URL Helper vs Shortly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
URL Helper
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Entering URLs isn't really fun. Most of the time only the domain name varies while the rest consists of standard parts with a lot of special characters which are error prone to enter. This application makes it easy and fast to enter even complex URLs correctly, especially for non HTTP protocols. It has separate fields for the protocol, subdomain, domain, top level domain, port, path and fragment part (#) of a URL.
Shortly
This utility allows you to create and manage short URLs using the Bitly service directly from your iPhone or iPad. Easily copy shortened links for use in other apps and track their click statistics with helpful charts. It also includes a tool to look up existing Bitlinks and their performance.
- Create short URLs (Bitlinks)
- Copy links to clipboard
- Track click statistics
- View charts and metadata
- Bitlink lookup tool
- Auto Shorten feature
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Shortly is an easy-to-use utility that lets you create short URLs (Bitlinks) with your iPhone or iPad using the Bitly service. You can copy these links to the clipboard for use in other iPhone applications. Once you've created your Bitlink and pressed the button to put it on the clipboard, you can launch another application, click anywhere you can enter text and select Paste — it's that simple! Additionally you can track the click statistics for Bitlinks you create in the app, or Bitlinks you've shortened on the Bitly website with helpful charts and metadata. There is also a Bitlink lookup tool, so you can enter in a Bitlink you've found and see who created it, including the number of global clicks it has received this week. The app requires a Bitly account to enable the URL shortening and tracking features. If you don't have an account, signing up is easy and free. Just click on the Account tab in the app and click the button to get a new account. Auto Shorten feature: If you go into the Settings screen and turn this on, the Shortly app will look on the clipboard when it launches, and if it finds a valid URL there, it will automatically shorten it and place the Bitlihnk on the clipboard at the same time.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Shortly at every 5 months against URL Helper's every 19 months. Shortly also leads on price ($0.99 vs $4.99). URL Helper's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
URL Helper costs $4.99 and Shortly $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
URL Helper ships an update every 19 months, Shortly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | URL Helper | Shortly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $0.99 — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 10.8% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Piet Jonas | Chris Dressler |
In-app purchases
URL Helper
No in-app purchases
Shortly
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is URL Helper free?
Is Shortly free?
Do URL Helper or Shortly have ads?
Which is updated more often, URL Helper or Shortly?
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