When at conferences and other learning events, I see lots of people using a variety of different URL Shorteners and QR Code creators. ย I started to wonder… which is the best? ย Here’s a chart to help you decide…
After the chart, my conclusions and thoughts…
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QR Codes | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
Customize Links | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
Stores your shortened URLs | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
See URL use Statistics | ๐ย (their analytics are richer) | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
Edit destination link after creation? | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
Edit shortened link after creation? | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
IFTTT Integration? | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
Chrome Extension or Bookmarklet? | Both | Both | Bookmarklet | Bookmarklet (also some unofficial Chrome Extensions) |
Mobile App? | iOS & Android | Unofficial ones on Android & iOS | ๐ | ๐ |
Option to Preview Links to make sure theyโre safe? | ๐ (add a + to the end of the link) | ๐ (add + to the end of the link | ๐ (add an = sign to the end of the tiny.cc link) | ๐ (add โpreviewโ in front of tiny.url) |
Subdirectory forwarding? | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ | ๐ |
My Conclusion:ย Years ago, I used TinyURL, but it clearly now is the inferior option. ย Most people use Goo.gl, but I think it’s clear that it’s the 3rd best of this crew (no link customization!? ย Really, Google!?).
The decision comes down to Bitly or TinyCC. ย Based on the chart above, I think that TinyCC gets the edge. ย However, I’ve been a Bitly user for a few years and I love their interface & analytics. ย I’m not sure if I can quit Bitly. ย However, if you’re a QR Code person (I’m not) – TinyCC is the clear winner.
If you notice something inaccurate in this post or the chart above – please comment below or message me @JakeMillerTech so that I can fix it!