# Shortly vs Katana.run

The clearest difference is price: Katana.run at Free against Shortly's $0.99. Katana.run also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). Shortly's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 33 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Katana.run is free to download; Shortly costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shortly ships an update every 5 months, Katana.run every 33 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortly | Katana.run |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Positive reviews | 10.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 33 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chris Dressler](https://appshunter.io/developer/327199357) | [Bits Kingdom LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1206516876) |

## What reviewers say

### Shortly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortly/id337764686)

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.

**Highlights:** Create short URLs (Bitlinks), Copy links to clipboard, Track click statistics, View charts and metadata, Bitlink lookup tool, Auto Shorten feature

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Katana.run

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/katanarun/id6446367533)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortly free?

Shortly costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Katana.run free?

Katana.run is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Shortly or Katana.run have ads?

Neither Shortly nor Katana.run shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shortly or Katana.run?

Shortly ships an update every 5 months, and Katana.run every 33 months. Most recently, Shortly was updated on November 1, 2026 and Katana.run on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*