Kutt vs Lstu
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Kutt | Lstu |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | WTFPL |
| Language | JavaScript | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,119 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Bitly, TinyURL | TinyURL, Bitly |
What are Kutt and Lstu?
Kutt
Kutt is a free and open-source URL shortener with a clean interface, custom domains, link expiration, and detailed statistics. It offers both a web UI and a REST API.
- Custom domains and slugs
- Link expiration
- Visit statistics
- Public REST API
Lstu
Lstu is a free, lightweight URL shortener written in Perl that focuses on simplicity and privacy. It can shorten links and optionally make them expire after a set time.
- Simple ephemeral links
- Privacy-focused
- Lightweight Perl app
- API support
Kutt vs Lstu: key differences
Kutt is written in JavaScript, while Lstu is built with Perl. Licensing differs — MIT for Kutt versus WTFPL for Lstu. Lstu is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Kutt. Lstu is the more established project (first released 2014), while Kutt arrived in 2017. Kutt has the considerably larger community, at 11,119 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose Lstu if…
- Released under the WTFPL license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Perl
Frequently asked questions
Is Kutt or Lstu better?
Neither is universally better. Kutt has the larger community, while Lstu is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Kutt and Lstu free and open-source?
Yes. Kutt is licensed under MIT and Lstu under WTFPL. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kutt and Lstu with Docker?
Kutt: yes. Lstu: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kutt or Lstu?
Lstu has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Kutt. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.