Here is a summary of the text: Most URLs are long and unwieldy, but URL shorteners can turn them into shorter links that are easier to share. There are many alternatives to the Google URL Shortener, which was shut down in 2019. The best URL shortener depends on what you need it to do, with simple and free options for basic use, marketing- and analytics-focused ones for businesses, and everything in between. To evaluate and test apps, the author spent dozens of hours researching and testing them, using each app as intended and evaluating its features against criteria set by the category. The best URL shorteners have a few extra features that make them more useful, such as analytics and click tracking, customization of URLs, and standalone apps. The author tested over 45 different options and found that Bitly is the best all-around URL shortener, with a comprehensive dashboard for tracking social links and campaigns, and Rebrandly is a great alternative to Bitly. Dub is a modern URL shortener with a clean interface and great bang for your buck, while TinyURL is a free option with advanced targeting and analytics on its cheapest plan. BL.INK is a good choice for businesses that need a full-service URL shortener, and URL Shortener by Zapier makes it easy to automate link shortening with other apps. Short.io has an advanced targeting and analytics feature on its cheapest plan, but requires using a custom domain.