Best Rebrandly Alternative: Shorten & Brand URLs Like a Pro!

Let’s take a step back to understand the journey of URL shortening.

Once upon a time, URL shortening services emerged as saviors 🦸 in the era of character-limited tweets and lengthy web addresses.

Among these pioneers was Rebrandly, which provided not only concise URLs but also the option to brand them, adding a touch of professionalism to each link shared.

But as technology evolves, so do our needs.

Meet Linko, a competitor in the search for the best Rebrandly alternative!

Imagine you are a content creator or entrepreneur looking to increase engagement. Rebrandly pioneered branded URLs, while Linko promises more: simplicity, affordability, and innovation.

Linko does more than just shorten links; it also helps you establish a consistent online presence that appeals to your target audience.

We have developed Linko that seamlessly integrates into your workflow and provides customization, dependability, and scalability.

So, Linko emerges as a solution that goes beyond expectations.

Stay with us on this journey to uncover the best URL shortening and branding solution. And revolutionize the way you connect online with Linko!

A quick review of Rebrandly and Linko: Rebrandly alternative

Let’s dive into the pricing comparison to see how affordable Linko is.

Pricing comparison: Cheaper alternative to Rebrandly

Although Rebrandly offers a free and low-cost plan for individuals, but the drawback is that it does not include any premium features in its low-cost plans.

And the limit for the short links is only 250 in its essential plan, which is extremely low.

Thus, you have to break your bank to get their higher plan, gain access to premium features, and manage your links effectively.

Meanwhile, Linko prioritizes affordability without sacrificing any functionality. We provide reasonable pricing, and even Linko’s free plan has a generous limit.

Let’s compare the plans and pricing side by side.

Monthly Pricing

Yearly Pricing

Core Features of Rebrandly and Linko: Which one is the best URL shortener?

When it comes to the core features of these two best URL shortener tools, both have Swiss-knife-like features that can improve your branding and link management while also giving you complete control over your branded links.

In the new digital era, the concept of link shortening has almost completely changed to branded link management.

Nowadays, every URL shortener tool develops new and creative ideas on how to elevate brand management through short link management, or link shortening.

Branded links are like having a scope on top of a weapon that can be used to hit your target accurately, whereas unbranded links are like having a weapon without scope that cannot hit your mark effectively.

By Milad Azami

So, having control over your branding is essential in this digital age.

However, not all URL shorteners provide this important branding feature at a reasonable cost.

Similarly, Rebrandly stands out as a premium option by providing comprehensive branding and link management solutions.

But accessibility to these features comes at a higher cost, particularly for individual digital marketers and regular online users.

On the other hand, Linko offers compelling pricing as a Rebrandly alternative, providing a wealth of core features at budget-friendly rates.

Let’s dive into the core features of Linko and Rebrandly.

Linko vs Rebrandly: Features and benefits

When delving deeper into the world of URL shortening, it is critical to understand the distinct features and benefits provided by Linko and Rebrandly.

While we have looked at their core features, let’s now take a closer look at each feature to see what it offers and how it can help you manage your branding and links more effectively.

Let’s dive in.

Link Management

You might already know that link management refers to organizing, optimizing, and tracking URLs in order to improve the user experience, branding, and marketing effectiveness.

But here are some interesting stats and key points related to link management.

As a rough estimate, almost 20 to 30 billion links are generated, shared, and crawled every year.

But not all of these links are shortened, tracked, or managed by the owner of these links.

So, your links should not be among those abandoned links that have no power, and no one knows who clicks on them or what happens to them.

As we said, link management is all about brand management and caring about your brand identity and visibility.

Whether it is a long and messy URL or a short and cute URL, literally no one cares 🥱 about it, and no one wants to know who created it.

However, the only thing that grabs the attention of online users and those who click on your link is your brand name, branded domain, and/or branded links.

Let’s talk about some of the advantages of link management.

