YOURLS
12kYOURLS is a set of PHP scripts that will allow you to run Your Own URL Shortener. Features include password protection, URL customization, bookmarklets, statistics, API, plugins, jsonp.
URL ShortenersMIT
Self-hosted URL Shorteners
SelfHostHub lists 11 open-source URL Shorteners projects you can host on your own server. The most-starred on GitHub are YOURLS (12,263 stars), Kutt (11,160 stars) and Shlink (5,348 stars). 7 of them document a Docker install, and 7 offer a live demo you can try first.
Replacing a paid app? See open-source alternatives to Bitly.
Kutt
11kModern URL shortener with support for custom domains and custom URLs.
URL ShortenersMIT
Shlink
5.3kURL shortener with REST API and command line interface. Includes official progressive web application and docker images.
URL ShortenersMIT
Chhoto URL
987Simple, lightning-fast URL shortener with no bloat (fork of simply-shorten).
URL ShortenersMIT
Flare
138A nonbloated, modern, and highly configurable file/screenshot vault server with support for ShareX, Flameshot, and Spectacle. Offers OCR search and more.
File Transfer - Single-click & Drag-n-drop UploadMIT
bit
108Fast, lightweight, resource-efficient, compiled URL shortener.
URL ShortenersMIT
File and link sharing platform with URL shortening, code snippet sharing, and file uploads, featuring customizable expiration, privacy settings, and QR codes.
File Transfer - Single-click & Drag-n-drop UploadCC0-1.0
KISS URL shortener, public or private (with account). Minimalist and lightweight. No dependencies.
URL ShortenersMIT
A super-minimal link shortening service written in pure C, focusing on small executable size, portability, and ease of configuration.
URL ShortenersAGPL-3.0
Create QR Codes, embeddable link previews for your website and crawls/scrapes metadata.
URL ShortenersMIT
Lightweight link shortener written in Rust, with features such as caching, spambot protection and phishing detection.
URL ShortenersMPL-2.0
How to choose self-hosted URL Shorteners software
- Check project health. Stars show popularity, not maintenance. Open the source repository and look at recent commits and releases.
- Match the licence to your use. 1 use a GPL-family licence (copyleft, including AGPL) and 9 use a permissive licence such as MIT, Apache-2.0 or BSD. AGPL matters if you modify the software and offer it to others over a network.
- Pick a stack you can run. The most common platforms here are Docker (7), PHP (3), Nodejs (3) and Rust (2). Docker is usually the easiest path for a home server or VPS.
- Try before you migrate. Use a live demo where one exists (7 here), or a throwaway container first, and confirm it can import your existing data before switching.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular self-hosted URL Shorteners software?
By GitHub stars, the top projects in this category are YOURLS (12,263 stars), Kutt (11,160 stars) and Shlink (5,348 stars).
How many open-source URL Shorteners tools are listed?
11 projects are currently listed in the URL Shorteners category on SelfHostHub.
Which licences do self-hosted URL Shorteners projects use?
The most common licences in this category are MIT (8), CC0-1.0 (1) and AGPL-3.0 (1).
Can I run these URL Shorteners tools with Docker?
7 of the 11 projects list Docker as a supported platform. Check each project's documentation for the exact install steps.