Best Free URL Redirection / URL Forwarding

Free URL redirection (also know as URL forwarding) is the ability to redirect or forward i.e. point one URL / Web Address to another - at zero cost to you.

The creators of these useful web tools have developed a way for you to conveniently shorten lonnnng ugly affiliate links, redirect or hide/cloak URLs -- and some have even gotten so advanced that they provide you with a free hit counter and/or free hit tracking, enabling you to see how many hits a particular link is getting -- and even more so where those hits are generating from.

These are all very useful features that you can find with free URL redirection.

Being that finding the Best Free URL Redirection services can be a daunting task - believe me I know! - I've researched & tested more of ‘em than I care to mention -- I've eliminated the grunt-work for the both of us and have compiled this Best Free URL Redirection List!

Let's kick it off with...

TinyURL

• Basic URL Redirection → Yup! :-)
• Cloaked/masked link option → Nope! :-(
• Generate Custom tag or keyword-rich URL → Yup! :-)
• Create MetaTags → Nope! :-(
• Hit Counter → Nope! :-(
• Hit Tracking → Nope! :-(
• Link Editing → Nope! :-(
• Referral/affiliate Program → Nope! :-(

Additional Info: TinyUrl is by far the most popular of all free url redirection services. It has been around for years and is a leader in its field. However, just because it's the most popular and widely used -- and quite possibly the oldest out there -- this doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best choice for your situation. TinyURL may or may not turn out to be your #1 favorite. We shall see ~ let's continue...

ViralURL

• Basic URL Redirection → Nope! :-(
• Cloaked/masked link option → Yup! :-)
• Generate Custom tag or keyword-rich URL → Yup! :-)
• Create MetaTags → Nope! :-(
• Hit Counter → Yup! :-)
• Hit Tracking → Yup! :-)
• Link Editing → Yup! :-)
• Referral/affiliate Program → Yup! :-)

Additional Info: ViralUrl is a relatively new one. It is designed to enable you to take advantage of power of viral marketing / viral advertising so that your marketing efforts can have the chance to spread exponentially. NOTE: I've noticed that the introductory video to this program has been messing up lately - so upon visiting the above link it may not appear. This can be a hinderance to you if you ever want to become a viralurl affiliate and recruit others. Regardless of that, from what I've experienced, errors in the video have no effect over its redirection & tracking of links.

The MiniURL

• Basic URL Redirection → Nope! :-(
• Cloaked/masked link option → Yup! :-)
• Generate Custom tag or keyword-rich URL → Nope! :-(*
• Create MetaTags → Nope! :-(
• Hit Counter → Yup! :-)
• Hit Tracking → Nope! :-(*
• Link Editing → Yup! :-)
• Referral/affiliate Program → Yup! :-)

**Additional Info: With The MiniURL, hit tracking and custom label generation is not available as a free feature but currently activated for Paid Members Only. Overall this tool seems to be pretty stable; I've kept my eye on them for over the past 6 months and they're still here - which is a key reason why they've managed to make the cut on my Best Free URL Redirection List!

CO.CC

• Basic URL Redirection → Yup! :-)
• Cloaked/masked link option → Yup! :-)
• Generate Custom tag or keyword-rich URL → Yup! :-)
• Create MetaTags → Yup! :-)
• Hit Counter → Yup! :-)
• Hit Tracking → Nope! :-(
• Link Editing → Yup! :-)
• Referral/affiliate Program → Yup! :-)

Additional Info: I believe the 'site visitor hit counter' is kinda new with this service - so although it's labeled there - reports may not show as of yet. Contact support for further inquiries on this. CO.CC is more than just your standard free URL redirection service -- it is just like having your own free domain name! They could easily charge for this service but they don't...at least not right now that is. Who knows how long this free opportunity will last??? My Advice: Grab Yours Free While You Still Can!

ShortURL

• Basic URL Redirection → Yup! :-)
• Cloaked/masked link option → Yup! :-)
• Generate Custom tag or keyword-rich URL → Yup! :-)
• Create MetaTags → Yup! :-)
• Hit Counter → Yup! :-)
• Hit Tracking → Yup! :-)
• Link Editing → Yup! :-)
• Referral/affiliate Program → Yup! :-)*

Additional Info: ShortURL has been doing its thang since 1999! This free URL redirection/ URL shortener service has an array of features you'd be hard-pressed to find in other tools of its kind. NOTE: This service is set-up for Full Management over One Link per account; to manage separate links you'll have to create separate accounts. If you're into more advanced analysis, reports & tools -- then ShortURL may be the one for you!

*not an affiliate program (or even a standard referral program) however, with each referral you generate, you'll have a 'Chance' to win your own Top-Level domain name and added domain services.

URLFreeze

• Basic URL Redirection → Yup! :-)
• Cloaked/masked link option → Yup! :-)
• Generate Custom tag or keyword-rich URL → Yup! :-)
• Create MetaTags → Yup! :-)
• Hit Counter → Yup! :-)
• Hit Tracking → Yup! :-)
• Link Editing → Yup! :-)
• Referral/affiliate Program → Yup! :-)

Additional Info: This is the one I use most, and is currently my personal favorite! I like it because I can manage multiple links in one place as well as track statistics. This also has a viral marketing nature about it which enables me to multiply my marketing efforts. This free URL program is under superb management from what I've seen. When I've contacted 'Support' my questions were answered promptly and in thorough detail. I feel confident continuing to use this service and crown URLFreeze as my *Top Pick* of Best Free URL Redirection / URL Forwarding Tools.

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Hope you found this helpful ~ Best Wishes & Happy Marketing!