Benefits of link management

• Link management ensures that branded links are used consistently across all channels, reinforcing brand identity and potentially increasing revenue by up to 23%.
• Branded links attract up to 39% more clicks than generic short links. Thus, using branded links can help you increase your user engagement rates.
• Users more often perceive shortened URLs as suspicious or spammy. But branded links can boost CTR by up to 34% because they are easily identifiable and trustworthy.
• Link management tools like Linko can help you understand user geographic locations, devices, browsers, languages, and referral sources. So, you can optimise your marketing strategies by analysing this data.

The number of features and options available in Rebrandly and Linko for link management.

Bio Pages or Link Gallery

A bio link, also known as a bio page, is a centralized hub that allows you to host multiple links and is commonly found in social media bios.

Bio pages are called by different names across platforms and websites.

These alternative names include bio links, link in bios, single landing pages, static pages, link galleries, and microsites.

Understanding these variations can help users navigate and use these tools more effectively across multiple platforms.

In the best bitly alternative post, we learned that URL shorteners emerged primarily in response to character limits imposed by platforms such as X (formerly Twitter).

But in contrast, bio pages were created to address the limitations of having only one link allowed in a social media bio profile.

So, let’s talk about the advantages of bio pages and how you can benefit from them.

Benefits of link in bio

• Bio pages can boost CTR (click-through rates) by up to 30% compared to sharing individual links in social media bios.
• Brands that use bio links to direct users to specific products or services see a 20% increase in conversion rates.
• 90% of marketers believe that bio links are essential for increasing traffic, leads, and sales.
• Bio pages must be mobile-friendly to provide a consistent user experience, as more than half of social media users access platforms via mobile devices.

Sign up for an account and create a free Bio link to house all of your links.

The number of features and options available in Rebrandly and Linko’s Link in Bio.

QR Codes

Technically, a QR code is a type of matrix barcode or two-dimensional barcode.

It is made up of black squares arranged in a square grid on a white background and is primarily used to store data.

But let’s read a short story about the history of QR codes and how it was created.

It was first designed in 1994 for the automotive industry in Japan by Denso Wave, to track vehicles during manufacturing.

QR codes have since gained widespread adoption across a variety of industries and applications. This includes marketing, advertising, retail, healthcare, logistics, and more.

Thanks to their versatility, ease of use, and ability to store large amounts of data in a small space.

Source: QRcode.com – QR code history

Benefits of QR codes

• A study in 2020 has shown that QR code usage has increased significantly compared to previous years, with a 28% increase in QR code scanning globally.
• QR codes facilitate contactless transactions, allowing users to pay, access digital content, and interact with businesses without physically coming into contact.
• QR codes are widely used in marketing and advertising campaigns, so you can incorporate them into your marketing materials to increase engagement and conversion rates.
• A QR code allows you to quickly and easily access digital content or perform actions without the need for manual input or typing.

You can use Linko’s free QR code generator to create static QR codes.

The number of features available in Rebrandly and Linko’s QR Code generator.

Branded Links

In simple words, branded links are the true brand identity of a company or business.

It is a shortened URL that includes a brand’s custom domain or branded elements, making it easily identifiable and linked to the brand.

Using branded links rather than generic URLs across digital channels allows businesses to maintain branding consistency while increasing brand visibility.

In recent years, even individuals and small businesses have expressed a desire to incorporate their brand identity across all online and digital platforms in order to increase brand awareness.

As of the time I am writing this post, and according to our internal statistics at Linko, out of 3,700 users, 40.8% of them have added a branded domain to their account.

As a result, it appears that almost all digital marketers and online users are inclined to use a branded domain to get more brand visibility.

Source: Linko

It also emphasizes the value of using a branded domain and shortening links with it.

Let’s talk about the advantages of branded links.

Benefits of branded links

• You can boost brand recognition by up to 39% using branded links compared to generic short links because they use familiar brand elements and domains.
• Branded links can bring you up to 34% more clicks than generic short links because they are perceived as more trustworthy and relevant by users.
• You can use branded links to create a more seamless user experience by reinforcing your brand identity and trust. It reduces the likelihood of users thinking your links are suspicious or unfamiliar.
• Using branded links on social media platforms boosts your brand’s credibility, potentially leading to increased engagement and conversion rates. It will also allow you to more accurately track the performance of your social media marketing efforts.

