Does the output of a cipher have to be no longer than the input?
a cipher isnt good unless its the same length as the original?


This is completely false. In fact, with most modern block cipher modes of operation, you will get ciphertext lengths that are longer than the original input. In fact, a ciphertext length longer than the input is a requirement for integrity protections (which is a must-have these days).


  so is my cypher useless?


This we cannot judge given the information you've posted. Ciphertext to plaintext length ratio is meaningless when it comes to determining the utility of a cipher. If you want to know if your cipher is useful, you need to 1) publish the full details of the algorithm, 2) describe its benefits when compared to existing ciphers (what new capabilities does your cipher give me that I don't already have with AES), 3) get a bunch of really smart cryptographers to work on breaking it for years.