Short.io vs PIMMS 2026: volume link management vs marketing attribution

Short.io has one of the most generous free plans in the link management space: 1,000 branded links total, 5 custom domains, 50K tracked clicks per month, and even basic conversion tracking (50 conversions/mo). If you need volume and a solid API, Short.io is hard to beat at $0.

But if you're a founder or marketer trying to connect every click to actual revenue — and you run opt-in forms, Stripe checkout, or booking flows — Short.io and PIMMS solve different problems. Short.io optimizes for volume and link management; PIMMS is an open-source platform (GitHub) that optimizes for marketing attribution and conversion tracking.

This comparison uses verified pricing from February 2026 and focuses on what actually matters: which tool fits your use case, your budget, and your growth stage.

Three things PIMMS does that Short.io cannot

Before diving into pricing and feature tables, understand the core gap:

1. Opt-in form tracking ecosystem — PIMMS has dedicated setup guides for 11+ platforms (Stripe, Tally, Cal.com, Calendly, Brevo, Webflow, Framer, Elementor, Systeme.io, Podia, iClosed — plus 100+ more via Zapier and Make). Short.io has no native Stripe integration, no opt-in form tracking, and no setup guides. You can track basic conversions (50/mo on Free); you cannot attribute form submissions, bookings, or Stripe payments to specific links with the same depth.

2. Server-side tracking — PIMMS tracks through server-side events, which bypasses ad blockers. Short.io relies on client-side tracking. If a significant portion of your audience uses ad blockers, your Short.io analytics will have blind spots.

3. Professional UTM management — PIMMS offers UTM templates, saved parameter values, filter/sort/group by UTM, and (on Pro+) naming convention enforcement. Short.io has a UTM builder but no templates, no saved parameters, and no convention rules. PIMMS replaces the Google Sheets tracking plan many teams still rely on.

What Short.io does well (honest assessment)

Short.io deserves credit for its free tier:

• 1,000 branded links total — Most competitors cap free plans at 5–25 links per month. Short.io gives you 1,000 links in total, forever, at $0.
• 5 custom domains on Free — Unusual generosity. Most tools charge for the first domain.
• 50K tracked clicks per month — High volume from day one.
• 50 conversions per month on Free — Basic conversion tracking exists. It's limited, but it's there.
• Good API — Short.io has a solid API for automation and integration.
• A/B testing on Free — Basic A/B testing is included even on the free plan.

Short.io is built for volume link management. If your main need is creating many branded links, tracking clicks, and keeping costs low, Short.io is an excellent choice.

Pricing side by side (verified February 2026)

Prices below come from each product's official pricing page. Short.io prices are in USD; PIMMS prices are in EUR.

Short.io plans

Key features by plan:

• Free: A/B testing basic, GDPR, QR codes, UTM builder, API, tags, 301 redirects, 3 folders
• Hobby: Referrer hiding, country targeting, 5 folders
• Pro: Link cloaking, expiration, password protection, click limit, 10 folders
• Team: Deep links, city/region targeting, 99.9% SLA, encryption, 100 folders, unlimited users
• Enterprise: SSO, raw data export to S3, multiple teams

PIMMS plans

What stands out:

• Short.io Free is incredibly generous — 1,000 links total, 5 domains, 50K clicks/mo. PIMMS Free gives 5 links, 200 events, 1 domain.
• Social-media deep linking — PIMMS opens links in native social apps (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) on every plan. Short.io's deep links (Team $48/mo) redirect to iOS/Android apps — a different concept.
• Stripe integration — PIMMS includes it on every plan, including Free. Short.io has no native Stripe integration.
• Opt-in form tracking — PIMMS has 11+ dedicated guides. Short.io has none.
• Server-side tracking — PIMMS on all plans. Short.io does not offer it.
• Lifetime pricing — PIMMS offers €79 (Tiny) and €129 (Solo) lifetime options. Short.io is subscription-only.

Feature comparison table

Where Short.io wins

• Free tier generosity — 1,000 links total, 5 domains, 50K clicks/mo, 50 conversions/mo at $0. No competitor matches this for volume.
• High-volume focus — Unlimited links from Pro ($18/mo). PIMMS caps at 2,000 links/mo on Business.
• Domain count — 5 domains on Free, 50 on Team. PIMMS maxes at 10 domains on Business.
• Lower entry for basic conversion tracking — 50 conversions/mo on Free. PIMMS has no conversion cap but requires setup.
• Enterprise features — Team plan ($48/mo) offers 99.9% SLA, encryption. Enterprise has SSO and S3 export.

Where PIMMS wins

• Opt-in form tracking ecosystem — Dedicated guides for Stripe, Tally, Cal.com, Calendly, Brevo, Webflow, Framer, Elementor, Systeme.io, Podia, iClosed, and 100+ via Zapier/Make. Short.io has no equivalent.
• Stripe integration on every plan — Connect Stripe Checkout and Payment Links for revenue attribution. Short.io has no native Stripe integration.
• Server-side tracking — Bypasses ad blockers. Short.io uses client-side tracking only.
• Professional UTM campaign management — UTM link builder, templates, saved parameters, filter/sort/group by UTM, bulk generation, and (on Pro+) naming conventions and rules. Replaces UTM.io and Google Sheets tracking. Short.io has a basic UTM builder on all plans but no templates, no saved parameters, no conventions, and no bulk UTM builder.
• Social-media deep linking on every plan — Open links directly in Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and more. Short.io's deep links (Team $48/mo) are app deep links (iOS/Android redirect), not social-media deep linking.
• Lifetime pricing — Tiny at €79 or Solo at €129. Short.io is subscription-only.

