Privacy Comparison: LinkShrink vs The Rest
See how mainstream URL shorteners handle your data compared to LinkShrink's privacy-first approach.
| Privacy Feature | LinkShrink | Bitly | TinyURL | t.co (X/Twitter) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookies on redirect | ✓ None | ✗ Sets cookies | ✗ Sets cookies | ✗ Sets cookies |
| Tracking pixels | ✓ None | ✗ Embedded | ✗ Third-party | ✗ Embedded |
| IP address logging | ✓ Never stored | ✗ Logged per click | ✗ Logged | ✗ Logged |
| Personal data collected | ✓ Zero | ✗ Name, email, payment | ✗ Email (optional) | ✗ Full X profile |
| Ads on redirects | ✓ Never | ✗ Interstitial ads | ✗ Banner ads | ✓ None |
| Free tier limits | ✓ Unlimited | ✗ 5 links/month | ✓ Unlimited | ✗ X account required |
| Signup required | ✓ No | ✗ Yes | ✓ No | ✗ Yes |
| Self-hostable | ✓ Docker / open-source | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
What We Don't Collect
Most shorteners treat every click as a data-harvesting opportunity. Here's what LinkShrink deliberately does not store.
No Cookies
LinkShrink sets zero cookies during redirects and on the website. No session cookies, no tracking cookies, no third-party cookies. Your browser stays clean after every click.
No Tracking Pixels
We embed no invisible images, beacons, or JavaScript trackers. Redirect responses are pure HTTP 301s — no HTML body, no scripts, no pixel payloads. Nothing runs in your browser.
No IP Storage
Your IP address is never written to disk, database, or log file. Click analytics are limited to an anonymous integer counter. We cannot identify who clicked, when, or from where.
No Personal Data
No accounts, no email addresses, no names, no payment information. You interact with LinkShrink completely anonymously. There is no user database because there are no users to track.
How Private Shortening Works
Three steps. Zero data collection. Complete anonymity.
1. Enter Your URL
Paste any long URL into the form above or call the REST API directly. No account creation, no email verification, no API key. Your request hits our server over HTTPS and contains only the URL you want shortened.
2. Privacy-First Processing
We validate the destination URL against malware databases, generate a random short code, and store only three things: the short code, the destination URL, and an expiry timestamp. No metadata about you is attached. No IP, no user-agent, no referrer — nothing.
3. Get Your Anonymous Short Link
You receive a short URL, a deletion token (so you can remove it anytime), and an optional QR code endpoint. When someone clicks the link, we issue a single 301 redirect with no intermediary pages, no JavaScript, and no tracking headers. The click counter increments by one — that's all.
Private Shortener API
Integrate private URL shortening into your apps. No API key, no authentication, no data collection.
# No API key. No account. No tracking. curl -X POST https://linkshrink.dev/api/v1/shorten \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"url":"https://example.com/sensitive-document"}' # Response: # { # "status": "success", # "data": { # "shortUrl": "https://linkshrink.dev/x7k9m2", # "deleteToken": "a1b2c3d4...", # "analytics": "https://linkshrink.dev/api/v1/stats/x7k9m2" # } # } # Enable private analytics (token-protected stats): curl -X POST https://linkshrink.dev/api/v1/shorten \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"url":"https://example.com/confidential","private_stats":true}'
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about private URL shortening with LinkShrink.
What makes LinkShrink a private URL shortener?
LinkShrink is architecturally built for privacy. We set zero cookies, embed no tracking pixels, store no IP addresses, and collect no personal data. Redirects are pure HTTP 301 responses with no intermediary HTML pages or JavaScript. Click analytics consist of a single integer counter — we cannot identify who clicked, when they clicked, or where they were located. The entire codebase is open-source so you can verify these claims yourself.
Does LinkShrink log IP addresses?
No. LinkShrink never writes IP addresses to any database, log file, or analytics system. When a request arrives, we process the redirect in memory and increment an anonymous click counter. The IP address is used only for TCP connection handling at the network layer and is never persisted. This is fundamentally different from services like Bitly, which log IP, geolocation, device type, and browser fingerprint for every click.
Can I self-host LinkShrink for maximum privacy?
Yes. LinkShrink is fully open-source and ships with Docker support. You can run the entire stack on your own infrastructure — your own server, your own database, your own domain. Self-hosting gives you complete control over the data pipeline and eliminates any third-party trust requirement. Check the documentation for Docker deployment instructions.
How does LinkShrink compare to Bitly on privacy?
Bitly collects extensive data on every click: IP address, device type, operating system, browser, geographic location, and referrer URL. Bitly also requires account creation and shows interstitial ads on free-tier links. LinkShrink collects none of this. We require no account, show no ads, and store only a click count integer. For a detailed comparison, see our Bitly alternative page.
Does LinkShrink use cookies or tracking scripts?
No. LinkShrink sets zero cookies — not during redirects, not on the website, not anywhere. We load no third-party scripts such as Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or ad network tags. Redirect responses contain no HTML body and no JavaScript. You can verify this with your browser's developer tools or by inspecting the response headers of any LinkShrink redirect.
Is LinkShrink free to use as a private shortener?
Yes. LinkShrink is 100% free with no premium tiers, no usage caps, and no feature gates. You get unlimited link creation, custom aliases, QR codes, click analytics, password protection, and deletion tokens at zero cost. There are no ads and we do not sell data because we do not collect data. The service is funded as part of the SoftVoyagers open-source ecosystem.
What data does LinkShrink store when I create a short link?
When you create a short link, we store exactly three things: the generated short code, the destination URL, and an expiry timestamp. We also generate a deletion token that is returned to you. No metadata about the creator is stored — no IP address, no user-agent string, no timestamp of creation beyond the expiry window. The link exists in isolation with no connection to any identity.