Short.io is a capable branded-link platform with routing and team features. URL BOT covers the everyday short-link workflow, then adds automatic Bot Shield so suspicious traffic is blocked and bots stay out of your analytics — from $9/mo.
Free plan forever · No credit card · Bot Shield on every plan · Last updated September 15, 2026
A straight, honest comparison. The rows marked with a badge are where URL BOT is built differently: automatic click-fraud protection and clean, bot-filtered analytics at a plain price.
| Feature | URL BOT | Short.io |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in Bot Shield click-fraud protectionWedge | Automatic on every link, every plan | No equivalent automatic shield on every link |
| Bot-filtered analytics (bots removed before stats)Wedge | Yes — verified human clicks | Analytics and filtering vary by setup |
| Free plan with click analytics + QR codesWedge | Yes, free forever | Free tier available |
| Starting paid planWedge | $9/mo (Pro) | Paid plans priced per tier |
| Advanced planWedge | $29/mo (Business) | Higher team tiers |
| Real-time click analytics | Yes | Yes |
| QR codes | Free on every plan | Available |
| Custom branded domains | Pro: 3 · Business: 10 | Core feature |
| REST API + webhooks | Business plan | Available |
| Team workspaces | Business plan | Available on paid plans |
| Password-protected & expiring links | Pro plan | Available by plan |
| Threat log + IP / range blocking | Blocking on all plans · full log from Pro | Not a dedicated threat log |
Short.io details reflect publicly available information about their product and may change — please verify current features and pricing on their website. URL BOT plan details are drawn from our own pricing. Last updated September 15, 2026.
Short.io is a strong fit for teams that prioritize branded domains, geographic routing and a broad link-management toolkit. URL BOT is the focused alternative when automatic click-fraud protection and clean analytics matter most.
The difference between URL BOT and Short.io is what happens before the redirect. Every visit to a URL BOT link is scored, and requests that cross your threshold are blocked and logged; genuine visitors are redirected in milliseconds. Because filtering happens before analytics are recorded, your click counts reflect real people from the start.
Bot Shield removes automated traffic before it is counted, so a noisy raw click number becomes a verified-human number you can trust.
The same protected links serve the whole workflow — from the first share to the report.
Create a branded short link for every offer, post or ad. Bot Shield protects it automatically — on every plan, including Free.
Real-time analytics break clicks down by referrer, device and geography, with bots removed before anything is counted.
Use the built-in UTM builder so each channel, post and creative is tagged — then see which placement drove verified clicks.
Bulk-import existing links by CSV, brand them on your own domain, and generate a QR code for any link for free.
Yes. You get branded short links, real-time analytics and team features, plus automatic Bot Shield click-fraud protection and a dedicated threat log. Free plan, Pro at $9/mo, Business at $29/mo.
Yes. Branded domains are on Pro (up to 3) and Business (up to 10), and team workspaces plus the REST API come with the Business plan.
Bot Shield runs on every link and filters bots before the redirect, so your reporting is clean link analytics by default — with a threat log and IP / range blocking to see and stop abusive sources.
Yes. Use branded domains per client, tags per campaign and — on Business — team workspaces, so several clients and campaigns stay cleanly separated with CSV export for reporting.
A free plan, Pro at $9/mo and Business at $29/mo, with Bot Shield and QR codes on every plan.
From how bot detection works to the audience playbooks and free tools — all on URL BOT.
The signals a bot filter scores, and why raw click counts overstate real traffic.
Bot-filtered numbers your clients can trust in reports.
Modern link analytics, with bots filtered out before they reach your stats.
Assemble a tagged campaign URL in seconds — no signup required.
Create your first protected link free — Bot Shield included. Pro at $9/mo, Business at $29/mo.