bit vs Sink
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
bit
Fast, lightweight, resource-efficient, compiled URL shortener
VS
Sink
Serverless URL shortener with built-in analytics
| Feature | bit | Sink |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Crystal | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | source, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 105 | ★ 7,000 |
| First released | 2025 | 2024 |
| Replaces | — | Bitly |
Why pick each one
Choose bit if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Crystal
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Sink if…
- Released under the MIT license
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Mature project with 7k GitHub stars
- Written in Vue
Frequently asked questions
Is bit or Sink better?
Neither is universally better. Sink has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are bit and Sink free and open-source?
Yes. bit is licensed under MIT and Sink under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bit and Sink with Docker?
bit: yes. Sink: check the project docs for container support.