TL;DR. Rebrandly is a solid branded link shortener. Branding a link changes how it looks, not where it opens, so a Rebrandly link tapped inside Instagram still lands in the in app browser. OpenUp gives you short links with custom slugs and custom domains too, and adds the part that matters on social, opening the native app.

If you already brand your links, you have solved trust and click through. This is about the step after the click.

What branding a link does and does not do

A branded short link earns more taps because it looks like it belongs to you rather than to a random shortener. That is a genuine lift and worth having.

What it does not touch is the destination environment. Social apps decide where a link opens based on their own rules, not on your domain. So your nicely branded link opens in the same signed out webview as any other, and the person you convinced to tap still hits friction at the action.

What you should expect from a replacement

Everything you already use. Short links, custom slugs, custom domains and click statistics.

Native app opening. The link should hand the person to the destination app rather than a web version of it.

An automatic web fallback. If the app is missing, the link should still land somewhere useful.

QR codes from the same links. Print and offline should not need a second tool.

Flat pricing with a free tier. So you can prove it before you migrate anything.

Migrating without breaking anything

1. List the links you actively use, which is usually far fewer than the number in your account.

2. Recreate the important ones in OpenUp with the same slugs so they read the same.

3. Point your custom domain at OpenUp on a paid plan if you want the branding to carry over.

4. Update your bio, Stories, automations and printed QR codes.

5. Keep the old links live until the new ones are everywhere.

Feature comparison

Who should stay where they are

If your links live mostly in email, on your website or in print, the in app browser rarely touches them and a branded shortener is enough. The moment a large share of your traffic comes from Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X or LinkedIn, the destination environment becomes the constraint and branding alone stops being the deciding feature.

The bottom line

Branding gets the tap. Deep linking decides what happens next. If most of your audience is on social, you want both, and you should not have to pay for two tools to get them.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my own domain? Yes, on the paid plans.

Do I keep my slugs? You can recreate the same slugs.

Are QR codes included? Yes.

Is there a free plan? Yes, five links and three thousand clicks per link each month.

Do I need a developer? No.

Last updated: September 2026. Written by the OpenUp.to team.

Internal links short link, qrcode, deeplink generator, bitly-alternative-deeplink, pricing