URL ShortenerBitly alternatives that need no account.
Last updated: October 2, 2026 · By Gallera Studio, the maker of one of them
Bitly has closed its anonymous link shortener. Every link now needs an account, the free plan gives five links a month, and those links open through a preview page with an ad. If you only need a short link now and then, here is what still works without signing up. We make one of the options, so the page also says what ours cannot do.
The short answer
- One click in Chrome, no account, no ads on the link: the URL Shortener extension, ours.
- A website with no accounts at all: is.gd. Paste, shorten, done.
- No account now, statistics later: T.LY. Quick links work without sign-up; an account adds private statistics.
- Custom domains and statistics for free, with an account: Short.io.
- Branded links, QR codes, editing: stay with Bitly or look at Rebrandly. No no-account tool does that.
Comparison table
| Service | Short link without an account | Free limits | Ads or preview page on the link | Beyond a short link | Chrome extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| URL Shortener (Linklet) ours | Yes | No limit of its own | None: the link opens directly | Nothing more: no statistics, no custom domains, no editing | This one. New, few users yet |
| Bitly | No. The site and the extension need an account | 5 links a month | Yes: a preview page with an ad on free-plan links | Statistics, QR codes, custom domains on paid plans, from $10 a month billed yearly | 500,000 users · 3.7 (1.6K ratings) |
| TinyURL | Yes, on its website | 30 links a month with a free account | A preview page with an ad on links made through its old public address, the one third-party extensions use | Statistics, editing and custom domains on paid plans | No extension of its own in this comparison |
| T.LY | Yes, on the site and in the extension | One-off links without an account; an account starts a 5-day trial | None, according to its site | Private statistics, custom domains, editing on paid plans, from $55 a year | 300,000 users · 3.7 (175) |
| Rebrandly | Yes, on its website | 10 links a month with a free account | Not stated | Custom domains, statistics, UTM builder | 70,000 users · 4.3 (188) |
| is.gd | Yes. It has no accounts at all | 200 links an hour per address | None: direct redirect | Custom alias, optional statistics, QR code | No extension of its own |
| Short.io | No | 1,000 links in total, 5 custom domains | Not stated | Custom domains, statistics and API already on the free plan | 10,000 users · 4.2 (20) |
Limits and prices as shown on each service’s own pages on 2 October 2026; extension numbers from the Chrome Web Store on the same day. “Not stated” means the service’s pages do not say. Each name links to its source.
What ours cannot do
- No click statistics. You will not know how many people opened the link.
- No branded domains and no custom endings. The link looks like
is.gd/x7Qk2p. - No editing. Once made, a link cannot be changed or deleted: it lives at the service that made it.
- It depends on public services. The extension has no server of its own. It uses is.gd, da.gd and spoo.me and switches between them when one is down. If such a service changes its rules, we have to change too: TinyURL was removed in October 2026 for exactly that reason.
- Chrome on desktop only, and it is new.
What it does
- One click. Click the icon, or press Alt+Shift+S, and the address of the current tab becomes a short link, already in your clipboard.
- No account, no sign-up, no monthly quota.
- No ads on your links. Only services that redirect straight to the page are used.
- Three services. If one is down, the next takes over.
- Nothing collected. No server, no analytics. The only thing sent is the address you shorten, to the shortening service.
Notes on the others
Bitly
The best known, and the most complete: statistics, QR codes, branded domains. All of it sits behind an account. The free plan allows 5 links and 2 QR codes a month, and its links show a preview page with an ad. The first paid plan is $10 a month, billed yearly. Its Chrome extension has 500,000 users and a rating of 3.7.
TinyURL
You can still shorten a link on its website without signing in. A free account gives 30 links a month. Links made through its old public address, which third-party extensions use, now open through a preview page with an ad. More on that change.
T.LY
Works without an account on the site and in its extension. An account is a 5-day trial followed by paid plans, from $55 a year. Its extension has 300,000 users and a rating of 3.7.
Rebrandly
Its free tool shortens a link without an account. A free account allows 10 links a month. The product is built around branded domains.
is.gd
No accounts, no ads, a direct redirect. You can choose your own ending and switch on statistics. It is a website and an API, with no extension of its own. Our extension uses it as the first service.
Short.io
Needs an account, and gives a lot for free once you have one: 1,000 links, five custom domains, statistics and an API.
Questions
Can I still shorten a link with Bitly without an account?
No. Bitly has discontinued its anonymous link shortener: every link now needs an account. The free plan allows 5 links a month, and links on free accounts open through a preview page with an ad.
Which URL shorteners work without sign-up?
is.gd has no accounts at all. T.LY, TinyURL and Rebrandly let you shorten a link on their websites without signing in. In Chrome, the URL Shortener extension by Gallera Studio shortens the current page in one click, with no account.
Which short links open without ads?
Links from is.gd redirect directly. Links made by the URL Shortener extension open directly too: it uses is.gd, da.gd and spoo.me. Bitly shows a preview page with an ad on free-plan links, and TinyURL does the same for links made through its old public address.
When is Bitly still the better choice?
When you need click statistics, QR codes, branded domains or the ability to change where a link points. None of the no-account options gives all of that. Short.io offers custom domains and statistics on a free plan, with an account.
How was this comparison made?
Limits and prices are from each service’s own pricing and help pages on 2 October 2026. Extension user counts and ratings are from the Chrome Web Store on the same day. The TinyURL preview page was checked by making a link and opening it.
Something here out of date? Write to hello@gallerastudio.com and it will be corrected.
No account, no sign-up, no ads on your links.