Lstu vs spoo.me
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Lstu | spoo.me |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | WTFPL | MIT |
| Language | Perl | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 251 |
| First released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Replaces | TinyURL, Bitly | Bitly, Cuttly |
What are Lstu and spoo.me?
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
spoo.me
spoo.me is an open-source, self-hostable URL shortener that produces short links with detailed click statistics and optional password protection. It can be deployed quickly with a Python web stack.
- Detailed click stats
- Password-protected links
- Emoji short codes
- REST API
Lstu vs spoo.me: key differences
Lstu is written in Perl, while spoo.me is built with Python. Licensing differs — WTFPL for Lstu versus MIT for spoo.me. Lstu is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for spoo.me. Lstu is the more established project (first released 2014), while spoo.me arrived in 2023.
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 spoo.me if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Lstu or spoo.me better?
Neither is universally better. spoo.me has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Lstu and spoo.me free and open-source?
Yes. Lstu is licensed under WTFPL and spoo.me under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lstu and spoo.me with Docker?
Lstu: yes. spoo.me: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Lstu or spoo.me?
Lstu has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for spoo.me. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.