Opt-in form integration ecosystem

PIMMS includes a tracking opt-in form and dedicated setup guides for connecting your forms and booking tools to conversion tracking. Short.io has no equivalent.

Platforms with dedicated PIMMS guides:

• Stripe — Track payments and revenue from Stripe Checkout and Payment Links
• Tally — Native integration and webhook setup for Tally forms
• Cal.com — Direct webhook and Zapier integration for bookings
• Calendly — Meeting and booking conversion tracking
• Brevo — Forms and meeting conversions
• Webflow — Form submissions and lead capture
• Framer — Form tracking on Framer sites
• Elementor — WordPress/Elementor form leads
• Systeme.io — Sales and lead attribution
• Podia — Stripe payments via Podia
• iClosed — CRM and Zapier integration

Plus 100+ more via Zapier and Make — including Typeform, Google Forms, HubSpot, Notion, Airtable, and most no-code tools.

If you run opt-in forms, demos, or booking flows, PIMMS can attribute each conversion back to the link that drove it. Short.io offers basic conversion tracking (50/mo on Free) but no native Stripe integration, no opt-in form tracking, and no setup guides for connecting forms to links.

Professional UTM campaign management

Most link tools offer a basic UTM builder at best. PIMMS treats UTM management as a first-class feature — the kind of thing teams usually pay $19–$159/month for on UTM.io or manage manually in Google Sheets.

What PIMMS includes on all plans (including Free):

• UTM link builder — Visual editor to build UTM-tagged links without manual URL crafting
• UTM templates — Save reusable UTM parameter sets and apply them to new links in one click (3 on Free, unlimited on paid plans)
• Saved UTM parameters — Pre-fill values from saved lists so your team always uses the correct sources, mediums, and campaigns (10 on Free, unlimited on paid plans)
• Filter, sort & group by UTM — Slice your analytics by any UTM parameter: source, medium, campaign, term, content. See which combinations drive the most clicks, conversions, and revenue
• Bulk UTM builder — Paste multiple URLs or import CSV, apply one or multiple templates, and generate dozens of tracked links in seconds
• CSV export — Export all links and UTM data for reporting or backup

On Pro+ (€39/mo):

• UTM conventions — Require, lock, hide, and validate UTM parameters. Enforce consistent naming taxonomy across your entire team. No more "facebook" vs "Facebook" vs "fb" in your reports
• UTM rules — Define which parameter values are allowed, required, or locked per campaign type

This replaces both UTM.io ($19–$159/mo for similar features) and the Google Sheets tracking plans many teams still rely on. If you run more than a handful of campaigns, proper UTM management saves hours per week and eliminates reporting inconsistencies.

Short.io has a basic UTM builder on all plans but no templates, no saved parameters, no conventions, and no bulk UTM builder.

Real cost comparison for common use cases

To match PIMMS Free features (Stripe integration, opt-in form tracking, server-side tracking, deep linking, UTM templates), Short.io would require Team ($48/mo) for deep linking — and still would not offer Stripe integration, opt-in form tracking, or server-side tracking.

To match Short.io Free volume (1,000 links, 5 domains), PIMMS would require Pro (€39/mo, 1K links) or Business (€69/mo, 2K links) — and you'd still max at 5–10 domains.

When to choose Short.io

Short.io is the right choice if:

1. You need high-volume link management — 1,000 links and 5 domains on Free is unmatched. If you create many links and don't need deep conversion attribution, Short.io is ideal.
2. You're on a tight budget — Free gets you very far. Hobby at $5/mo and Pro at $18/mo are affordable for volume.
3. Basic conversion tracking is enough — 50 conversions/mo on Free, unlimited on Pro. If you don't need Stripe or form-level attribution, Short.io covers basics.
4. You need many custom domains — 5 on Free, 50 on Team. PIMMS caps at 10.
5. You rely on the API — Short.io has a solid API for automation.
6. You don't run opt-in forms or Stripe — If your conversion flow is simple (e.g., landing page signup), Short.io's basic conversion tracking may suffice.

When to choose PIMMS

PIMMS is the right choice if:

1. You sell online and want to know which link drove each Stripe payment. Short.io has no Stripe integration.
2. You use opt-in forms, demos, or booking tools — PIMMS has guides for Stripe, Tally, Cal.com, Calendly, Brevo, Webflow, Framer, Elementor, Systeme.io, Podia, iClosed, and 100+ more. Short.io has none.
3. You share links on social media and want them to open directly in native social apps (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok). PIMMS includes social-media deep linking on Free; Short.io's deep links (Team $48/mo) handle iOS/Android app redirects instead.
4. Ad blockers affect your data — Server-side tracking means PIMMS captures events that Short.io might miss.
5. You need professional UTM management — Templates, saved parameters, and naming conventions. Short.io has a basic UTM builder only.
6. You prefer lifetime pricing — €79 (Tiny) or €129 (Solo) one-time. Short.io is subscription-only.

Summary: two different philosophies

Short.io is built for volume link management. It excels at generous free tiers, high link counts, many domains, and a solid API. If your goal is creating and managing many branded links at low cost, Short.io delivers.

PIMMS is built for marketing attribution and conversion tracking. It excels at connecting clicks to Stripe sales, opt-in form submissions, and bookings. Server-side tracking, deep linking on every plan, and UTM management round out the offering. If your goal is to prove marketing ROI and attribute revenue to specific links, PIMMS delivers.

Neither tool is universally better. Choose based on what you need: volume and link management (Short.io) or conversion and revenue attribution (PIMMS).

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