The number of links and custom domains allowed in Rebrandly and Linko.

Link Analytics

Link analytics is the process of tracking and analyzing the performance of shortened links, which are commonly used in digital marketing campaigns.

It entails collecting data on different metrics, such as:

• Number of clicks on a specific link.
• Source of the link (where it came from, such as social media or another website).
• Conversion rates (what percentage of people who clicked the link did the desired action on your website).
• User demographics (devices, location, etc.) of those who clicked the link.

This information can be extremely useful for determining how people find your website and what content is most engaging.

Link analytics provide valuable insights into user behavior, allowing you to understand how users engage with your links, which platforms generate the most traffic, and what content resonates with their target audience.

Both Linko and Rbrandly are powerful URL shorteners that provide advanced link analytics and reporting that allow users to understand the performance of their links.

Let’s read some advantages of link analytics.

Benefits of link analytics

• Analyzing link analytics data allows you to optimize your marketing campaigns and adjust strategies based on your link performance metrics in order to maximize engagement and conversion rates.
• Link analytics data can help you develop personalized targeting strategies, allowing you to deliver more relevant and timely content to your audience based on their preferences and behaviors.
• Aggregated link analytics provide detailed metrics about the overall clicks, traffic distribution, and percentage of individual link clicks, which can let you optimize marketing campaigns and measure ROI effectively.
• Link analytics allow you to conduct A/B testing on various link formats, messaging, and call-to-action buttons to determine the most effective strategies for increasing engagement and conversions.

The number of features available in Rebrandly and Linko’s analytics and reporting.

Broken Link Management

We understand how crucial link management is, especially in this digital age where everything is accomplished by creating, sharing, and clicking links.

And, most importantly, what if the short link you share breaks and redirects to a 404 page?

So, how can you track your broken short links and fix them ASAP to save your time, money, and business?

We understand that not only long and regular links require management, but your broken short links require even more attention and management.

Because nobody likes a dead link, and especially Google! 😒

According to an ahrefs study, nearly 66.5% of links to websites have been broken over the last nine years.

It was also stated that over 80% of websites have at least one broken link, which shows how common this issue is.

Source: ahrefs – Link Rot Study

Linko and Rebrandly both have a broken link management feature, which is an excellent opportunity and convenience for users who frequently use a URL shortener to shorten and share links online.

If you are one of those users, then it is a huge bonus for you because you don’t need to worry about your short links getting lost or consider subscribing to a separate service for managing your broken links.

At Linko, you can easily and peacefully shorten your links and leave the rest to us.

We will take care of your links with passion and a guarantee. So you can focus on the most important aspects of your business and marketing.

Linko automatically detects and categorizes broken links, ensuring you’re promptly notified of any issues.

With our convenient broken link section, effortlessly locate and update your broken link’s destinations, keeping your online presence seamless and user-friendly. 😊

Benefits of broken link management

• Broken short links can have a negative impact on the user experience by directing them to dead ends. This can lead to frustration and a lack of trust in the brand or content creator.
• Broken links, including shortened links, can have a negative impact on SEO because search engines dislike dead ends and view your website/links as an untrustworthy source.
• Shortened links are susceptible to link rot and decay, which happens when links become inaccessible or irrelevant over time due to changes in content, website structure, or service availability.
• The proactive management of broken short links enhances brand reputation and professionalism. By ensuring that links remain functional and reliable, brands can boost user trust and satisfaction.
• Active short links reduce bounce rates, enhancing user satisfaction and content relevance.
• Broken link management enhances the user experience, resulting in higher conversion rates.

The number of features available in Rebrandly and Linko’s broken link management.

Custom Report Builder

Custom reports are customized analytics reports about shortened links that allow you or a business (mostly agencies) to build customized reports tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

Along with report customization, you will also be able to add your branding assets, like your brand name and brand logo, to the report.

