Dub vs Gull
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?
| Feature | Dub | Gull |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,245 | ★ 37 |
| First released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | bitly |
Why pick each one
Choose Gull if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Dub or Gull better?
Neither is universally better. Dub has the larger community, while Gull is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dub and Gull free and open-source?
Yes. Dub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Gull under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dub and Gull with Docker?
Dub: yes. Gull: check the project docs for container support.