Top 10 Alternatives to Google URL Shortener for Streamlined Links

Published January 26, 2025 · GoTo.now Team

TL;DR - Google shut down goo.gl, and every shortener user learned a lesson: pick a service that will stick around and won't hold your links hostage. Here are ten solid replacements, what each does best, and the questions to ask before you commit.

Key points

• Google retired goo.gl - Existing short links eventually stopped resolving
• The big lesson: never build on links that can expire or disappear
• Free tiers vary wildly - Some cap links, clicks, or analytics
• GoTo.now is free with links that never expire and private stats
• Match the tool to your need: simplicity, branding, or deep tracking

Remember goo.gl? Millions of people trusted it, then Google walked away and all those links faced the void. If you're hunting for a replacement, the good news is there are plenty. The better news: some of them beat goo.gl at its own game.

What goo.gl's shutdown should teach you

When a shortener dies, every link it ever made dies with it - In tweets, documents, printed flyers, old emails. You can't fix them because you don't control the domain. That's the real risk to weigh before picking a new home for your links.

So judge every candidate on four things:

• Longevity. Do links expire? Has the service threatened to sunset anything?
• Cost creep. Is the free tier usable, or a demo with a paywall behind it?
• Tracking. Do you get click stats, and who else can see them?
• Flexibility. Can you customize link endings and edit destinations later?

Keep those in mind as you go down the list.

The top 10, compared

All ten will shorten a URL. The differences show up in week two, when you want to edit a link, check your numbers, or avoid a surprise invoice.

Why GoTo.now tops the list

Full disclosure: you're reading this on GoTo.now, so weigh my bias. But the case is easy to make with facts.

The core service is free - Shortening, tracking, and QR codes included. Links never expire, which is exactly the guarantee goo.gl users wish they'd had. Custom back-halves like goto.now/your-brand cost nothing with an account, and branded domains are there when you want links on your own name.

Two things stand out against the big names. First, click stats are private to the link owner - On some services, anyone who adds a "+" to your link can browse your numbers. Here, only you see your dashboard. Second, every link comes with an editable QR code: print it, and if the destination changes, update the link instead of the poster. Unlimited scans, no reprints.

Matching a shortener to how you work

Different people, different right answers:

1. Just need one quick link, no account? TinyURL or Is.gd are fine - Or paste into GoTo.now and get tracking for free anyway.
2. A creator or small business? You want free custom endings, stats, and QR codes. That's the GoTo.now sweet spot.
3. A big team with a martech budget? Bitly and BL.INK earn their invoices with integrations and permissions.
4. A developer who trusts nobody? Self-host Polr and own the whole stack.

Whichever way you lean, test the free tier with a real campaign before moving your whole operation. And check any shortened link you receive - From any service - With a URL checker before clicking, since not every shortener polices abuse equally.

Life after Google URL Shortener

The goo.gl era ended, but honestly, today's options are better than what Google offered even at its peak - Goo.gl never had editable destinations, branded endings, or private analytics dashboards.

Any of the ten above can shorten your next link. Just apply the goo.gl test before you settle in: will my links outlive this pricing page? If the answer needs to be yes - And it does - Start with the option where links are free and never expire, and keep the other nine as trivia.