You might be tired of long URLs that often get broken while sharing or sending. Do you want to shorten URLs so you can easily share them across any platform, like Twitter, without taking up so much space? Well, URL shorteners can help you. They transform long and often ugly-looking URLs into short forms.
Moreover, you can even save the number of characters on your Tweet. For instance, using a URL shortener, I reduced the URL http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/external-links-9-stages-of-linking-out-denial/ to http://tinyurl.com/c8bp5d, from almost 92 to 25 characters.
Best URL Services
You must be wondering which URL shortener to use among the numerous options. Use the below-given table to choose the ideal one for you.
The table shows a list of sites popular on Twitter and organized based on the length of URL generated. Though all are good, one can say Tr.im is winning here.
| URL Shortener | URL length | Tracking/stats | Custom name option | Post direct to Twitter |
| Tr.im | 13+4=17 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Is.gd | 13+4=17 | No | No | No |
| Ow.ly | 13+4=17 | No | No | No |
| Bit.ly | 14+5=19 | Yes | Yes | If you register |
| Xrl.us | 14+5=19 | Yes | No | No |
| Cli.gs | 14+6=20 | Yes | If you register | If you register |
| Short.to | 16+4=20 | No | No | No |
| Snurl.com | 17+5=22 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Twurl.nl | 16+6=22 | Yes | No | If you register |
| Tinyurl.com | 19+6=25 | No | Yes | No |
| Notlong.com | 19+6=25 | Yes | Yes | No |
What does the Table Signify?
URL Length: It shows the number of characters in the shortened URL generated on any site’s homepage, including http://. The first figure is the base length (http://tr.im/ is 13 characters). The second digit is the short code generated, which can vary from 4-6 characters. Well-known services have already used the four characters so that you can expect tr.im changes from 13+4 to 13+5. The final number is the total number of characters.
Tracking / Stats: Yes indicates that you can see how many people have clicked the shortened URL (For instance, you used this URL on Twitter). To get this service, you have to register.
Custom Name: It shows whether you can choose a short-coded URL rather than among several random characters generated automatically.
Post Direct to Twitter: It shows whether you can post this URL on Twitter from their website or not.
