Slash vs Simply Shorten
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
Simply Shorten
Slimline self-hosted URL shortener with no bloat
| Feature | Slash | Simply Shorten |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | MIT | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,169 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2023 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Bitly, go links | TinyURL |
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)
Choose Simply Shorten if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Slash or Simply Shorten better?
Neither is universally better. Slash has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Slash and Simply Shorten free and open-source?
Yes. Slash is licensed under MIT and Simply Shorten under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Slash and Simply Shorten with Docker?
Slash: yes. Simply Shorten: yes.