Lstu vs rs-short
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Lstu
Let's shorten that URL, simple and ephemeral
VS
rs-short
Lightweight link shortener written in Rust, with features such as
| Feature | Lstu | rs-short |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | WTFPL | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | — |
| First released | 2014 | 2020 |
| Replaces | TinyURL, Bitly | — |
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 rs-short if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Written in Rust
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Lstu or rs-short better?
Lstu is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider rs-short if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Lstu and rs-short free and open-source?
Yes. Lstu is licensed under WTFPL and rs-short under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lstu and rs-short with Docker?
Lstu: yes. rs-short: check the project docs for container support.