Polr vs Trotto
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
Trotto
Open-source go-links for company shortcuts
| Feature | Polr | Trotto |
|---|---|---|
| Category | URL Shorteners | URL Shorteners |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,097 | ★ 349 |
| First released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Bitly | Golinks, GoLinks.io |
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 Trotto if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Polr or Trotto better?
Neither is universally better. Polr has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Polr and Trotto free and open-source?
Yes. Polr is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Trotto under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Polr and Trotto with Docker?
Polr: yes. Trotto: yes.