Short.io review: branded URL shortener with custom domains, analytics and QR codes. Free plan, paid plans from $5/month. Features, pricing and FAQs.
Researched and fact-checked by Bartu Cavusoglu · Updated October 26, 2026
Short.io is a URL shortener that lets businesses create branded short links on their own domain or on a free s.gy subdomain. Beyond shortening, it adds click analytics, dynamic QR codes, team workspaces and a REST API, so one account covers link creation, tracking and management. It is operated by Short.cm Inc., and its site says it has shortened more than 13 billion links since 2015.
The product is aimed at marketers, sales teams, agencies and developers who need links that look trustworthy and report on how they perform. The company lists 1.2 million active users and states that it holds ISO 27001 certification and SOC2 Type II compliance, which may matter to buyers whose security review asks for formal certifications. The interface is offered in many languages.
Users sign up for a free account, then choose a domain setup: buy a domain inside Short.io (from $7 per year), connect an existing domain through DNS settings, or start with a free s.gy subdomain. Free automated SSL covers the short links, and one account can hold several domains with separate settings for each client, brand or project.
Links are created from the dashboard, browser extensions, Slack, the mobile apps, bulk CSV import or the API. Each link can have a custom slug, tags, UTM parameters and a folder. Every click is recorded, and the clickstream shows status code, method, referrer and user agent, while reports break traffic down by device, browser, country and city.
Analytics include a real-time click stream, device, browser and referrer breakdowns, and country and city-level geo data, with custom or preset date ranges. Dynamic QR codes can have their destinations edited without reprinting, support colors, logos and finder shapes, and export as PNG, SVG or PDF. A/B testing, link bundles and link-in-bio posts are also listed in the plan comparison.
Targeting and control features include country targeting, mobile OS targeting, deep links, password protection, link expiration, click limits, cloaking and referrer hiding, with availability depending on plan. Link retargeting works through Meta Pixel and AdRoll without programming. Team accounts support roles, shared folders and shared analytics, and the Enterprise plan adds single sign-on for whole organizations.
Short.io is a URL shortener that creates branded short links on custom domains. It adds click analytics, dynamic QR codes, team collaboration and a REST API. It is operated by Short.cm Inc.
Short.io has a Free plan, then Hobby at $5 per month, Pro at $18, Team at $48 and Enterprise at $148. Annual billing saves 17%. Domain registration fees are not included.
Yes. The Free plan includes 1 user, 5 custom domains, 1,000 branded links in total, 50,000 tracked clicks per month and 10 MB of storage. No credit card is required, and the paid plans list a free trial.
Yes, including on the Free plan. You can connect an existing domain through DNS settings, buy one inside Short.io from $7 per year, or use a free s.gy subdomain. Free automated SSL is included.
Listed integrations include Zapier, Make, Segment, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, AdRoll, Slack, WordPress, Mailchimp and Shopify. Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge and iOS and Android apps are also offered.
Yes. It offers a REST API for creating, managing and tracking links, with bulk operations, webhooks and SDKs. API access is included in every plan, with a rate limit of 50 requests per second.
The company states that it holds ISO 27001 certification and SOC2 Type II compliance, and that links are served over HTTPS. Team and higher plans add end-to-end encryption, and the Team plan carries a 99.9% uptime SLA.
It suits marketing teams, agencies, sales teams, small and medium businesses and developers who want branded links with analytics. Teams needing SSO, multiple teams or S3 data export should look at the Enterprise plan.