Polr 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?
Polr
Quick, modern and open-source link shortener
VS
Simply Shorten
Slimline self-hosted URL shortener with no bloat
| Feature | Polr | Simply Shorten |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,097 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2014 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Bitly | TinyURL |
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
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 Polr or Simply Shorten better?
Neither is universally better. Polr has the larger community, while Simply Shorten is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Polr and Simply Shorten free and open-source?
Yes. Polr is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Simply Shorten under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Polr and Simply Shorten with Docker?
Polr: yes. Simply Shorten: yes.