9 Best Instagram URL Shorteners for Custom Bio Links
When it comes to links, Instagram loves baiting its users. Yes, we all know that all accounts are entitled to only one link in their bios but did you know that your link stands the risk of being banned without your knowledge?
If your bio link is too long, you might wake up one morning and find out that your Instagram bio link isn’t working. That’s why the smart business person uses an Instagram URL shortener.
Long links aren’t appealing on any platform. But, long Instagram bio links are particularly unsightly, especially when viewed on mobile devices.
Instagram doesn’t have the automatic link shortener that Twitter does. But they do have the ability to kill your link. And they’re not afraid to do it.
This is the primary reason why you need to have a link shortener that works on Instagram. However, there are hundreds of URL shorteners out there, but you only need one that works for you.
I’ve researched for you and compiled a list of the best Instagram URL shorteners available right now.
Later, I’ll give you even more reasons to make a short Instagram bio link, but for now, here are the nine best URL shorteners for Instagram.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission if you make a purchase with my link. Thank you
9 Best Instagram URL Shorteners
1. Shorby
Today, Shorby is known as one of the best Instagram bio link tools. But, this Instagram marketing tool was first created to be a URL shortener. This tool has also evolved and has become a fantastic Instagram link in bio shortener with some useful extras.
Shorby’s link shortener allows users to shorten links using its domain name: shor.by. However, this isn’t inflexible. You can change that and add your custom domain name instead.
And with your new shortened link comes tracking pixels and analytics. These figures will be able to give you information about visitors that clicked your links, such as the ads that they selected and more.
And for businesses that require communication between buyer and seller before the sale can be made, you can create messenger links. Messenger links automatically start a chat, email, or phone call with the seller.
This link can be left as a URL, or you can create a hyperlink with it. Messengers that you can link to include WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Viber, email, and phone calls.
But Shorby’s best feature is the ability to create a micro landing page where you can store all your links. This page is optimized for users migrating from Instagram, so the transition is extremely smooth.
In summary, Shorby serves as a link shortener for Instagram, a link in bio tool, and a messenger link creator.
It’s a tool solely designed for Instagram marketing.
Pricing: The Rocket plan is $15/month. Pro costs $29/month, and Agency tops it at $99/month.
2. Bitly
Bitly is one of the oldest and most popular Instagram URL shorteners on the internet. And because it doesn’t require an account or a fee to create a short Link, it can be regarded as the best free URL shortener.
All you need to do is sign up, and you can create an unlimited number of free links.
Whenever you use the Bitly URL shortener, a tracking and analytics page for that link is automatically created.
Data collected include the number of clicks, visitors’ location, and total clicks for all Bitly clicks related to similar content. Traffic can be monitored through automatically generated graphs.
Bitly can be integrated with many tools and services that can make marketing easier. QR codes are also an option.
You could customize your link to the very last letter or number, which gives a little boost to your branding.
Pricing: You can use the link shortener for free, but advanced features cost $29/month on the Basic plan. The Premium plan offers several more features for $199/month.
3. Rebrandly
Speaking of branding, Rebrandly focuses more on this than most. The company believes that your link should clearly bear your brand’s name.
They first help you set up your website’s domain name. This is what you’ll be using in your URLs, so not having one is problematic.
Apart from shortening links, you can also create custom URLs, fast redirects, QR codes, and set up times for link expirations.
You also get features for traffic routine like 301 SEO redirect, parameter forwarding, link retargeting, mobile deep linking, etc.
Your link analytics comes with a UTM builder, custom report builder with the option to add in your logo, and more.
Add multiple domain names, apply your SSL certificate and encrypt links with HTTPS.
Pricing: Rebrandly has a free plan with extremely limited features and then tiered paid plans ranging from $29/month to $499/month. There’s also a Custom package.
4. T2M
I had to put T2M on my list of best URL shorteners because of its sheer number of features. It has URL management features, analytics/statistics, branding with custom domains, CSV tools, campaign management, REST API, dedicated instance, support and compliance, and more.
Some of its best features include:
- No ads or delays
- Add tags to URLs
- Timeline chart
- Public analytic pages
- Free SSL
- CSV import and export tools
- Tag URLs as campaigns
- GPDR privacy
- Premium support.
However, the more advanced features are only available on, the more advanced plans.
Pricing: Plans start with a $5 one-time fee for the basic package. Standard costs $9.99, Pro is priced at $29.99/month, and Premium is $89.99 monthly. There’s a Dedicated package for those who need more than what’s offered on other plans.
5. BL.INK
This URL shortener allows you to bring the joy of SEO into linking. Create custom short links for more visible branding with highly-targeted words within the URL to increase exposure and conversation.
Its analytics allow users to check traffic based on referrer, device type, location, language, and more to better analyze your target audience.
BL.INK isn’t exactly cheap, but they offer many advanced features on even their smallest plan.
