Sometimes, it’s easy to focus on creating and executing marketing strategies but challenging to evaluate the results. That’s why marketing teams need to find and use tools that simplify the process while returning finite, informative metrics.
A big part of this process is link tracking.
Link-tracking tools are vital for measuring marketing campaigns and maximizing your return on investment (ROI). They give you meaty insights that let you know who’s clicking, where they’re coming from, and which digital marketing campaign yields the best results.
Not sure which link-tracking software to use? Here’s a list of the best free and paid link trackers for 2025 to help you make an informed decision.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
What to look for in a link tracker
A business’s marketing success relies heavily on data-driven decisions. When running marketing campaigns, it’s crucial to clearly understand user engagement and performance across various channels.
Metrics like clicks, conversions, and traffic sources help you evaluate your marketing efforts and make informed decisions about future strategies. That’s why choosing the right link tracker is essential.
When considering a link-tracking tool, there are a few key features to prioritize:
- Real-time analytics: Access to real-time data on click rates and other metrics can help businesses quickly adjust their marketing campaigns for optimal results.
- Device and geographic data: Knowing where clicks are coming from and which devices are being used can provide valuable insights into audience behavior and preferences.
- Campaign comparison tools: Comparing the performance of different marketing campaigns can help businesses determine which strategies are most effective and where to allocate their resources.
- Link customization: Branded and customized links look more professional and make tracking and sharing links across different channels easier.
Together, these features deliver a more comprehensive view of your campaign data to help you continuously improve your marketing efforts.
9 of the best free or paid link trackers out there
Creating and tracking links for your marketing campaigns doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right link-tracking tool, you can streamline your campaign monitoring and maximize your results. To get you started, here are nine of the best free and paid link trackers available.
1. Bitly
Bitly is one of the most popular link-shortening tools on the market. But it’s so much more than that—which is why it earns the top spot on this list. The Bitly platform offers users a full suite of analytics to help them manage their digital marketing efforts across email, social media, SMS, and other channels.
And even though it’s chock-full of useful features, Bitly’s learning curve is minimal, helping you get up and running quickly.
Organizations worldwide use Bitly to build custom links and measure and track multichannel campaigns with deep-dive analytics. Coupled with the software’s security protocols (every link generated is encrypted), Bitly provides a solution that companies can be confident about.
With Bitly, you can:
- Create short links for all your marketing campaigns
- Track click rates in real time with advanced analytics
- Customize and brand your links with your company’s domain
- Integrate seamlessly with the best marketing tools to drive growth (including Adobe, Khoros, Salesforce, Twilio, and Sprinklr)
- Export your click data in CSV format for easy sharing or incorporation with other business tools
Bitly offers a free plan that includes unlimited link clicks and up to five custom back-halves per month. Paid plans start at:
- $8/month for the Core plan
- $29/month for the Growth plan
- $199/month for the Premium plan
- Custom pricing for the Enterprise plan
Not sure if Bitly is the right choice for you? You can start with the free plan and upgrade at any time without losing access to your links.
2. ClickMagick
ClickMagick can track links and contribute to other important marketing initiatives, like sales funnel optimization. Its ability to track links across any platform from any device makes it a valuable tool for marketing teams, and its link management options are especially helpful for affiliate marketers.
In addition, ClickMagick’s retargeting feature helps you retarget website visitors with personalized campaigns. The tool also includes a full range of split testing and geo-targeting capabilities to help businesses understand the customer journey at every touchpoint.
The platform’s key features include:
- Advanced attribution modeling that enables accurate conversion tracking
- Real-time stats to help marketers visualize conversion rates and trends
- Over 100 affiliate integrations that make it easy for affiliate marketers to grow their sales
ClickMagick has a 14-day trial offer, so you can try it out for free before committing to one of the three paid plans:
- Starter at $79/month
- Standard at $169/month
- Pro package at $299/month
3. Rebrandly
Rebrandly is a leading link management platform for marketing teams and affiliate marketers. It offers custom link creation with branded domains, tracking capabilities, and an easy-to-use interface.
Its UTM parameters capability is a valuable tool to help businesses measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. The platform also offers integrations with popular tools like Google Analytics and HubSpot.
Along with branded links and UTM parameters, Rebrandly features:
- The ability to add retargeting pixels to links for further tracking and targeting
- Mobile deep linking to direct users to a specific page within an app
- Team collaboration and workflow features for more efficient link management
Rebrandly offers a free plan with ten branded links per month. They also have four paid plans:
- Essential for $13/month
- Professional for $32/month
- Growth for $99/month
- Enterprise—a custom plan starting at $625/month
4. Improvely
Improvely’s powerful link tracking helps organizations monitor where and how leads convert. The software builds a profile of every person who visits your site, giving you helpful insights into the clicks and visits that lead to customer conversions.
In addition to standard features like conversion tracking and A/B testing, Improvely offers:
- Real-time reporting to help you make quick adjustments to your campaigns
- Customized landing pages for better lead generation and conversion optimization
- Instant email notifications when new conversions occur
All Improvely plans come with a 14-day trial period. Pricing starts at:
- $29/month for the Freelancer plan
- $79/month for the Startup plan
- $149/month for the Small Agency plan
- $299/month for the Large Agency plan
5. Voluum
Voluum gets high points in almost every category, especially for companies running affiliate programs. It’s cloud-based, all-in-one tracking software that lets you monitor and optimize every aspect of your ad campaigns.
You can track the links in all your ads, including pay-per-click (PPC) and banner ads, and anywhere else you’ve placed a link. Voluum collects a lot of high-quality data, which is key in determining where to allocate your spending to get the most out of your budget.
