What is T.LY?
Reviewed T.LY's site/docs/pricing as of 2026-10-27; research-only, no hands-on. T.LY is a URL shortener and QR code platform: instant free shortening without an account, then paid plans ($10-$100/mo) adding private analytics, custom domains with SSL, an API, and OneLink bio pages. The claims are large (60M+ links created, 1M+ users) and the review record is split: 4.7/5 on G2 but from only 3 reviews, versus 1.9/5 on Trustpilot where the dominant complaint is links from lapsed trial accounts stopping mid-campaign.
Key Features
No-account instant shortening
Paste a URL on the free tools page to get a t.ly short link or QR code in seconds; public stats appear by adding a plus sign when stats are enabled.
Trackable QR codes
Every QR rides on a short link, so scans land in the same analytics as clicks — traffic, referrers, devices, locations — with QR quotas mirroring link quotas per plan.
Custom domains and OneLink bio pages
Custom domains ship with SSL on all paid plans (2 on Personal up to 100 on Business); OneLink link-in-bio pages scale from 1 to 100 across tiers.
API, bulk tools, and webhooks
Create and manage links programmatically from any plan; Business adds 20 webhook endpoints delivering at up to 60 events per minute.
Pros & Cons
What works
- Truly free entry: paste a URL and get a short link or downloadable QR code with no account, and adding a plus sign to a link shows public stats (vendor free-tools page and FAQ).
- No ad interstitials: the vendor FAQ states links redirect straight to the destination, and a long-time paid reviewer confirms the free tier serves ads only via API links, not redirects (Trustpilot, Oct 2024).
- Flat, legible pricing with real infrastructure on every tier: custom domains with SSL, API access, QR codes, and private stats come on all four plans, $10-$100/mo, versus per-seat enterprise link platforms (vendor pricing page).
- Developer surface is unusual at this price: API on every plan including Personal, plus a bulk shortener, browser extensions, mobile apps, and integrations like ChatGPT and Canva (homepage and free-tools page).
Watch out for
- Trustpilot sits at 1.9/5 (24 reviews, 83% 1-star): the recurring story is links created on trial accounts stopping redirects days later unless the user paid — including QR codes already printed on physical boards and a link on a resume (Trustpilot, 2023-2025).
- "Unlimited clicks" has a footnote: links keep redirecting after your monthly quota, but additional clicks aren't tracked, stats are capped at 50k-500k/mo, and detailed click logs expire in 5-20 days depending on plan (vendor pricing page).
- The G2 score can't be weighted: 4.7/5 comes from 3 reviews, against Bitly's 4.5 from 923 — G2 itself says there isn't enough review volume for buying insight (G2 product page).
- Trustpilot reviewers repeatedly report being unable to find account deletion or cancellation paths, and T.LY's April 2026 reply batch concedes pricing and plan-rule clarity "is on us" (Trustpilot profile).
Who is it for?
Marketers running campaign links and QR attribution
QR codes, per-link analytics, and custom domains are on every plan; teams with high-traffic campaigns should budget stats quotas (Pro tracks 250k/mo) and 10-day log retention.
Developers and automation builders
API access starts at $10/mo with bulk shortening and extensions; a reviewer praises the workflow for text-message link shortening, and Business adds webhooks.
Creators building a link-in-bio page
OneLink is included but Personal gets exactly one; five OneLinks require the $20 Basic plan, and the bio page itself offers less design control than dedicated tools.
Anyone printing links or QR codes on permanent materials
Link continuity depends on keeping a subscription and account in good standing — the exact scenario (printed boards, packaging, resumes) behind most 1-star Trustpilot reviews.
Reviewed T.LY's site/docs/pricing as of 2026-10-27; research-only, no hands-on. Everything below comes from the vendor's public pages and two review platforms.
T.LY is a URL shortener with trackable QR codes on the same engine. The hero numbers claim 60M+ links and QR codes created, 1M+ users, and 80M+ monthly visitors. Free shortening needs no account — paste a URL, get a t.ly link, add a plus sign for public stats — and the FAQ states links redirect without ad interstitials. A 5-day trial (no card) opens the paid tier: private analytics, custom domains with SSL, API access, and OneLink bio pages.
The Catch
Short links age into infrastructure, and infrastructure lapses. T.LY's 1.9/5 Trustpilot profile (24 reviews, 83% 1-star) is dominated by one story: someone creates links on a trial account, prints the QR code on packaging or a board, drops the short link in a resume — then the trial ends and redirects stop. Even paid, "unlimited clicks" carries a footnote: after your monthly tracking quota the link still redirects, but the extra clicks go uncounted, and detailed logs expire in as little as 5 days. None of this is hidden, but the free tier is easy to read as a product when it's really a demo — and the subscription is what keeps the destination alive.
What it actually costs
| Plan | Price (monthly) | Links & QR /mo | Stats tracked /mo | Log retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | $10/mo | 1k | 50k | 5 days |
| Basic | $20/mo | 4k | 100k | 7 days |
| Pro | $50/mo | 10k | 250k | 10 days |
| Business | $100/mo | 20k | 500k | 20 days |
Every plan includes unlimited-click redirects, custom domains with SSL, API access, and QR codes. A yearly toggle exists but no per-month annual figure was rendered at capture; custom plans are quoted on contact.
Where it fits
Marketers, developers, creators, and teams are the stated audiences, and the feature spread backs the pitch: API from the cheapest plan, webhooks at the top, QR and link quotas that scale in clean 4x steps. G2's 4.7/5 praises the simplicity, but it rests on 3 reviews. Pair it by job: Zcal booking links shorten into cleaner DMs, Mixo launches the page a short link points at, and Weglot localizes the destination per market.
Free shortening is the demo. The subscription is what keeps the link alive.
T.LY FAQ
Is T.LY actually free to use?
What does T.LY's "unlimited clicks" really mean?
Why does T.LY have such a low Trustpilot score?
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