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.
| Feature | Dub | Shlink |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| 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 | ★ 24,809 | ★ 5,303 |
| First released | 2022 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | Bitly, Rebrandly |
What are Dub and Shlink?
Dub
Dub is a modern, open-source link management platform for creating branded short links with advanced analytics, QR codes, and team collaboration. It can be self-hosted with Docker.
- Branded short links
- Advanced click analytics
- QR code generation
- Team workspaces
Shlink
Shlink is a self-hosted URL shortener with a powerful REST API, detailed visit analytics, QR codes, and a separate web client. It supports custom domains and tags for organizing links.
- Powerful REST API
- Detailed visit analytics
- QR code generation
- Multi-domain support
Dub vs Shlink: key differences
Dub is written in TypeScript, while Shlink is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Dub versus MIT for Shlink. Shlink is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Dub. Shlink is the more established project (first released 2016), while Dub arrived in 2022. Dub has the considerably larger community, at 24,809 GitHub stars versus 5,303.
Why pick each one
Choose Dub if…
- Polished modern UI
- Powerful analytics
Watch out for
- Complex self-hosting setup
Choose Shlink if…
- Excellent API
- Geolocation analytics
Watch out for
- Web UI is a separate component
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.
Which is lighter on resources, Dub or Shlink?
Shlink has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Dub. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.