clink vs Simply Shorten
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?
clink
A super-minimal link shortening service written in pure C, focusing on
VS
Simply Shorten
Slimline self-hosted URL shortener with no bloat
| Feature | clink | Simply Shorten |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | — | TinyURL |
Why pick each one
Choose clink if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in C
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Simply Shorten if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is clink or Simply Shorten better?
Simply Shorten is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider clink if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are clink and Simply Shorten free and open-source?
Yes. clink is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Simply Shorten under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run clink and Simply Shorten with Docker?
clink: check the project docs for container support. Simply Shorten: yes.