Short.io Alternative
Why users are switching for unlimited links with no click limits and free team collaboration
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Short.io Free | Pro $18/mo | Team $48/mo | Sinkto.Link Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branded Short Links | 1,000 total | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited |
| Custom Domains | 5 | 10 | 50 | ✅ Pro (up to 3) |
| Tracked Clicks | 50K/mo | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited |
| Link Analytics | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | ✅ Advanced |
| QR Codes | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ + Logo Upload |
| Password Protection | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom Social Previews | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Pro |
| Team Members | 1 | 1 | Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited |
| Country Targeting | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Coming Soon |
| API Access | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ MCP (AI agents) |
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $18 | $48 | $0 |
| Annual Cost | $0 | $216 | $576 | $0 |
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
💰 Pricing
Short.io Free
Generous free tier: 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links, 50K tracked clicks/month, 1 user. One of the best free tiers among URL shorteners.
Short.io Hobby ($5/mo)
7 custom domains, 2,500 links, 100K clicks, country targeting, referrer hiding. Good for personal projects.
Short.io Pro ($18/mo)
10 custom domains, unlimited links, unlimited clicks, password protection, link expiration, link cloaking. The most popular paid tier at $216/year.
Short.io Team ($48/mo)
50 custom domains, unlimited users, city/region targeting, mobile deep links, end-to-end encryption, 99.9% uptime SLA. $576/year.
Sinkto.Link (Free)
Everything unlimited: links, clicks, team members, advanced analytics, QR codes with logo, password protection — all free forever. Custom domains (up to 3 per team) and custom social previews are available on the Pro plan.
🌐 Custom Domains
Short.io
Free: 5 domains (genuinely generous, and more free domains than Sinkto.Link offers). Hobby: 7. Pro: 10. Team: 50. Enterprise ($148/mo): unlimited. To go beyond 10 domains, you need Team at minimum $48/mo ($576/year).
Sinkto.Link
Custom domains on the Pro plan, up to 3 per team, live today — add the domain, add a TXT and CNAME record, verify. Your links keep working on sinkto.link too. Short.io wins on sheer domain count; Sinkto.Link's free plan wins on unlimited links, unlimited clicks, team collaboration, password protection, and QR codes.
👥 Team Collaboration
Short.io Free / Hobby / Pro
Single user only. No sharing, no collaboration, no role permissions. Even Pro at $18/mo is solo-only.
Short.io Team ($48/mo)
Unlimited users, 50 custom domains, city/region targeting, mobile deep links, encryption, 99.9% SLA. Solid enterprise features at $576/year.
Sinkto.Link (Free)
Unlimited team members with role-based permissions (Owner, Admin, Member). Shared workspaces, collaborative link management, shared analytics — all free. Save $576/year compared to Short.io Team.
⭐ Unique Features
Short.io Advantages
- Country & city-level targeting (geo-based redirects)
- Link cloaking (hide destination URL)
- End-to-end encryption (Team plan)
- 99.9% uptime SLA guarantee (Team plan)
- 30 language support (international focus)
- S3 raw data export (Enterprise)
- Integration marketplace (Zapier, WordPress, etc.)
Sinkto.Link Advantages
- QR codes with logo upload (branded QR codes — Short.io doesn't offer QR codes at all)
- Password-protected links (exclusive content gating)
- Unlimited everything (no artificial limits)
- $0 team collaboration (Short.io charges $48/mo for the same thing)
- No click tracking caps (Short.io free caps at 50K/mo)
- Custom social previews on Pro (set the title, description, and image every link shows on WhatsApp, X, Slack, and the rest — Short.io keeps its equivalent on paid plans too)
Which Tool for What?
For Small Teams & Startups
Winner: Sinkto.Link
Save $576/year. Short.io Team costs $48/mo for unlimited users. Sinkto.Link gives you the same team collaboration plus password-protected links and QR codes — all free.
For Multi-Domain Agencies
Winner: Short.io
Managing 10+ client domains? Short.io is the better fit — Team ($48/mo) covers 50 domains and Enterprise ($148/mo) is unlimited. Sinkto.Link supports up to 3 custom domains per team on the Pro plan, so it suits agencies running a handful of brands rather than dozens.
