BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP

81 Quality Score

Active Installs

19/30

The 20,000 active installs is moderate, well below category leaders like 301 Redirects at 300,000, indicating a smaller but engaged user base.

Update Freshness

25/25

An update date of July 2026 and full WordPress 7.0.1 compatibility shows the developer is actively maintaining the plugin against the latest core releases.

User Rating

14/15

A 96 out of 100 rating from 84 reviewers is excellent, though the smaller sample size makes it slightly less conclusive than competitors with thousands of ratings.

Support Health

8/15

Only 2 support threads have been opened and both were resolved, which is a 100% resolution rate but offers very little signal given how few users have needed help.

WP Compatibility

15/15

Supporting WordPress 5.0 and up along with PHP 7.4 means it runs on virtually any current WordPress environment, earning a perfect compatibility score.

Scores higher than 84% of indexed plugins

About

Shorten, cloak, redirect & track every link in WordPress. Branded short URLs, click analytics, affiliate links & MCP access for AI assistants.

Active Installs 20k+

Rating ★★★★½ 4.8/5

Last Updated 2026-09-22 11:44am GMT

Requires WordPress 6.2+

Tested Up To 7.1.2

Requires PHP 7.4+

Security History

4 known vulnerabilities, all patched

4 Medium

Most recent: August 24, 2026

View details ▸

What It Does

BetterLinks lets you create short, branded URLs from any long link, then track clicks and view analytics on each one from a WordPress dashboard. It also handles link cloaking and affiliate link management, so you can swap out destination URLs without changing the public shortlink.

Who It's For

This plugin fits marketers, bloggers, and small businesses running affiliate campaigns or tracking links across social media and email. It is especially useful for site owners who want quick analytics on link performance without leaving WordPress or paying for a third-party service.

Who Should Skip It

If you only need basic redirects or a simple 404 fix, BetterLinks is overkill and you would be better served by a lighter tool like Redirection or 301 Redirects. Large enterprises needing heavy API access, multi-user permissions, or enterprise-grade reporting should look elsewhere too.

The Bottom Line

BetterLinks is a well-maintained, highly rated all-in-one shortlink and tracking tool that scores 81.16 out of 100 on PluginCheck. Its smaller install base and thin support history mean it carries more risk than category leaders, but the recent update cadence and perfect compatibility make it a solid pick for marketers who want link management plus analytics in one plugin.

Related Plugins

301 Redirects – Redirect Manager 86/100

Pick this if your primary need is simple 301 redirects and SEO-safe URL changes, as it has 15x the install base and a higher overall score.

PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 86/100

Choose PrettyLinks if you want a more mature affiliate link tool with a longer track record and 200,000 installs to lean on.

Redirection 85/100

Opt for Redirection if you need free, developer-friendly 301 management with detailed logging of every redirect hit.

ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin 81/100

Go with ThirstyAffiliates if affiliate link organization, categories, and automatic keyword linking matter more than click analytics.

301 Redirects & 404 Error Log 81/100

Choose this if you specifically want a built-in 404 error log alongside your redirect management.