Best Bitly Alternatives in Canada: Top 7 Link Shorteners (2025)
Looking for a Bitly alternative? Compare the 7 best link shorteners for Canadian businesses, including pricing, features, privacy compliance, and analytics capabilities.
Quick Comparison: Best Link Shorteners 2025
| Service | Starting Price | Analytics | Custom Domains | Canadian Hosting | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobily 🇨🇦 | $7 CAD/mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Canadian businesses, privacy-first |
| Bitly | $29 USD/mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Large enterprises |
| TinyURL | Free | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Personal use, zero budget |
| Short.io | $20 USD/mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Enterprise teams, pixel retargeting |
| Rebrandly | $29 USD/mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Brand-focused teams |
| T2M.io | $19 USD/mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Marketing agencies |
| Ow.ly (Hootsuite) | $99 USD/mo | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | Hootsuite users only |
Detailed Reviews: Best Link Shorteners
1. Mobily (Our Pick) 🇨🇦
Best overall for Canadian businesses
What We Like:
- 75% cheaper than Bitly ($7 CAD vs $29 USD/month) with the same core features
- Canadian data hosting (PIPEDA compliant) - your data never leaves Canada
- Comprehensive analytics including device, browser, location, and referrer tracking
- Password-protected links and expiration dates for sensitive content
- Free plan available (50 links/month) to test before upgrading
Pricing:
2. Bitly
Industry leader, but expensive
Bitly is the most well-known link shortener, trusted by Fortune 500 companies. Excellent analytics, custom domains, and enterprise features. However, pricing starts at $29 USD/month (~$39 CAD), making it 3-4x more expensive than alternatives.
Best For:
Large enterprises with big budgets that need brand recognition and advanced team features.
💰 Cost Comparison: Switching from Bitly to Mobily saves $348 CAD/year (74% savings) while keeping the same features.
3. TinyURL
Free but feature-limited
TinyURL has been around since 2002 and offers completely free, unlimited link shortening. However, there are ZERO analytics, no custom domains, and no link management features. Perfect for casual personal use, but not suitable for businesses.
Best For:
Personal use, sharing links with friends, or when you have absolutely zero budget.
⚠️ Major Limitation: TinyURL provides NO analytics whatsoever. You can't see clicks, devices, or locations. If you need any tracking, you must use a paid tool.
4. Short.io
Advanced features, US-hosted
Short.io offers excellent analytics, custom domains, and advanced features like pixel retargeting and deep linking for mobile apps. Good choice for enterprise teams, but hosted in US/EU (not Canada). Pricing is $20 USD/month for 5,000 links.
Best For:
Marketing agencies and enterprises needing pixel retargeting or mobile deep linking.
🇨🇦 Privacy Note: Short.io hosts data in US/EU. If Canadian data sovereignty matters, choose Mobily instead.
5. Rebrandly
Brand-focused link management
Rebrandly emphasizes branded links with extensive custom domain support. Strong analytics and team collaboration features. Pricing starts at $29 USD/month for 5,000 branded links. Similar features to Bitly but with better branding focus.
Best For:
Teams that prioritize brand consistency across multiple custom domains.
6. T2M.io (Track to Monetize)
Link monetization focus
T2M.io offers link shortening plus monetization features (you can earn money from your short links through ads). Good analytics and custom domains. Pricing is $19 USD/month for 10,000 links.
Best For:
Content creators and affiliates wanting to monetize their link clicks.
7. Ow.ly (Hootsuite)
Integrated with Hootsuite only
Ow.ly is Hootsuite's built-in link shortener. Only available to Hootsuite subscribers (minimum $99 USD/month). Basic analytics and no custom domain support. Not recommended unless you're already a Hootsuite customer.
Best For:
Existing Hootsuite users who want basic shortening without a separate tool.
How to Choose the Right Link Shortener
If you need Canadian data hosting (PIPEDA compliance):
Choose Mobily. It's the only Canadian-hosted link shortener on this list. Your data never leaves Canada, ensuring full PIPEDA compliance.
Try Mobily free →If you have zero budget:
Choose TinyURL. It's completely free forever with unlimited links. However, you get no analytics, no custom domains, and no link management.
(Mobily also has a free plan with 50 links/month + analytics if you need basic tracking)
If you want the best value for money:
Choose Mobily. At $7 CAD/month, it's 75% cheaper than Bitly and 60% cheaper than Short.io, with the same core features (analytics, custom domains, password protection).
View Mobily pricing →If you need advanced enterprise features:
Choose Short.io or Bitly. They offer pixel retargeting, deep linking, advanced team workspaces, and more enterprise-grade features that Mobily doesn't have yet.
If you want to monetize your links:
Choose T2M.io. It's designed for content creators and affiliates who want to earn money from their short links through advertising.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the cheapest Bitly alternative?
Mobily at $7 CAD/month is the cheapest professional alternative with full analytics, custom domains, and password protection. TinyURL is free but has no analytics or features.
Which link shortener is best for Canadian businesses?
Mobily is the best choice for Canadian businesses because it's the only service that hosts data in Canada (PIPEDA compliant), offers competitive pricing ($7 CAD/month), and includes all essential features.
Is Bitly worth the price?
Bitly is worth it for large enterprises that need brand recognition and advanced team features. However, for small-medium businesses, Mobily offers the same core features at 70% lower cost ($7 CAD vs $29 USD/month).
Can I use a custom domain with free link shorteners?
No. Free services like TinyURL don't support custom domains. You need a paid plan to use branded domains (e.g., go.yourbrand.com). Mobily's Pro plan ($7 CAD/month) includes custom domain support.
Do all link shorteners provide analytics?
No. TinyURL provides ZERO analytics. Most paid services (Mobily, Bitly, Short.io, Rebrandly) include comprehensive analytics showing clicks, devices, browsers, locations, and referrers.
What's the difference between Mobily and Short.io?
Both offer branded links and analytics. The main differences: Mobily is 60% cheaper ($7 CAD vs $20 USD), hosts data in Canada (vs US/EU), and focuses on simplicity. Short.io has more advanced features like pixel retargeting and deep linking. See full comparison →
Ready to Try Canada's Best Link Shortener?
Start with 100 free links/month. Upgrade to Pro for just $7 CAD/month—75% cheaper than Bitly.
14-day free trial • No credit card required • Cancel anytime