For International Businesses (Geo-Targeting)
Winner: Short.io
If you need country or city-based link redirection (send UK users to your .co.uk site, US users to .com), Short.io is the clear choice. This is their standout feature that few competitors offer.
For Content Creators
Winner: Sinkto.Link
QR codes with your logo + password-protected exclusive content + up to 3 custom domains on Pro for different niches. Short.io doesn't offer QR codes at any price point.
For Personal Use
Tie: Both Excellent
Short.io Free (5 domains, 1000 links) vs Sinkto.Link (unlimited both). Both are great for personal use. Choose Sinkto.Link if you might grow into needing teams or more domains later.
Annual Cost Comparison
Short.io Pro
Unlimited links, 10 domains, no teams
Short.io Team
50 domains, unlimited users, geo-targeting
Sinkto.Link
Unlimited everything, free forever
💰 Save $576/year
How to Switch from Short.io
Export from Short.io
Download your Short.io links as CSV from your dashboard.
Sign Up Free
Create your Sinkto.Link account — no credit card required.
Add Your Domains
On the Pro plan you can add up to 3 custom domains: add the domain, add the TXT and CNAME records at your DNS provider, then verify.
Import Links
Upload your CSV or recreate important links with the same aliases.
Invite Your Team
Add unlimited team members with role permissions — save $48/mo vs Short.io Team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sinkto.Link a good free alternative to Short.io?
Yes. Short.io has a genuinely generous free tier (5 custom domains, 1,000 links), and it beats Sinkto.Link on free branded domains. Where Sinkto.Link goes further is everything else it gives away: unlimited links, unlimited team members, password-protected links, and QR codes with logo upload, all completely free. Custom domains are available on the Pro plan, up to 3 per team.
How does Sinkto.Link compare to Short.io's free plan?
Short.io Free offers 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links, 50K tracked clicks/month, and 1 user — which is already good, and its 5 free domains are more than Sinkto.Link offers for free. Sinkto.Link's free plan counters with unlimited links, no click tracking limits, team collaboration, and password protection. Custom domains sit on the Pro plan, up to 3 per team.
Does Sinkto.Link have team features like Short.io Team?
Yes, and they're free. Short.io charges $48/month ($576/year) for team features with unlimited users. Sinkto.Link offers unlimited team members with role-based permissions at $0. Same feature, very different price.
Can I use custom domains on Sinkto.Link?
Yes. Custom domains are live on the Pro plan, with up to 3 domains per team — add the domain, add a TXT and CNAME record at your DNS provider, then verify. Your links keep working on sinkto.link as well. Short.io's free plan gives you 5 domains, Hobby gives 7, Pro gives 10, Team gives 50, and only Enterprise offers unlimited domains at $148/month ($1,776/year), so Short.io wins on domain count while Sinkto.Link gives away unlimited links, team collaboration, and password protection for free.
How does analytics compare between Sinkto.Link and Short.io?
Both offer solid analytics. Short.io provides country-level data on free plans and city-level on paid plans. Sinkto.Link provides full analytics including country/city, device types, browser data, referrer sources, UTM tracking, and real-time updates — all for free with no click volume limits.
What features does Short.io have that Sinkto.Link doesn't?
Short.io offers country/city targeting (redirect users based on location), link cloaking (hide destination URL), end-to-end encryption (Team plan), 99.9% uptime SLA (Team plan), SSO (Enterprise), and support for 30 languages. These are genuinely useful features for specific use cases.
Can I import my Short.io links to Sinkto.Link?
Yes. Export your links as CSV from your Short.io dashboard, then import them into Sinkto.Link or manually recreate important links with the same aliases. Your custom domains can be transferred by updating DNS records to point to Sinkto.Link.
Further Reading
Best URL Shortener for Teams →
Team features compared, and which ones cost per seat
How to Track Link Clicks →
Geography, device, referrer and UTM data from every click
How to Create Custom Short Links →
Branded domains and the slugs worth using
Sinkto.Link for Small Business →
Unlimited links and team access at $0/month
Compare With Other Tools
Ready to Save $576/Year?
Get Short.io-level features plus password-protected links, QR codes with logo upload, and team collaboration — all free.
Custom domains available on the Pro plan (up to 3)
✓ No credit card required • ✓ Unlimited links & team members on the free plan • Cancel anytime (it's free!)