Pricing: BL.INK offers tiered plans for organizations ranging from Expert to Custom Enterprise. The cost range from $12/month to $599/month.
6. Hyperlink
The selling point of Hyperlink is its analytics. Hyperlink sends a push notification to your phone whenever someone clicks your link. You can set the report to pop up once hourly, daily, or weekly.
You also get analytics like location, device, and referral data for each visitor. You can integrate Hyperlink with Slack and Zapier, so the notifications show up there, instead.
You can also shorten links directly from your Chrome browser with a Hyperlink extension.
Pricing: There’s a free plan. The Standard plan costs $39/month. The Enterprise plan’s cost will be based on the scale of the business buying.
7. TinyURL
TinyURL has become a bit obsolete and doesn’t have a lot of features, but it is so simple to use that it’s almost upsetting. All you have to do copy and paste the long URL into the bar, click enter, and your URL is little.
Your links will never expire, so you don’t have to worry about broken links.
Plus, you can change the end portion of your link to reflect your brand. There’s also an option to add TinyURL to your browser for even faster shortening.
Oh, and it’s an entirely free URL shortener for Instagram.
Pricing: Free
8. Clkim
This software is quite similar to Rebrandly, except the focus is on monetization through full-page interstitial ads. These ads are extremely customizable, and you can even set them up for specific audiences based on platform, device, and geographical time.
Of course, you can still get analytics, but the focus is on targeting ads to the right audience for conversion. To ensure the ad reaches the intended audience without mishap, Clkim links are compatible with any and every device.
Pricing: This URL shortener offers visitors a free 14-day trial. Analyze plan is $10/month, Optimize is $70/month, and Monetize is $100/month, all billed yearly.
9. Polr
If none of these Instagram URL shorteners have caught your eye, why not make your own? Polr is an open-source project for people who prefer to make a custom link shortener for themselves.
However, you will need to have technical knowledge about programming. For example, you shouldn’t be unfamiliar with terms like PHP, Lumen, and MySQL.
With Polr, you can make an Instagram bio link shortener with a sleek, minimalist feel. You’ll also be able to add link activity analytics and your own domain name for better branding.
If you need a little preview to make up your mind, Polr has a nifty demo page that allows you to check out how the process works before you start. If you decide to create your own link shortener, all you have to do is create an account.
Pricing: Free
How Shortening Your URLs can Help Your Marketing
1. Short links are more appealing.
According to Rebrandly, branded shorter URLs have a 39% higher click-through rate (CTR) than longer ones. This is a clear indication that while the content within hasn’t changed, the link itself needs to appeal to the reader.
A lengthy URL just gives the impression of crowdedness and sloppy feeling.
2. Short URLs are more memorable.
A longer link is more eye-catching than a shorter link because it takes up more space.
But picture this: You want to send a link to someone to review the content. But, this is the link.
Pretty simple, right? No, of course, it’s not. It’s a whole lot of letters and numbers. Some people haven’t even managed to memorize their Social Security Numbers; talk less of this URL.
But when the link is shortened: https://amzn.to/3pnGfmz.
Most people can memorize that and repeat it correctly if necessary. Plus, it’s branded with “amzn,” so you know exactly what site it leads to.
This is an excellent way of slipping your brand into people’s minds. The next time they see such a link, they’ll be able to recognize your domain right away. Brand recognition is one of the stops on the way to brand loyalty.
3. More customizations
While customizing a domain is great, what’s even better is customizing the URL’s latter end. Most people want an idea of the content before clicking the link, and customizing the URL can give them that.
If you’ve ever researched a problematic topic and started looking at the URLs of the search results to glean a hint of the content, we relate. This is how a customized link can help you gain more traffic than your competitors.
4. As an Attachment
After saying your piece and doing your best to convince your audience with an ad or video campaign, you’re going to want to leave a link for further information.
But, if your link is too long, it can mess up all the aesthetics and mood you worked hard to build. This is especially true for Instagram, where you’re only allowed one bio link.
This is where a link shortener comes in. If the audience has just finished watching a video or reading an email or print piece, they probably won’t be able to remember a long link.
A short URL will be more memorable under the circumstances.
5. Analytics
All nine of our URL shorteners have link analytics. It’s crucial to track certain metrics to understand your target audience better.
Knowledge like how many times your link has been clicked, the visitors’ location, and where the link is being shared can help you gain a better understanding of your audience’s habits and expectations.
This might enable you to sell your products more effectively.
Conclusion
Choosing the best Instagram URL shortener for yourself depends on your needs.
If you’re looking for a shortener that’s dedicated to Instagram and also has some other essential Instagram marketing tools, Shorby is your best option.
If your goal is to shorten affiliate links for your Instagram bio, Shorby is also the best URL shortener for affiliate marketing on Instagram.
For a link shortener with sophisticated analytics, T2M works best.
Whatever you want your shortener to look like, I’m 100% sure that it’s on this list. You can also learn how to add your shortened link to your Instagram bio.
