Link Cleaner vs Clean Links: Which Link Cleaner Actually Stops Redirect Trackers and Phishing

Short links and social redirects hide trackers you can't see. Link Cleaner trims visible junk in your browser; Clean Links goes further by expanding short links, stripping trackers that appear mid-redirect, and previewing QR code destinations before you open them. If you use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac and want everything to run locally with zero analytics, Clean Links is built for that. Below is a clear, no-drama breakdown to help you choose the right tool.

The Quick Take

• Redirect tracking is the real problem. Link Cleaner focuses on obvious query parameters. Clean Links also follows redirects and cleans along the way, so short links and social media wrappers can't slip trackers through.
• QR safety matters now. Clean Links includes a QR code scanner that previews the real URL and follows redirects safely, making quishing attempts easier to spot before you tap.
• Privacy posture differs. Clean Links runs fully on-device with no logs or analytics. Link Cleaner processes in your browser as a PWA and uses anonymous Plausible stats to guide development.
• Apple workflow integration. Clean Links plugs into the Share Sheet, Shortcuts and Siri (App Intents), and a Mac menu bar with clipboard monitoring. Link Cleaner integrates via PWA install, an official Shortcut, and a share URL.

What Link Cleaner Does Well

Link Cleaner is a browser-based progressive web app for quickly turning messy links into clean ones. Paste a URL, remove marketing parameters, keep what the page actually needs, and you're done. It also offers:

• A built-in option to show a QR code for the cleaned link (handy for sharing in person)
• A bulk mode for cleaning many URLs
• An official Apple Shortcut so you can send links to Link Cleaner from the iOS share menu
• An open source codebase on GitHub: corbindavenport/link-cleaner

Privacy-wise, Link Cleaner says cleaning happens locally in your browser. It also uses Plausible Analytics for anonymous usage counts (opens, time, country, links cleaned), which helps the developer prioritise updates. You can read its privacy details in the repo's PRIVACY.md.

Bottom line: Link Cleaner is convenient, cross-platform, and great for fast one-off cleanups from any device.

Where Link Cleaner Struggles

Modern tracking often hides behind redirects, not just in visible query strings. Think of social media wrappers like l.facebook.com/..., short links like t.co, bit.ly, or lnkd.in, and affiliate hops. Link Cleaner focuses on the URL you provide; it doesn't advertise expanding the full redirect chain. If a tracker only appears after a redirect, it can get through.

There are also hundreds of trackers and tracking domains that Link Cleaner simply cannot handle because it doesn't follow redirect chains or support the extensive domain coverage needed for comprehensive tracking protection.

What Clean Links Does Differently

Clean Links is a native app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that removes visible tracking parameters and also follows redirects end-to-end. Paste or share a short link and Clean Links will expand the entire chain, strip trackers that show up mid-hop, and show you the final destination before you open it.

Built-In QR Reader That Stops Quishing

Clean Links includes a QR code scanner. Point your camera, and it shows the full, unmasked URL first. The app then follows any redirects safely and cleans the final link, so you can spot fake login or payment pages before tapping to open. That's a big step up from default camera behaviour that tends to open links immediately.

On-Device Privacy, Clean Slate by Design

Clean Links processes everything on your device. There are no logs, no telemetry, no analytics, and nothing is sent to our servers. For links where redirect resolution is technically required (for example, short links), Clean Links connects directly from your device and still avoids tracking:

• Every request starts from a clean slate: no cookies are persisted, no browsing history is kept, and requests run in sandboxed sessions with randomised user agents.
• Tracking parameters are removed before and after each redirect hop.
• Because URL shorteners are often used to hide tracking, following redirects closes that loophole. Manual copy-paste or webapps that do not follow redirects can't reliably fix it.
• We never log or track the links you clean. Your link cleaning stays on your device.
• For extra network privacy when resolving redirects, consider turning on iCloud Private Relay or using a VPN.

Fits Your Apple Workflow

Because it is native, Clean Links integrates where you already work:

• Share Sheet extension across Safari, Mail, X, LinkedIn, and more
• Shortcuts and Siri (App Intents) for one-tap or voice automations
• Mac menu bar with optional clipboard monitoring to auto-clean links you copy
• Free on the App Store: Clean Links on the App Store

Side-By-Side Comparison

Real-World Scenarios

• Short links in DMs and social media feeds: A t.co/xyz link looks harmless but expands into multiple hops. Clean Links resolves the chain locally, strips trackers at each step, and shows you the true destination before you open. Link Cleaner trims what it sees but may miss trackers that appear mid-redirect.

• Scanning QR codes around town: Parking meters, menus, flyers and parcel slips can all hide redirects. Clean Links previews the full URL upfront and follows redirects safely, so you can back out if it looks off.

• Everyday sharing and workflows: If you copy links constantly, Clean Links can scrub them via the Share Sheet, a Shortcuts action or quietly from your Mac's clipboard while you work. Link Cleaner is still great when you're on a non-Apple device or want a quick web stop.

Which One Should You Use?

Choose Link Cleaner if you want a simple, cross-platform web tool and are fine with anonymous usage metrics that help the project evolve. It is open source, easy to access and great for quick cleanups, bulk cleaning and QR code output.

Choose Clean Links if you use an iPhone, iPad or Mac and want deeper protection with less effort. It removes what you can see and what you can't, expands short links, previews QR destinations, integrates everywhere in the Apple ecosystem and keeps your activity fully on-device with no analytics.

Get Clean Links free from the App Store.