The T.LY alternative where the features aren't the upsell
T.LY shortens for free, then meters the useful parts. GoTo.now keeps editing, QR styling and private stats in the free column - Permanently.
Try the free shortener
What stays free here
Destination editing
Re-point any short link after sharing - No plan required, no link left behind.
Private, real-time stats
Every link reports clicks, referrers, devices and countries to its owner alone.
Styled QR codes
Brand colors, center logo, PNG and SVG - Unlimited scans, zero watermarks.
Custom back-halves
Readable links like goto.now/summer-sale, free with an account.
No expiry, ever
Links created today redirect years from now - Printed codes included.
Verifiable destinations
Anyone can check where a goto.now link leads with the free link checker before clicking.
GoTo.now vs T.LY at a glance
| Feature | GoTo.now | T.LY free tier |
|---|---|---|
| Shorten links | Free | Free |
| Custom back-half | Free, unlimited | Metered on free |
| Edit destination after sharing | Free on every link | Paid plans |
| QR codes | Styled, logo, SVG - Free | Basic on free |
| Click analytics | Full & private, free | Limited on free |
| Browser extension | No | Yes (their strong suit) |
| Price for the full column | $0 | Subscription |
T.LY's one-click browser extension is a genuinely nice workflow, and its paid plans are reasonably priced. The comparison comes down to a simple question: should editing a destination or reading your own click stats cost money? Here they don't - The same free plan covers a hobbyist's five links and a campaign's five thousand.
The cost of a metered shortener
The features tools meter are exactly the ones that save campaigns: re-pointing a link after 5,000 flyers shipped, or proving which channel drove signups. When those sit behind a paywall, teams either pay for one rescue or lose the campaign data. Our approach is documented openly on why GoTo.now - Redirects are cheap, so the essentials stay free.
Switching from T.LY
- List your active short links (export or copy from the T.LY dashboard).
- Recreate them here with matching custom back-halves - Free, so slugs stay meaningful.
- Update the placements you control and leave printed legacy links running.
- Route new campaigns through goto.now links from today - They never expire and stay editable.
For volume, the API recreates thousands of links idempotently. More comparisons in the same format: Bitly, TinyURL and Short.io.
Honest limits
No browser extension yet - If one-click shortening from the toolbar is your core workflow, T.LY does that better today. The homepage box is the fastest path here: paste, shorten, done in about ten seconds.