Dub vs Shlink
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 | Shlink |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,245 | ★ 5,192 |
| First released | 2022 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | Bitly, Rebrandly |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Dub or Shlink better?
Neither is universally better. Dub has the larger community, while Shlink is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dub and Shlink free and open-source?
Yes. Dub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Shlink under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dub and Shlink with Docker?
Dub: yes. Shlink: yes.