Dub vs Sink
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dub | Sink |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | source, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,809 | ★ 7,155 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Bitly, Rebrandly | Bitly |
What are Dub and Sink?
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
Sink
Sink is a fast and minimal URL shortener built to run on Cloudflare Workers and KV but also self-hostable. It includes link analytics powered by an analytics engine.
- Built-in link analytics
- Minimal fast redirects
- Edge deployment
- Clean dashboard
Dub vs Sink: key differences
Dub is written in TypeScript, while Sink is built with Vue. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Dub versus MIT for Sink. Sink is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Dub. Dub is the more established project (first released 2022), while Sink arrived in 2024. Dub has the considerably larger community, at 24,809 GitHub stars versus 7,155. Dub lists first-class Docker deployment; Sink does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Dub if…
- Polished modern UI
- Powerful analytics
Watch out for
- Complex self-hosting setup
Choose Sink if…
- Released under the MIT license
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Mature project with 7.2k GitHub stars
- Written in Vue
Frequently asked questions
Is Dub or Sink better?
Neither is universally better. Dub has the larger community, while Sink is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dub and Sink free and open-source?
Yes. Dub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Sink under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dub and Sink with Docker?
Dub: yes. Sink: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dub or Sink?
Sink has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Dub. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.