing.
What is the best free alternative to Short.io?
For no cap on total links and no account, FattyURL. For an open-source platform, Dub. For free branded domains, Short.io itself has the largest allowance of the plans we compared.
Sources
- Short.io: pricing and plan comparison (read 27 October 2026)
- Short.io docs: how to check the number of created short links and domains
- Short.io docs: how to activate a free s.gy subdomain
- Rebrandly pricing, Dub pricing, Bitly free plan, TinyURL: what is included in the free plan
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not legal or security advice. It was researched and drafted with the help of AI, and its facts were checked against the sources linked above, mostly each provider's own pricing, help and policy pages. URL shorteners, QR code tools and social platforms change their plans, prices and rules often, so confirm the details on the provider's website before you choose a plan, move your links or print a QR code. FattyURL is our own product. Spotted something out of date, or a FattyURL link being misused? Tell us and we will act on it.
