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.
Dub
Open-source link management platform
VS
Slash
Open-source, self-hosted bookmarks and link shortener
| Feature | Dub | Slash |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| 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 | ★ 24,803 | ★ 3,180 |
| First released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | Bitly, go links |
What are Dub and Slash?
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
Slash
Slash is an open-source, self-hosted platform for sharable links and bookmarks. It lets teams create short, memorable links and organize collections of resources.
- Shareable short links
- Bookmark collections
- Team workspaces
- Browser extension
Dub vs Slash: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Dub versus MIT for Slash. Slash is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Dub. Dub has the considerably larger community, at 24,803 GitHub stars versus 3,180.
Why pick each one
Choose Dub if…
- Polished modern UI
- Powerful analytics
Watch out for
- Complex self-hosting setup
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.
Which is lighter on resources, Dub or Slash?
Slash 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.