Developer Builds Free Self-Hostable URL Shortener After Bitly Cuts Free Tier to 5 Links

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A developer created ZipLink, a free and self-hostable URL shortener, after Bitly reduced its free plan from 100 links per month to just 5 and began showing full-screen ads before redirects. Bitly's cheapest paid plan now costs $10 per month, or $120 annually, prompting the developer to build an open alternative. ZipLink is built on Next.js and Firebase, offering unlimited links, full click analytics, custom domains, password protection, and API access at no cost. Unlike commercial services such as Bitly or Rebrandly, ZipLink stores all data on the user's own Firebase project, meaning links remain active as long as the Firebase account exists. The tool is designed for personal or small-scale use, with Firebase's free tier estimated to comfortably handle around 5,000 link clicks per day.

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