Dub vs Chhoto URL
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
Chhoto URL
Fast, lightweight and FOSS URL shortener in Rust
| Feature | Dub | Chhoto URL |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,809 | ★ 978 |
| First released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | TinyURL, Bitly |
What are Dub and Chhoto URL?
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
Chhoto URL
Chhoto URL is a simple, fast, and lightweight self-hosted URL shortener written in Rust, forked from Simply Shorten. It uses minimal resources and offers an optional public mode.
- Tiny Rust binary
- SQLite storage
- Optional public mode
- Simple REST API
Dub vs Chhoto URL: key differences
Dub is written in TypeScript, while Chhoto URL is built with Rust. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Dub versus MIT for Chhoto URL. Chhoto URL is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Dub. Dub has the considerably larger community, at 24,809 GitHub stars versus 978.
Why pick each one
Choose Dub if…
- Polished modern UI
- Powerful analytics
Watch out for
- Complex self-hosting setup
Choose Chhoto URL if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
Frequently asked questions
Is Dub or Chhoto URL better?
Neither is universally better. Dub has the larger community, while Chhoto URL is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dub and Chhoto URL free and open-source?
Yes. Dub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Chhoto URL under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dub and Chhoto URL with Docker?
Dub: yes. Chhoto URL: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dub or Chhoto URL?
Chhoto URL has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Dub. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.