Software Alternatives & Startups

TinyURL VS Facebook

Compare TinyURL VS Facebook and see what are their differences

TinyURL

The first notable URL shortener, online since 2002. Branded short links on your own domain, with click analytics that count human and bot traffic separately, QR codes, editable destinations, bulk creation and a REST API.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium $11 / Monthly (Pro - 125 links/mo)
Facebook

Connect with friends, family and other people you know. Share photos and videos, send messages and get updates.

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Facebook seems to be a lot more popular than TinyURL. While we know about 453 links to Facebook, we've tracked only 6 mentions of TinyURL.

social mentions
6 vs 453
URL Shortener popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

TinyURL
Facebook
Website tinyurl.com facebook.com
Pricing
Freemium $11 / Monthly (Pro - 125 links/mo) Official pricing
—
Company Startup from the United States · 20 - 49 employees · 2002 —
Listed in

About TinyURL and Facebook

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

TinyURL
Facebook

TinyURL is a URL shortening and link management platform, and was the first notable URL shortener when it launched in January 2002. It now serves over 4.4 million registered users and has created billions of links. Free accounts cover 30 links a month, with links that never expire. Paid plans...

Read more about TinyURL

No description of Facebook yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

TinyURL 8 features
Facebook 5 features
  • Ease of Use
    TinyURL offers a very simple interface that allows users to create shortened URLs quickly without needing to register or log in.
  • Custom Aliases
    Users have the option to create custom aliases for their shortened links, making them more memorable and meaningful.
  • Link Analytics
    Every link reports clicks over time, referrer, geography, device type, operating system and browser, with human and bot clicks counted separately and two years of history retained.
  • Links That Never Expire
    Links created on the free plan do not expire, so shortened URLs stay valid in print, packaging and archived content.
  • Branded Domains
    Shorten links on your own custom domain or subdomain rather than a shared one. One branded domain on the free plan, three on paid plans.
  • Editable Destinations
    A link destination can be changed after the link has been shared, so a URL already printed or posted can be repointed without being reissued.
  • QR Code Generation
    Generate QR codes for shortened links, for packaging, print and other offline placements.
  • REST API and Bulk Creation
    Documented REST API (OpenAPI 3.0, bearer-token auth) for link creation, updates and analytics retrieval, plus bulk batch endpoints for high-volume workflows.
  • Wide User Base
    Facebook has a large and diverse user base, making it easy to connect with people worldwide.
  • Versatile Communication Platform
    It supports various forms of communication, including text, video, and voice, allowing for versatile interaction.
  • Effective Advertising
    Facebook offers robust advertising tools that help businesses target specific audiences efficiently.
  • Event Planning
    The platform makes it simple to create, share, and manage events.
  • Integration with Other Apps
    Facebook can be integrated with various apps and websites for a smoother user experience.

Possible disadvantages

  • Privacy Concerns
    Facebook has faced criticism over its handling of user data and privacy issues.
  • Addiction Potential
    Frequent use of the platform can be addictive and harmful to productivity.
  • Misinformation
    The platform can be a source of misinformation and fake news, impacting public opinion.
  • Mental Health Impact
    Excessive use can lead to negative psychological effects, such as anxiety and depression.
  • Algorithmic Bias
    Content is filtered by algorithms that can sometimes reflect bias, limiting the diversity of information exposure.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

TinyURL
Facebook

Overall verdict

  • TinyURL is considered a good and reliable service for those who need to create short URLs for personal or professional purposes. It is especially valuable for its simplicity and no-cost offering, appealing to users who need straightforward URL shortening without additional features.

Why this product is good

  • TinyURL is a popular URL shortening service that allows users to convert long, cumbersome URLs into shorter, more manageable links. This is particularly useful for sharing links on social media, in emails, or in printed materials where space is limited. TinyURL is easy to use, doesn't require an account, and offers free shortening services. The ability to create custom aliases also adds a layer of personalization and memorability to the links.

Recommended for

    TinyURL is recommended for individuals, small businesses, and organizations that need a quick and simple way to shorten URLs for social media posts, email campaigns, print materials, or casual link sharing without requiring advanced tracking or analytics features.

Overall verdict

  • Whether Facebook is 'good' or not depends on individual perspectives and usage preferences. It can be beneficial for those who use it responsibly and mindfully, but it may have downsides concerning privacy and content moderation.

Why this product is good

  • Facebook, as a social media platform, offers various features including connecting with friends and family, joining interest groups, and accessing news and events. It provides tools for business promotion and advertising, and for individuals, it can serve as a medium for self-expression and staying informed about social events. However, it has faced criticisms for privacy concerns, misinformation, and its impact on mental health.

Recommended for

  • Individuals looking to connect with friends and family globally
  • Businesses seeking to promote products and engage with a large audience
  • People interested in networking within interest-based communities
  • Users who value diverse content and access to various media

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

TinyURL 0 videos + Add
Facebook 6 videos + Add

No TinyURL videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Facebook Recommendations vs Reviews - What You Need To Know

More videos

  • - How to Remove Reviews from Facebook 2019
  • - I Tried Facebook Dating and Here's What Happened | Review and Experience
  • - How To Get Your Facebook Reviews Page Link
  • - How to enable Facebook Reviews on New Page Experience 2023
  • - How to Review a Page on Facebook

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
TinyURL
Facebook
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing TinyURL and Facebook.

What makes your product unique?

TinyURL's answer

TinyURL has been running continuously since January 2002, which makes it the first notable URL shortening service and one of the oldest still operating. For a link shortener that longevity is the product, not trivia: a short link is only useful for as long as it still resolves, and links created here don't expire.

