Shorten URLs - The 5 best websites

1. Bitly - the most popular service for short addresses

Bitly creates links in the form "bit.ly/xyz", the ending of which comes from Libya.
On the Bitly website, all you have to do is copy your link into the field above and click on "Shorten". The short address will then be created immediately.
You can also register for free on Bitly and use various statistics and management tools.

Is.gd has been offering the same URL shortener for years, which works the same way as before and has not changed the design of the website.
You can find the very simple page under "is.gd"

The links from TinyURL are not as short as some of their competitors, but they offer one advantage: With the service you can create individual short URLs, the text after the domain can be freely determined.
A link could have the form "tinyurl.com/praxistipp".
On tinyurl.com you will find two text fields, in which you can simply enter the long link and, if desired, the exact text of the output link.

The German service t1p is also particularly functional. Here you can provide your short link with a password or a time limit, among other things.
The website of t1p is simple: Insert the long address at the top and activate the various additional functions at the bottom.

Similar to Bit.ly, rebrandly is structured.
The clear web app is available at "rebrandly.com".
In addition to the URL shorter, you will also find other functions when you register. No registration is required for the URL shortener function.

With the large selection of URL shortners, the question arises as to what shortening URLs brings.

By shortening a link, you can use URLs more easily and in a space-saving manner.
A link with more than 50 characters, for example, takes up a lot of space in a document and can also look unsuitable for the document.
The shortened URL means that the link is only a few characters long and can be more easily accommodated in documents.
A shortened URL can also save readers a lot of work in print media. So you don't have to copy the entire link, just the few characters of the shortened link.
Especially on print media with limited space, shortening the URL makes a lot of sense. So you have z. B. the possibility of placing a long URL on a small document such as a business card.
In addition, shortened URLs also save minimal amounts of data, which can play an important role especially with QR codes or NFC tags.
A QR code with a short link looks much clearer, is easier to scan and can be scanned even with a small size, while a QR code with a long URL is very detailed and can only be scanned with a larger print size.
In addition, short URLs can save characters and thus costs in messaging services with limited message length.

Tip: You can also shorten URLs with your browser. More about this here.