RELURL vs Cuttly: Which Free URL Shortener Offers More?

RELURL and Cuttly are two of the most popular free URL shorteners available in 2026, but they serve different audiences with different priorities. Cuttly has built a reputation as a straightforward link shortener with a generous free tier, while RELURL has emerged as a full-featured link management platform that happens to offer an excellent free plan. This comparison breaks down exactly where each platform excels so you can decide which one fits your workflow.

Both tools let you shorten URLs, track clicks, and manage links through a dashboard. But the differences become apparent when you look at analytics depth, custom domain support, team features, and the breadth of the free tier. RELURL focuses on providing professional-grade features even at the free level, while Cuttly keeps things simpler with fewer moving parts.

Free Tier Comparison

The free tier is where most users start, and both platforms offer compelling options. Cuttly's free plan includes unlimited links, basic click tracking, and the ability to create custom short URLs. You cannot use custom domains on the free plan, and analytics are limited to the last 100 clicks per link.

RELURL's free plan goes further. You get unlimited links, full click analytics with geographic and device breakdowns, QR codes for every link, UTM parameter builder, and the ability to set expiration dates. Where Cuttly restricts historical data, RELURL retains your analytics indefinitely on the free plan. The difference is significant for anyone who needs to track link performance over time without paying for a subscription.

• Cuttly free: unlimited links, basic click count, custom slugs, no custom domains, limited analytics retention
• RELURL free: unlimited links, full analytics with geo and device data, QR codes, UTM builder, link expiration, no limit on analytics retention
• Cuttly paid starts at $4.99/month for custom domains and advanced analytics
• RELURL paid starts at $9/month for team features, API access, and priority support

Analytics and Data Depth

Analytics is the area with the widest gap between the two platforms. Cuttly provides basic click counts and a simple referrer log. You can see how many clicks each link received and which websites sent traffic. That is sufficient for casual users who just want to know if anyone clicked their link.

RELURL offers enterprise-grade analytics on every plan. You get total clicks, unique clicks, geographic distribution by country and city, device type breakdown (desktop, mobile, tablet), operating system data, browser data, referrer details, and real-time click maps. All of this is available in the dashboard with visual charts and exportable CSV reports.

For marketers and businesses, RELURL's analytics are a decisive advantage. The ability to see exactly where your clicks come from, what devices your audience uses, and how traffic trends over time allows data-driven decision-making that Cuttly simply cannot support.

Custom Domain Support

Custom domains transform short links from generic utilities into branded assets. Cuttly supports custom domains on its paid plans starting at $4.99 per month. The setup process is straightforward with CNAME configuration, and you can use your own domain for all shortened URLs.

RELURL also supports custom domains on paid plans. The key difference is that RELURL automatically provisions SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt for every custom domain, ensuring all your short links serve over HTTPS with no manual certificate management. Both platforms handle the DNS configuration similarly, but RELURL's automatic SSL is a small but meaningful convenience.

Link Management and Organization

How you organize and manage links at scale matters when you have hundreds or thousands of short URLs. Cuttly keeps things minimal with a simple list view and basic search. You can edit existing links, update destinations, and delete links you no longer need.

RELURL provides a more sophisticated management layer. Links can be organized into folders, tagged with labels, searched by custom fields, and bulk edited. You can set link expiration dates, password-protect links, and create disposable links that self-destruct after a set number of uses. The dashboard supports sorting, filtering, and exporting your entire link library.

For power users and teams, RELURL's organizational features make it practical to manage links at scale. Cuttly is better suited to individual users with modest link management needs.

API and Developer Features

Both platforms offer REST APIs for programmatic link creation and management, but they differ in scope. Cuttly's API covers the basics: create short links, retrieve click counts, and manage existing links. Rate limits are reasonable for most use cases.

RELURL's API is more comprehensive, including endpoints for bulk operations, analytics retrieval, QR code generation, UTM parameter management, and domain management. RELURL also provides webhooks for real-time event notifications, SDK libraries for popular programming languages, and detailed API documentation with interactive examples.

Developers who need to integrate URL shortening into their applications will find RELURL's API more capable and better documented. Cuttly's API is sufficient for basic integration but lacks the depth required for complex automation workflows.

Pricing Comparison

Cuttly's pricing starts at $4.99 per month for the Basic plan, which adds custom domains, advanced analytics, and API access. The Pro plan at $9.99 per month includes team features and priority support. Annual billing discounts are available.

RELURL's pricing starts at $9 per month for the Pro plan, which includes team members, API access, webhooks, and custom domains. The free plan is generous enough that many users never need to upgrade. For users who need advanced features, RELURL offers better value because the free tier covers more ground and the paid tiers include features that Cuttly charges extra for.

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose Cuttly if you need a simple, no-fuss URL shortener for occasional use and want the lowest possible entry point for custom domain support. Cuttly's simplicity is its strength for users who do not need advanced analytics or link management features.

Choose RELURL if you need serious analytics, plan to manage links at scale, want a generous free tier, or need developer features like webhooks and a comprehensive API. RELURL's depth of features makes it suitable for everything from personal link management to enterprise marketing campaigns.