Slash vs Shlink
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?
Slash
Open-source, self-hosted bookmarks and link shortener
VS
Shlink
The definitive self-hosted URL shortener
| Feature | Slash | Shlink |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,169 | ★ 5,192 |
| First released | 2023 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Bitly, go links | Bitly, Rebrandly |
Why pick each one
Choose Slash if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Slash or Shlink better?
Neither is universally better. Shlink has the larger community, while Slash is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Slash and Shlink free and open-source?
Yes. Slash is licensed under MIT and Shlink under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Slash and Shlink with Docker?
Slash: yes. Shlink: yes.