Kutt vs Shlink Web Client
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Kutt | Shlink Web Client |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 78 · Good |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,119 | ★ 398 |
| First released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Bitly, TinyURL | Bitly |
What are Kutt and Shlink Web Client?
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
Shlink Web Client
Shlink Web Client is the official browser-based interface for managing one or more Shlink servers. It provides link creation, analytics dashboards, and tag management.
- Manage multiple Shlink servers
- Visual analytics dashboards
- Tag and domain management
- No backend of its own
Kutt vs Shlink Web Client: key differences
Kutt is written in JavaScript, while Shlink Web Client is built with TypeScript. Shlink Web Client is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Kutt. Kutt has the considerably larger community, at 11,119 GitHub stars versus 398.
Why pick each one
Choose Shlink Web Client if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Kutt or Shlink Web Client better?
Neither is universally better. Kutt has the larger community, while Shlink Web Client is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Kutt and Shlink Web Client free and open-source?
Yes. Kutt is licensed under MIT and Shlink Web Client under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kutt and Shlink Web Client with Docker?
Kutt: yes. Shlink Web Client: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kutt or Shlink Web Client?
Shlink Web Client 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.