URL Shortener Bake-off

What’s the best URL (web link) Shortener? Here at Leading Hands we put the top URL Shortener’s to test with a little bake-off. We asked the question, “Are you ready for a throw-down?”, just like Bobby Flay.

If you are wondering, “Why should I use a URL Shortener? What are the advantages and disadvantages?” The advantage of shortening a long URL, like from Google Maps, is that it’s easier to send to a friend. Another advantage is that most shorteners let you track clicks. The biggest disadvantage is that many short URLS are tagged as SPAM, so be careful how you use them.

Bit.ly – This site was picked by Twitter as the URL shortener of choice a few months back. It’s solid and enables tracking on clicks. You do need to register for an account. There is a pro version available which I have never tried.
http://bit.ly/

BudURL – This free site is latest in shortening technology. I like this shortener because it tracks clicks. Sign-up required for full functionality. There is a pro version available which I have never tried.
http://budurl.com/

Facebook URL Shortener – Facebook created their own service. You have to be logged into Facebook to use it. It works well, but I didn’t see any tracking.
http://fb.me/

Google URL Shortener – Need a Google Account to use it. Stable and Secure are good qualities of this service. Tracking on clicks is available.
http://goo.gl/

TinyURL – This site is the original URL Shortener. It’s free to use and shortens URLS without sign-up.
http://tinyurl.com/

Youtu.be – This service is brought to you by YouTube. It works, but you have to be logged into an account to make it work.
Youtu.be

Do you have any URL (web link) Shorteners to add?