Kutt vs Reduced.to
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Kutt | Reduced.to |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,119 | ★ 705 |
| First released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Bitly, TinyURL | Bitly, Rebrandly |
What are Kutt and Reduced.to?
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
Reduced.to
Reduced.to is an open-source URL shortener and link management platform with real-time analytics, QR codes, and password-protected links. It can be fully self-hosted.
- Real-time link analytics
- QR code generation
- Password-protected links
- Modern web UI
Kutt vs Reduced.to: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Reduced.to's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Kutt is actively maintained. Kutt is written in JavaScript, while Reduced.to is built with TypeScript. Kutt is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Reduced.to. Kutt is the more established project (first released 2017), while Reduced.to arrived in 2022. Kutt has the considerably larger community, at 11,119 GitHub stars versus 705.
Why pick each one
Choose Reduced.to if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Kutt or Reduced.to better?
Neither is universally better. Kutt has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kutt and Reduced.to free and open-source?
Yes. Kutt is licensed under MIT and Reduced.to under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kutt and Reduced.to with Docker?
Kutt: yes. Reduced.to: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kutt or Reduced.to?
Kutt has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Reduced.to. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.