Lstu 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 | Lstu | Reduced.to |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | WTFPL | MIT |
| Language | Perl | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 705 |
| First released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Replaces | TinyURL, Bitly | Bitly, Rebrandly |
What are Lstu and Reduced.to?
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
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
Lstu vs Reduced.to: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Reduced.to's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Lstu is actively maintained. Lstu is written in Perl, while Reduced.to is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — WTFPL for Lstu versus MIT for Reduced.to. Lstu is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Reduced.to. Lstu is the more established project (first released 2014), while Reduced.to arrived in 2022. Reduced.to has the considerably larger community, at 705 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
Choose Reduced.to if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Lstu or Reduced.to better?
Neither is universally better. Reduced.to 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 Lstu and Reduced.to free and open-source?
Yes. Lstu is licensed under WTFPL and Reduced.to under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lstu and Reduced.to with Docker?
Lstu: yes. Reduced.to: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Lstu or Reduced.to?
Lstu has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Reduced.to. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.