Short.io Alternative
Why users are switching for unlimited custom domains (coming soon) 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 | 🔜 Coming Soon |
| Tracked Clicks | 50K/mo | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited |
| Link Analytics | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | ✅ Advanced |
| QR Codes | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ + Logo Upload |
| Password Protection | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Team Members | 1 | 1 | Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited |
| Country Targeting | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Coming Soon |
| API Access | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 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: custom domains, links, clicks, team members, advanced analytics, QR codes with logo, password protection — all free forever.
🌐 Custom Domains
Short.io
Free: 5 domains (generous!). 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
Unlimited custom domains at $0 from day one (coming soon). No need to upgrade to Team or Enterprise plans just to add more domains. 🔜 Rolling out soon — sign up early to get priority access.
👥 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)
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: Sinkto.Link
Managing 10+ client domains? Short.io requires Team ($48/mo) for 50 domains or Enterprise ($148/mo) for unlimited. Sinkto.Link: unlimited domains from day one at $0.
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 + unlimited custom domains (coming soon) 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
Custom domain support is coming soon to Sinkto.Link. Unlike Short.io, there will be no limit — and it's included free.
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. While Short.io has a generous free tier (5 custom domains, 1,000 links), Sinkto.Link goes further with unlimited custom domains (coming soon), unlimited team members, password-protected links, and QR codes with logo upload — all completely free.
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. Sinkto.Link matches all of that but adds: unlimited custom domains (coming soon), team collaboration, password protection, and no click tracking limits.
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 unlimited custom domains on Sinkto.Link?
Yes, absolutely unlimited once launched (coming soon). Short.io's free plan gives you 5 domains, Hobby gives 7, Pro gives 10, Team gives 50, and only Enterprise offers truly unlimited domains at $148/month ($1,776/year). Sinkto.Link will give you unlimited domains from day one 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.
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 coming soon
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