Dub vs Slash
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?
Dub
Open-source link management platform
VS
Slash
Open-source, self-hosted bookmarks and link shortener
| Feature | Dub | Slash |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,245 | ★ 3,169 |
| First released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | Bitly, go links |
Why pick each one
Choose Slash if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Dub or Slash better?
Neither is universally better. Dub has the larger community, while Slash is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dub and Slash free and open-source?
Yes. Dub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Slash under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dub and Slash with Docker?
Dub: yes. Slash: yes.