Why I'm Building Yet Another URL Shortener in 2025 (And Why It's Not Crazy)
Source: Dev.to
“The URL shortener market is saturated.”
The Market Reality
Yes, Bitly exists. They’re also:
- Expensive – Premium pricing for basic features, enterprise tiers cost 10x+ more
- Enterprise‑focused – Overkill for creators and small businesses
- Slow to innovate – Same features for years
There’s a massive gap between “free tier with ads” and “enterprise pricing.”
My Target Customer
Not enterprises. Not marketing agencies with huge budgets.
Creators and small businesses who:
- Share links on social media daily
- Want to know what’s working
- Don’t want to pay Bitly prices
- Need a simple API for automation
Think: YouTubers, newsletter writers, indie hackers, small e‑commerce stores.
The Differentiators
- Generous Free Tier – Most users will never pay, but they’ll spread the word.
- Simple, Fast Analytics – Click counts, referrers, geo data. No 47‑tab analytics dashboard.
- Developer‑First API – Create links programmatically. Every feature available via API.
- Fair Pricing – Pro and Enterprise tiers priced at ~50‑60 % less than major competitors.
- Bio Links (Link‑in‑Bio) – One link to rule all Instagram/TikTok bios.
The Business Model
Freemium + Usage‑Based:
- Free: 30 links/month, 1‑month analytics retention, 1 API key
- Pro: 500 links/month, 6‑month analytics, 5 custom domains, 10 API keys
- Enterprise: Unlimited everything, 12‑month analytics, team features
Target: a few hundred Pro + a handful of Enterprise customers for sustainable MRR.
Is that life‑changing money? No. Is it a solid indie business? Yes.
Why It’s Not Crazy
- Low CAC – SEO + content marketing. People search “URL shortener” constantly.
- Sticky product – Once links are created, switching is painful.
- Recurring revenue – Monthly subscriptions, not one‑time purchases.
- Low support burden – Simple product; not much can go wrong.
- API = B2B potential – Developers integrate it, then their company needs the paid tier.
Current Status
MVP live at jo4.io
- ~200 links created (mostly me testing)
- Pre‑revenue (just launched)
- Running lean infrastructure
Next steps: content marketing, Product Hunt launch, reaching out to creators.
The Honest Truth
Will this become a million‑dollar business? Probably not.
Will it become a sustainable side income that could grow into something bigger? That’s the bet.
The URL shortener market isn’t “saturated” – it’s “dominated by expensive incumbents with room for alternatives.”
Am I delusional? What am I missing? Genuine feedback welcome.
Building in public at jo4.io