Polr 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?
Polr
Quick, modern and open-source link shortener
VS
Shlink
The definitive self-hosted URL shortener
| Feature | Polr | Shlink |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,097 | ★ 5,192 |
| First released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Bitly | Bitly, Rebrandly |
Why pick each one
Choose Polr if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.1k GitHub stars
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Polr or Shlink better?
Neither is universally better. Shlink has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Polr and Shlink free and open-source?
Yes. Polr is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Shlink under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Polr and Shlink with Docker?
Polr: yes. Shlink: yes.