LinkCentral – URL shortener, Affiliate Links & Custom Link Shortener with Link Tracking
by Design for WP · Analytics
Also makes 1 other plugin · 460+ installs across the portfolio →
The easiest URL shortener, short links manager, and link tracking plugin. Fast and optimised for better redirects, affiliate links and click tracking.
89 health vs 64 average across 1,029 Analytics plugins
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Daily downloads
Since 2024-10-06 · 692 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peaks are release surges
723
now · peak 1.1K
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
14
releases in the last 12 months
2mo ago
latest release · v1.7.2
40
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “400+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.
At the current install trend, crossing 500+ in roughly 125 days.
Install history · since 2024-10-05 · 685 observations
Estimated value
What this plugin might earn a year, and what it might sell for. Modeled from public signals; we don't see anyone's books.
Est. annual revenue
Est. acquisition value
No paid tier is visible, so we don't put a figure on revenue or sale value: that would be guessing. The install base is a real asset to an acquirer, just not one public data lets us price. A small install base leaves thin data to model from.
Details
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ naturovital5mo ago
Really happy with this plugin giving me custom Links & short URLs directly inside my wp backend. Super happy with this tool so far <3
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Ryan5mo ago
I originally came across the free version of Link Central and, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much at first. There are quite a few link management plugins out there, and a lot of them either feel clunky or overcomplicated. But this one surprised me straight away. The free version alone is genuinely very good. It covers all the basics you’d expect—creating short links, managing them properly, and tracking clicks—all in a really clean and simple interface. It’s one of those plugins where you don’t need to watch tutorials or spend hours figuring things out. You install it, and within minutes, you’re up and running.  After using it for a bit, I decided to go for the Premium version, and I’m glad I did. What really stands out for me is how easy everything is. The whole plugin feels like it was built with real users in mind. No unnecessary fluff, no confusing settings—just straightforward tools that actually help. Managing links, especially affiliate links, can quickly become messy, but Link Central keeps everything organised in one place. If you’re doing any kind of digital marketing, this plugin is extremely useful. Whether it’s affiliate links, promotional offers, or just tracking how people interact with your content, it handles it all very smoothly. The analytics side is also a big plus—you can actually see what’s working instead of guessing.  Another thing I noticed is how polished it feels for a relatively newer plugin. It already has very strong feedback from users, with consistently high ratings, which says a lot about how reliable it is.  Overall, upgrading to the Premium version felt like a natural step rather than a forced upsell. The free version proves the value, and the Premium version simply builds on that in a meaningful way. If you run a WordPress site and deal with links regularly—especially in affiliate marketing or promotions—I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. It’s one of those tools that quietly becomes essential once you start using it. This topic was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by Ryan. Reason: Correction from Pro to Premium
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ bee75mo ago
I have been looking for a plugin to manage my links and I found this plugin that was super easy to set up and add the links. Also, it has a dashboard where I will be able to analyze the links performance. My experience has been great and the fact that it already discovered that one of my links was broken. I recommend this plugin for anyone wanting an effective plugin to manage links. I did tried other plugins before and this one is by far the easiest to use for a non-techy person like me. I hope this review is helpful.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ yv3607mo ago
Does what it’s supposed to do.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Marty7mo ago
This is becoming my favourite link management plugin. Tested it on a new site and was impressed. The feature to tone down on the auto-link replacements is great. You almost take it for granted, until you add a link replacement on another blog with a different link management plugin and see how clunky that one handles it (either all words it comes across get replaced or only the first X amount). Link Central has a much better approach. If things keep going this way, I’ll be adding Link Central to my other sites as well. Just one minor issue to fix for the dev… WP Umbrella can’t show the Link Central’s changelog due to: “The premium plugin does not allow us to retrieve its changelog. Please contact their support to be compatible with WordPress’s “plugins_api” function.” But that is just minor. This is a solid plugin. Try it and you’ll see the difference… Especially if you are familiar with other link plugins.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ upnorth8mo ago
I tried a few competitors, but this one is easy to use + lots of great features. Definitely a keeper.Great job Design for WP!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mikeshecky8mo ago
Just set this up and wow, exactly what I needed. Been juggling like 6 different links for my work (portfolio, calendar, social, payment stuff) and sending people to different places was getting annoying. Took maybe 10 minutes to get everything looking decent. Clean interface, nothing complicated. Works great on mobile too which was important since most people check my links on their phones. The analytics are actually useful. can see which links people click most. Not much else to say, it does the job, looks good, and I’m not paying $20/month for it like some of the other options. If you need a simple link hub, this works.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Andile M.8mo ago
Love this plugin and it has all the features that I need and works as advertised. thanks to the team behind it This topic was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Andile M..
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-05-19 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-05-18 400+ → 300+ down after 6 days in tier
- 2026-05-12 300+ → 400+ up after 72 days in tier
- 2026-03-01 200+ → 300+ up after 69 days in tier
- 2025-12-22 100+ → 200+ up after 47 days in tier
- 2025-11-05 90+ → 100+ up after 4 days in tier
- 2025-11-01 80+ → 90+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2025-10-30 70+ → 80+ up after 6 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
ShortLinks Pro – Affiliate Links, Link Shortening, Click Tracking & Marketing 100+ installs · 4.5★ · 4 shared tags A -
PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP 20K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
URL Shortify – Simple and Easy URL Shortener 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A -
ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin 30K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
PublishPress Shortlinks – The Link Manager for WordPress 100+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for LinkCentral – URL shortener, Affiliate Links & Custom Link Shortener with Link Tracking into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/linkcentral" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="LinkCentral – URL shortener, Affiliate Links & Custom Link Shortener with Link Tracking — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> LinkCentral – URL shortener, Affiliate Links & Custom Link Shortener with Link Tracking: 400+ active installs, 5.0★ (19 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-28. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/linkcentral