February 2026
TrimLink vs Dub.co — Honest Comparison for 2026
TrimLink and Dub.co are both modern URL shorteners built for developers and growing teams. They share a lot of DNA — clean interfaces, solid APIs, custom domain support on free tiers. But the similarities end when you look at pricing, privacy philosophy, and long-term cost.
Here's how they actually compare, feature by feature, with no marketing spin.
Side-by-Side Feature Comparison
| Feature | TrimLink | Dub.co |
|---|---|---|
| Free Links/mo | 25/mo | 25/mo |
| Custom Domains (Free) | 1 | 1 |
| Analytics | Privacy-first | Standard |
| QR Codes | Included | Included |
| Team Features | Growth+ plans | Yes |
| API | Growth+ plans | Yes |
| Privacy | No tracking cookies | Standard tracking |
| Open Source | No | Yes |
| Pricing (Pro) | $12/mo | $30/mo |
| Pricing (Teams) | $49/mo | Custom |
On paper the free tiers look almost identical. The real differences show up in pricing, privacy, and what happens as you scale.
Pricing: Where the Gap Shows
Both tools offer usable free tiers, but once you outgrow 25 links per month the cost difference becomes hard to ignore.
TrimLink Pro
$12/mo
- 1,500 links per month
- Custom domains included
- Privacy-first analytics
- QR codes & UTM builder
Dub.co Pro
$30/mo
- 1,000 links per month
- Custom domains
- Advanced analytics
- QR codes & API access
That's a 60% price difference for comparable feature sets. Over a year, TrimLink Pro costs $144 while Dub.co Pro costs $360 — a gap of $216. For solo creators, freelancers, and small startups, that adds up fast. And if you need team features, TrimLink's Teams plan at $49/mo is straightforward while Dub.co moves to custom pricing, which usually means higher costs and a sales call.
Where TrimLink Wins
Privacy by Default
TrimLink tracks link clicks so you can measure campaign performance, but it does not track the humans clicking those links. No cookies, no browser fingerprinting, no personal data collection. This means you get the analytics you need for marketing without the GDPR headaches. Dub.co uses standard tracking methods that collect visitor-level data — device type, location, referrer — which can trigger compliance requirements under GDPR, CCPA, and similar privacy regulations.
Pricing That Stays Affordable
At $12/mo for Pro, TrimLink is 60% cheaper than Dub.co's equivalent tier. The Teams plan is a flat $49/mo with clear, published pricing — no need to "contact sales" to find out what you'll pay. For bootstrapped teams and indie hackers, predictable costs matter.
Custom Domains on Free Tier
Both TrimLink and Dub.co offer one custom domain on their free plans. But TrimLink's overall free tier is more generous when you factor in included QR code generation, the UTM builder, and privacy-first analytics — features that competing tools often gate behind paid plans.
Where Dub.co Wins
Open Source
Dub.co is fully open source under the AGPL license. If you want to self-host your URL shortener, inspect the code, or contribute to the project, Dub.co makes that possible. TrimLink is a hosted SaaS product — you cannot self-host it. For teams that require open-source tooling for compliance or philosophical reasons, this is a clear advantage for Dub.
Larger Community
Dub.co has been around slightly longer and has built a larger community of developers and contributors. This means more tutorials, community-built integrations, and faster answers to questions on GitHub and Discord. TrimLink's community is growing but is still smaller in comparison.
More Integrations
Dub.co offers native integrations with tools like Slack, Zapier, and several analytics platforms. If your workflow depends heavily on connecting your URL shortener to other parts of your stack, Dub.co currently has more pre-built connectors. TrimLink supports webhooks and a REST API for custom integrations, but the ecosystem of ready-made plugins is not as large yet.
Who Should Use Which?
Use TrimLink if you...
- Care about user privacy and want GDPR-friendly analytics out of the box
- Want affordable, predictable pricing without surprise bills
- Need a generous free tier with custom domains, QR codes, and analytics
- Are a solo creator, freelancer, or small startup watching your budget
- Prefer a managed service so you can focus on your product, not infrastructure
Use Dub.co if you...
- Want an open-source URL shortener you can self-host and customize
- Need specific third-party integrations like Slack or Zapier connectors
- Value a larger developer community and ecosystem
- Require detailed visitor-level analytics for your marketing stack
- Have the budget for $30+/mo and prefer open-source tooling
Neither tool is objectively "better." They serve different priorities. If privacy and value are at the top of your list, TrimLink is the obvious pick. If open-source and a deeper integration ecosystem matter more, Dub.co is a strong choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TrimLink better than Dub.co?
It depends on your priorities. TrimLink is better if you want privacy-first analytics, more affordable pricing, and a generous free tier with a custom domain. Dub.co is better if you need an open-source solution or rely on specific third-party integrations. Both are excellent modern URL shorteners built for developers.
Is Dub.co free?
Dub.co offers a free tier with 25 links per month and 1 custom domain. However, advanced features like higher link limits, additional team members, and priority support require a paid plan starting at $30/month for Pro.
Does TrimLink have an API like Dub.co?
Yes. TrimLink offers a REST API on Growth and Teams plans that lets you create, update, and manage short links programmatically. Dub.co includes API access on all paid plans, so if API is a priority, compare the Growth ($24/mo) tier.
Which is more privacy-friendly — TrimLink or Dub.co?
TrimLink is designed as a privacy-first URL shortener. It tracks link clicks so you can measure campaign performance, but it does not track visitors themselves — no cookies, no fingerprinting, no personal data collection. Dub.co uses standard tracking methods that collect more visitor data by default.
Can I migrate from Dub.co to TrimLink?
Yes. You can export your links from Dub.co and import them into TrimLink. If you use custom domains, you can point them to TrimLink by updating your DNS records. The TrimLink support team can help you with the migration process.
Try TrimLink Free — No Credit Card Required
25 free links per month, a custom domain, privacy-first analytics, and QR codes included.
Pro starts at just $12/month — 60% less than Dub.co.