In addition to the above features, Voluum also offers:
- Fraud and bot traffic detection to prevent fake clicks
- Short link tracking and analytics for better optimization
- 24/7 campaign performance updates via the mobile app (available on iOS and Android)
Voluum offers three pricing plans:
- Profit at $99/month
- Scale at $209/month
- Startup at $389/month
6. LinkTrackr
LinkTrackr allows you to review campaigns via granular and bird’s-eye views to improve upon past successes. The software tracks conversions back to the first click, giving you insight into which sources and content types successfully spark engagement and interest.
It also offers the following key features:
- Rotates traffic across URLs for A/B split testing
- Geo-targeting to see traffic data based on location, type of device used, etc.
- Integrations with other marketing tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel for more detailed analyses
There are four LinkTrackr pricing options to choose from:
- Basic plan at $7/month
- Pro plan at $17/month
- Hyper plan at $27/month
- Extreme plan at $47/month
7. Pretty Links
Pretty Links is a bit different from the others on the list—it’s actually a WordPress plugin. That said, Pretty Links is still a powerful solution for affiliate marketers who already use the WordPress CMS and want an easy way to shorten, cloak, and track their links.
As the name suggests, the plugin takes long, unattractive affiliate links and gives them an appealing makeover to encourage a higher click volume. Pretty Links also serves as a click-tracking solution, allowing users to monitor their conversions.
Pretty Links offers the following features:
- Brandable Bar (called the PrettyBar) that lets users add their company name above the link to increase brand recognition
- Automations that add links and post your content automatically
- A Link Health feature that scans your website for broken links and sends you instant notifications so you can fix them quickly
Pricing plans for Pretty Links include:
- Beginner package for $99.50/year
- Marketer package for $149.50/year
- Super Affiliate package for $199.50/year
8. ClixTrac
ClixTrac is link-tracking software designed for affiliate marketers and online businesses. It allows users to track clicks, conversions, and ROI in real time for valuable insights into the performance of their campaigns and links.
This link tracker also offers additional features such as A/B testing, conversion tracking, and detailed reporting to help users optimize their marketing efforts. It uses rotators to distribute traffic evenly across multiple links, ensuring that each link gets equal exposure.
With ClixTrac, you can:
- Split-test traffic between landing pages to determine the best-performing page
- Download your statistics into a CSV file for further analysis or collaboration with team members
- Monitor traffic from specific sources, such as social media platforms
ClixTrac offers multiple pricing options:
- Free plan with limited clicks and impressions
- Premium plan for $4.95/month
- Professional plan for $9.95/month
9. Everflow
Everflow is advanced link-tracking software designed for affiliate marketers, agencies, and advertisers. It offers a comprehensive solution for tracking clicks, conversions, and revenue from multiple sources and campaigns.
The platform is designed to help businesses optimize their campaigns and maximize their ROI. Everflow also offers powerful fraud detection tools to ensure legitimate traffic and conversions.
Key features of Everflow include:
- Attribution tracking to measure the impact of display ads on conversions
- Organic tracking to monitor SEO campaigns and content marketing efforts
- Full access API for developers to integrate with other platforms and tools
Everflow offers a free demo and personalized pricing based on your needs and traffic volume.
How to choose the best link tracking option for you
There are plenty of short-link tracking solutions available on the market, each with unique features, capabilities, and pricing plans. So it’s important to keep the following factors in mind as you weigh your options.
Consider your budget
Some link-tracking tools have free versions with basic features, while others offer tons of advanced capabilities—with a price tag to match.
Free options may be suitable for those just starting out or on a tight budget, but they often come with limitations, such as fewer integrations and less detailed reports. Paid options typically offer more advanced features like A/B testing, branded domains, and custom reporting.
Ideally, you want to start with a tool that fits your budget and offers the necessary features for your current needs—but also gives you room to grow.
Look for solutions like Bitly that include a range of pricing tiers to suit different business needs and volumes. That way, you can simply upgrade to a more comprehensive plan as your needs change, rather than switching to a whole different solution—and losing access to your links in the process.
Think about existing integration opportunities
Many link-tracking tools offer integrations with popular platforms like Google Analytics, CRM systems, and social media management tools. This makes it easier to consolidate data and analyze the performance of your links in one place.
For example, Bitly has a marketplace of integrations available for all plans, including popular tools like Hootsuite and Buffer.
To get the most out of your tracking links and analytics, review your current tech stack and confirm compatibility with a tool’s integration options before committing.
Decide based on team needs and expertise
Even if you have the budget and need a solution with a lot of advanced features, you may not have the in-house expertise to make full use of it. So when choosing a link tracking option, consider your team’s size and skill level.
Smaller teams or those with limited technical expertise may benefit from user-friendly tools that offer straightforward reporting, such as Bitly.
Larger teams with dedicated analysts may want to invest in more robust tools that offer granular data and customization options. Choose a tool that matches your team’s capacity to ensure you get the most value from your investment.
Make the most of your link tracking with Bitly
Creating links from your custom domain, adding them to your organic and paid campaigns, and tracking clicks and conversions provides priceless intel. You can use this data to discover which keywords and campaigns are working and which need to be improved—or scrapped altogether.
Bitly is your go-to link-tracking software tool. In addition to link shortening and branding, the platform provides powerful metrics to help guide your business strategies. With features like multi-platform tracking and real-time analytics, Bitly empowers you to make data-driven decisions for your campaigns.
Sign up for Bitly today to elevate your link-tracking game and maximize your ROI.
