Lstu vs Chhoto URL
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted url shorteners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Chhoto URL
Fast, lightweight and FOSS URL shortener in Rust
| Feature | Lstu | Chhoto URL |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | WTFPL | MIT |
| Language | Perl | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 978 |
| First released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Replaces | TinyURL, Bitly | TinyURL, Bitly |
What are Lstu and Chhoto URL?
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
Chhoto URL
Chhoto URL is a simple, fast, and lightweight self-hosted URL shortener written in Rust, forked from Simply Shorten. It uses minimal resources and offers an optional public mode.
- Tiny Rust binary
- SQLite storage
- Optional public mode
- Simple REST API
Lstu vs Chhoto URL: key differences
Lstu is written in Perl, while Chhoto URL is built with Rust. Licensing differs — WTFPL for Lstu versus MIT for Chhoto URL. Chhoto URL is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Lstu. Lstu is the more established project (first released 2014), while Chhoto URL arrived in 2023. Chhoto URL has the considerably larger community, at 978 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 Chhoto URL if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
Frequently asked questions
Is Lstu or Chhoto URL better?
Neither is universally better. Chhoto URL has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Lstu and Chhoto URL free and open-source?
Yes. Lstu is licensed under WTFPL and Chhoto URL under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lstu and Chhoto URL with Docker?
Lstu: yes. Chhoto URL: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Lstu or Chhoto URL?
Chhoto URL has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Lstu. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.