Kutt vs YOURLS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
YOURLS
Your own URL shortener with stats and plugins
| Feature | Kutt | YOURLS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,117 | ★ 12,242 |
| First released | 2017 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Bitly, TinyURL | Bitly |
What are Kutt and YOURLS?
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
YOURLS
YOURLS is a small set of PHP scripts that lets you run your own URL shortening service with click statistics, a plugin system, and a developer API. It is one of the most popular self-hosted shorteners.
- Custom and random short URLs
- Click statistics
- Plugin architecture
- Developer API
Kutt vs YOURLS: key differences
Kutt is written in JavaScript, while YOURLS is built with PHP. YOURLS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Kutt. YOURLS is the more established project (first released 2009), while Kutt arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
Choose YOURLS if…
- Mature and stable
- Rich plugin ecosystem
Watch out for
- Dated admin interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Kutt or YOURLS better?
YOURLS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Kutt if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Kutt and YOURLS free and open-source?
Yes. Kutt is licensed under MIT and YOURLS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kutt and YOURLS with Docker?
Kutt: yes. YOURLS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kutt or YOURLS?
YOURLS 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.