Dub vs Lstu
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 | Lstu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | WTFPL |
| Language | TypeScript | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,245 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | TinyURL, Bitly |
Why pick each one
Choose Lstu if…
- Released under the WTFPL license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is Dub or Lstu better?
Neither is universally better. Dub has the larger community, while Lstu is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dub and Lstu free and open-source?
Yes. Dub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lstu under WTFPL. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dub and Lstu with Docker?
Dub: yes. Lstu: yes.