Three things set it apart day to day:

  • Human and bot clicks are reported separately. Most shorteners report raw click totals that quietly include crawlers and link-preview bots, so reported traffic reads higher than the real audience. Separating them means the numbers can be trusted for attribution.
  • Destinations stay editable after a link is published. A link already printed on packaging or posted to social can be repointed without reissuing it.
  • A permanent free tier, not a trial - 30 links a month, one branded domain, links that never expire.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

TinyURL's answer

Three practical reasons, depending on what you need:

  • You want attribution you can trust. Analytics cover clicks over time, referrer, geography, device, OS, browser and language, retained for two years, with bot traffic separated out.
  • You want your own brand on the link. Bring your own domain or subdomain on any plan, with up to three branded domains on paid tiers.
  • You want links that outlive the campaign. Twenty-four years of continuous operation, and a free tier that doesn't expire, matter when a link is printed on something you can't reprint.

Pricing starts free and goes to $9/month billed annually ($11 month-to-month) for 125 links a month with unlimited tracked clicks. Bulk plans handle 50,000 links a month for agencies and high-volume senders, and there's a REST API for automating the whole lifecycle.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

TinyURL's answer

  • Marketing teams running campaigns across several channels who need per-link attribution rather than a single lumped traffic figure
  • Social media managers and creators working inside character limits, who want a branded link rather than a generic one
  • Agencies managing links for multiple clients, each on its own branded domain
  • Developers automating link creation and analytics through the REST API
  • Enterprises needing SLA-backed uptime and compliance support
  • Educational Institutions
  • The healthcare industry

It also has a long tail of individual users who simply need a link shortened, which the free tier covers without an account upgrade.

What's the story behind your product?

TinyURL's answer

Kevin Gilbertson, a web developer, launched TinyURL in January 2002 so he could link directly to newsgroup postings, which at the time had long and unwieldy addresses. It was the first notable URL shortening service, and it arrived years before shortening became a category.

Twitter used TinyURL as its default shortener until May 2009, which put it in front of a mass audience during the period when character limits made short links essential.

Since then it's grown from a single-purpose utility into a link management platform: branded domains, click analytics with two years of retained history, editable destinations, QR codes, bulk creation and a REST API. It now serves over 4.4 million registered users and has created billions of links.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

TinyURL's answer

TinyURL is a cloud-hosted web application, accessible from any browser with no install. Its public interface is a REST API (v2.4.2) published as an OpenAPI 3.0 specification and authenticated with bearer tokens, covering link creation, editing, destination changes, analytics retrieval and bulk batch processing.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

TinyURL's answer

Twitter used TinyURL as its default URL shortener until May 2009.

User comments

Share your experience with using TinyURL and Facebook. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

TinyURL no reviews yet
Facebook 5.0 · 2 reviews

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

TinyURL 6 mentions
Facebook 453 mentions
  • 🔐 Design a TinyURL System (Like Bit.ly) — From Scratch
    Import string Class TinyURL: def __init__(self): self.url_to_code = {} self.code_to_url = {} self.counter = 1 self.alphabet = string.ascii_letters + string.digits def encode_base62(self, num): ... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • URL shorteners and why would you need one?
    Choose a shortener: Pick a link shortener that fits your needs---many offer options like custom branding, QR code creation, and analytics. Ziplink, Short.io, and Bitly are all capable of that. If you are looking for something really... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Building a Scalable URL Shortener with Node.js (Part 1/2)
    I'm sure you're familiar with URL shortener tools like TinyURL and Bitly, as they are widely used online. It simply takes a long URL and creates a shorter, unique alias that redirects to the original link. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago

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  • I'm being cyberattacked by Tesla, Inc
    Return a HTTP 301 pointing to https://facebook.com? Might make them scan themselves instead. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Title: Integrating Facebook Login in NestJS with Limited Facebook Login for iOS
    Import * as jwt from 'jsonwebtoken'; Import { UnauthorizedException } from '@nestjs/common'; Export async function verifyFacebookJwt(token: string): Promise { const jwksClient = jwksLocalClient({ jwksUri:... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Demystifying Same Origin Policy in Simple Words
    No. While cross origin GET requests are denied, POST requests are allowed. They are allowed simply because they don't risk your data to be leaked from one origin to another. For example, - if you are sending a POST request from... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago

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Alternatives to TinyURL and Facebook

When comparing TinyURL and Facebook, you can also consider the following products.

  • Bitly

    Get the most out of your social and online marketing efforts. Own, understand and activate your best audience through the power of the link with Bitly Enterprise.

    Compare Bitly to TinyURL or Facebook:

  • X (Twitter)

    Connect with your friends and other fascinating people. Get in-the-moment updates on the things that interest you. And watch events unfold, in real time, from every angle.

    Compare X (Twitter) to TinyURL or Facebook:

  • Rebrandly

    Rebrandly is the easiest way to create, share and manage branded links.

    Compare Rebrandly to TinyURL or Facebook:

  • Instagram

    Instagram is a mobile, desktop, and Internet-based photo-sharing application and service that allows users to share pictures and videos either publicly, or privately to pre-approved followers.

    Compare Instagram to TinyURL or Facebook:

  • Short.io

    Short.io makes short links (vanity urls) on your own domain. Free signup, analytics and API. Chrome, slack, zapier and segment integrations.

    Compare Short.io to TinyURL or Facebook:

  • Reddit

    Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.

    Compare Reddit to TinyURL or Facebook: