Why ShortPen offers a truly free plan
And why we plan to keep it that way.
Mission
Because we built it for ourselves.
Before we built ShortPen, we were frustrated users just like you.
I had a growing blog and was stuck with clunky WordPress plugins to shorten links. They either broke, forced a subscription, or lacked real analytics.
Marco, the co-founder, was setting up some link automations for another product. Saw prices from a popular competitor skyrocket, without introducing new features or improving the UX. Just a bigger invoice.
That’s when we realized something: link management tools were either overpriced, bloated, or simply broken.
So we started building our own.
Not for investors. Not for vanity.
Just to solve our problem, and (hopefully) yours.
So… why make it free?
Because we believe in value before payment.
Marketers, newsletter creators, bloggers, ecommerce brands, indie SaaS teams, agencies…
Too many of them are stuck choosing between basic tools with hard limits or premium tools that force upgrades for the smallest features.
We’re tired of that.
That’s why ShortPen’s free plan includes:
Unlimited branded links
Unlimited clicks and QR codes
1 custom domain
Conversion tracking (up to 100/month)
Click analytics by device, country, referrer & more
Workspace & folder organization
No time limits. No usage countdown. No fake “free trial”
We don’t hide features behind a curtain. We don’t sneak in limits. We don’t ask for a credit card.
We just let you build.
What’s the catch?
There isn’t one.
But we are a business. And we’re transparent about how we grow.
We only charge for what truly costs us to scale, such as:
API access & automation (used to generate thousands of links programmatically)
Advanced analytics (on Free you see the basics, on Premium you unlock full filters and deeper breakdowns.)
Higher event tracking limits (for teams tracking every click → action across large campaigns)
Multiple workspaces and users (for agencies or scale-ups)
That’s it.
Everything else? Still free.
And we plan to keep it that way.
What’s the catch?
We’re not venture-backed.
We’re not chasing 100x growth.
We’re building something we wish we had, and that we’re proud to use every day.
In a world full of limited trials, hidden pricing, or tools that forget what users actually need, we’re trying to be the opposite.
We believe a free plan should be useful, not a tease.
If you're wondering if we're for real...
Yes, we are.
We started ShortPen to help people go beyond click counts and track real results.
Our free plan supports most users’ needs, and we love that.
Our premium tiers exist for when you’re ready to scale, automate, or analyze deeper.
And we want to grow together, not by forcing upgrades, but by earning them.
Want to talk?
Whether you’re curious, confused, or just want to share feedback, I’d love to hear from you.
LucaG
Co-Founder of ShortPen
Ready to make every click count?
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