# Shortly vs GrepEx

The clearest difference is update cadence: GrepEx at weekly against Shortly's every 5 months. GrepEx also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 18.6). Shortly's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Shortly costs $0.99 and GrepEx $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shortly ships an update every 5 months, GrepEx weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortly | GrepEx |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $1.99 |
| Positive reviews | 10.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chris Dressler](https://appshunter.io/developer/327199357) | [Jeremy Laratro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864044207) |

## 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


### GrepEx

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grepex/id6756987451)

**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 GrepEx free?

GrepEx costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Shortly or GrepEx have ads?

Neither Shortly nor GrepEx shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shortly or GrepEx?

Shortly ships an update every 5 months, and GrepEx weekly. Most recently, Shortly was updated on September 29, 2026 and GrepEx on September 21, 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.*