TinyURL
TinyURL is one of the original URL shortening services, still widely used for its simplicity — no account is required to shorten a link through the basic web interface or the free API endpoint, making it the fastest option when branding, analytics, or link management aren't needed and a quick, throwaway short link is the only goal. Custom aliases (choosing the slug rather than getting a random string) are supported for both anonymous and registered use, though registered accounts get more reliable alias availability and basic click tracking.
The API is deliberately minimal: a single GET request with the long URL as a parameter returns the shortened link as plain text, with no authentication needed for anonymous shortening. This makes it trivially easy to integrate into a script, chatbot, or backend service that needs to shorten a link without the overhead of API keys or OAuth flows that most other shorteners require.
For Nigerian developers building something like an SMS notification system or WhatsApp bot that occasionally needs to shorten a long link with minimal integration overhead, TinyURL's no-auth, single-request API is the lowest-friction option — the tradeoff versus Bitly, Short.io, or Rebrandly is the near-total absence of analytics, branding, or link management features.