So, a custom report builder is a tool or feature that enables you to generate tailor-made reports for custom-selected links or all of your shortened links.

But what is the use case for a custom report builder?

Well, this is not a general or common feature that should be used by small businesses or regular people who just shorten links.

However, it is a tool only for certain types of businesses or agencies that run and test tens of different campaigns, have multiple departments, or manage short links on behalf of other individuals or small businesses.

This allows them to create a customized report for each of the different campaigns or departments and send them the summarized report, allowing them to assess the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives.

Therefore, both Linko and Rebrandly have the custom report builder feature, which makes it easier for agencies to build branded reports according to their preferences.

However, Rebrandly’s custom report builder is clearly a winner here because it includes advanced filter options, making it a versatile tool.

But Linko is also not less than Rebrandly, as it includes important metrics in the report too.

In addition, unlike Rebrandly’s enterprise plan, which costs $399 to gain access to the custom report builder, Linko’s agency plan provides you with this feature for only $69.

Benefits of using a custom report builder

• Custom Report Builder empowers you to define your own key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics, enabling you to focus on the data that matters most to your goals.
• You can drill down into specific data segments and dimensions, such as traffic sources, geographic locations, device types, and referral paths, to gain deeper insights into audience behavior and preferences.
• Custom Report Builder enables you to track the performance of individual campaigns, marketing initiatives, or promotional activities and assess the effectiveness of your strategies.
• You can iteratively improve your marketing strategies, content creation efforts, and audience targeting to drive better results over time by regularly analyzing custom reports and identifying trends or patterns.

Traffic Optimization

Traffic optimization in URL shortening services includes a variety of strategies and tools aimed at improving the effectiveness of branded links and increasing traffic engagement and conversions.

Here are the tools and features that allow you to optimize your short-link traffic.

301 Redirect

• You can shorten URLs that are optimized for search engines to increase your online visibility and ensure top rankings.
• Our 301 Redirect feature optimizes your short links’ SEO strategy by passing link juice to the desination link.

Parameter Forwarding

• Seamlessly transfer UTM or custom parameters to destination URLs, which can help you track your UTM campaigns in your analytics.
• Automatic parameter forwarding allows you to optimize your branded links for maximum efficiency.

Traffic Routing

• Tailor user journeys based on individual data and behavior, including language preferences, geographic location, device preferences, and click patterns.
• Drive targeted traffic to specific destination URLs with precision and effectiveness using Linko’s advanced targeting feature.

Link Retargeting

• Easily incorporate retargeting pixels and scripts into your branded links, adding users to your retargeting lists across platforms such as Facebook, AdWords, Twitter, and others.

Open Graph Control

• Control how your content appears on social media platforms when shared by using Open Graph metadata (meta tags).
• Our social sharing preview feature helps to increase brand visibility and engagement on social media.

Mobile Deep Linking

• Guide users to specific locations within mobile apps, increasing mobile engagement and improving user experiences. Linko’s deep linking feature allows you to maximize the potential of mobile marketing.

Making the right choice: Is Linko the best alternative to Rebrandly?

Let’s sum up everything we discussed in this comparison article between Linko and Rebrandly.

Feature-wise, they have almost every feature from A to Z that you could possibly need to manage your links, social media presence, QR codes, broken links, traffic optimization, and so on.

However, these two link shorteners are not the same in terms of afforability. Rebrandly is primarily focused on providing services for businesses with big banks. 🤑.

Meanwhile, Linko’s primary focus is on providing services to individual online marketers and startups who want to start from scratch and become heroes without breaking the bank. 💸

Linko is the cheapest alternative to Rebrandly and other URL shorteners, offering all of the above-mentioned features for a fraction of the price.

Whereas Rebrandly only offers those features on the higher plan.

So, now the decision is up to you, 🤔 whether you want to go with Rebrandly or start with Linko and get everything unlimited.

FAQs