Lua vs
TinyURL
TinyURL has outlasted almost everything in this category by doing one thing and not asking anything of you. Paste, shorten, done, no account. For a link you are about to send to one person, nothing beats it, and this page is not going to pretend otherwise. The comparison only matters once the link is something you publish rather than something you send.
Why people move
You find out what happened
Country, region, city, device, browser, OS, referrer and UTM parameters, over any range. A link you publish and cannot measure is a link you will argue about later.
The domain is yours
A branded domain is what gets a link clicked, and what keeps it working if you ever move. It is also what stops a mail gateway judging your link by the company it keeps.
The link is editable
Point a printed QR code at a link whose destination you can change, and the poster stops being the last decision you get to make.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Lua | TinyURL |
|---|---|---|
| Shorten without an account | Account needed | No account needed |
| Click analytics | Full breakdown, any range | Minimal |
| Custom domain | Included | Paid plans |
| Editable destination | Yes | Paid plans |
| QR codes | Included, scans counted separately | Available |
| REST API | Included | Paid plans |
| Self-hosting | Open source, run it anywhere | Hosted only |
What it costs
| Where you are | Lua | TinyURL |
|---|---|---|
| One link, one person | Overkill | Free, and the right tool |
| Links you publish | Free tier, full analytics | Paid for the useful parts |
| Keeping the data yourself | Self-host at cost | Not offered |
Switch if you
- Publish links rather than send them
- Need to answer which placement worked
- Want the link on your own name
- Are printing something you cannot reprint
Stay on TinyURL if you
- Want to shorten one link in five seconds with no account
- Do not care what happens after the click, which is a legitimate position
- Already have thousands of tinyurl.com links in the wild
Try it against your own links
Free to start, no card. Bring a domain when you are ready.
Start for free